The wife of a former pastor, who died after a suspicious fall from a Utah mountaintop in 2006, had told a friend she believed her husband was having an affair.
Bernadette Vander Meer plummeted 1,200 feet from Angels Landing, a popular but precarious trail in Zion National Park, 20 years before her husband, David Vander Meer, was arrested and charged with her murder. He died by suicide in his jail cell three days after his June 22, 2026, arrest.
Kathy Page, a close friend and former youth group leader, recounted a final face-to-face meeting with Bernadette about a month before her death. During their lunch, Bernadette mentioned her suspicions about her husband's infidelity. Page stated that Bernadette did not specify if she had confronted her husband about these suspicions.
Page also recalled seeing an alleged mistress sitting near David Vander Meer at Bernadette's funeral, an experience she described as appalling.
Friends indicated that Bernadette was not an inexperienced hiker, a detail that raised early questions for Page about the circumstances of her death. Page described Bernadette as an outdoorsy and capable individual who frequently hiked.
Page expressed initial relief and anticipation regarding the murder trial after David Vander Meer's arrest. However, this sentiment shifted to an interpretation of guilt when he died by suicide shortly thereafter. Page suggested that Vander Meer's subsequent marriages and his pursuit of yoga instruction were attempts to cope with his suspected actions.
David Vander Meer was transported to a hospital for treatment of self-inflicted injuries, where he was pronounced dead, according to a Las Vegas Police Department news release. The Clark County Coroner's Office is expected to determine the exact cause of his death.