Former Vegas youth pastor charged with murder 20 years afte…

Fall Injury Alabama Today in Alabama: Bernadette Vander Meer fell some 1,200 feet to her death from a spot in Zion National Park on June 22, 2026. Her death was initially ruled an accident, but the case was relaunched in 2025 after a senior pastor told investigators he believed David Vander Meer pushed her. David Vander Meer, a former Las Vegas youth pastor, was arrested by U.S. Marshals on Monday and charged with murder and insurance fraud in connection with her death; investigators noted he had increased his and his wife's life insurance policies from $150,000 to $600,000 shortly before she died.