A youth pastor’s story has unraveled 20 years after his wife’s death in Utah. Bernadette, the wife of David Vander Meer, died in 2006 while hiking with her husband in Zion National Park. The initial investigation ruled her death an accident, but new evidence suggests that David may have been involved in her death.

Investigation and New Evidence

David, a youth pastor, had been leading a youth group at a church in the Las Vegas area. He had been married to Bernadette for 10 years before her death. The couple had a life insurance policy with a death benefit of $600,000, which David received after Bernadette’s death.

In 2022, a former member of David’s youth group came forward with allegations that David had been using his position to groom underage members, including a girl with whom he had been sexually involved at the time of Bernadette’s death. This new evidence led to a re-examination of the case, and investigators now believe that David may have pushed Bernadette to her death.

Family’s Suspicions and Investigation

Bernadette’s family had always suspected that her death was not an accident. They had noticed that David had been paying more attention to the teenagers in his youth group than to his wife, and that he had been controlling and manipulative. The family’s suspicions were further fueled by the fact that David had changed the password on their computer and had been receiving large sums of money from the life insurance policy.

The investigation into Bernadette’s death is ongoing, and David has not been charged with any crime. However, the new evidence suggests that David’s story may not be as innocent as he claimed, and that he may have been involved in his wife’s death.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.