ST. GEORGE (UT)
KUTV, CBS-2 [Salt Lake City UT]
June 23, 2026
By Jonathan May
A former youth pastor charged with murder and insurance fraud nearly 20 years after his wife’s death at Zion National Park was involved in a yearslong sexual relationship with an underage girl in his church youth group, according to court documents.
Bernadette Vander Meer fell to her death on August 22, 2006, while hiking on Angels Landings, according to the Washington County Attorney’s Office.
Investigators determined her death to be “under suspicious circumstances,” but no arrests were immediately made.
MORE | Former youth pastor charged with murder for wife’s death at Zion National Park in 2006
The affidavit said investigators reopened the case after receiving information in 2022 from a former youth group member.
Investigators alleged Vander Meer began developing a close relationship with a girl identified in court records as “SH” when she was about 14 years old and he was serving as her youth pastor.
The affidavit said the relationship became sexual when she was about 16 and continued until she was about 19 or 20 years old.
SH told investigators she ended the relationship on Aug. 20, 2006, the night before Vander Meer and his wife left for a trip to Zion National Park.
Court documents allege Vander Meer was fired from his position at Legacy Christian Church in 2007 or 2008 after church leaders learned he had hosted parties for underage church members, provided alcohol and allowed teenagers to gamble at his home.
Court records state Vander Meer later resumed a relationship with SH after Bernadette Vander Meer’s death. The affidavit said they legally married in 2008 and publicly married in 2010 before later divorcing.
According to the affidavit, SH told investigators her marriage to Vander Meer deteriorated amid allegations of repeated infidelity and emotional distance. The document states the couple separated in 2013 and divorced in 2014. Vander Meer reportedly told others he did not want children and that it was a significant factor in the divorce.
Vander Meer, a Las Vegas resident, was charged and taken into custody on June 22 by the Washington County Attorney’s Office with the help of the U.S. Marshal’s Office.
The timeline below outlines key dates from court documents.
Please see original article for court documents.