Pastor Who Allegedly Pushed Wife Off Cliff Brought Alleged Mistress to Her Memorial
Fresh details have emerged in the decades-old case involving pastor David Vander Meer, with a close family friend claiming the woman believed to have been his alleged mistress attended the memorial service of his late wife just days after her death.
David Vander Meer was arrested in June 2026, nearly 20 years after his wife, Bernadette Vander Meer, died in a fall of about 1,200 feet from Angels Landing in Zion National Park. He was charged with murder and insurance fraud in connection with her death.
More than 600 people attended Bernadette’s memorial service six days after the fatal fall. Among the mourners was Kathy Page, a former youth leader at Bernadette’s church who had known her since she was a teenager.
Speaking to PEOPLE, Page said she had met privately with Bernadette about a month before her death, during which Bernadette confided that she believed her husband was having an affair.
Page said she was shocked to see the woman she believed Bernadette had identified as the alleged mistress sitting near David during the memorial service.
“I can’t remember the connection… but I knew who it was,” Page said, explaining that although she no longer remembers exactly how she learned the woman’s identity, she immediately recognised her at the service.
The sight raised suspicions in her mind about the circumstances surrounding Bernadette’s death.
“I’m married to a cop and I always suspect the spouse first. That’s what they always do,” Page said. “Then when I saw that girl there, I didn’t want to say something that I was going to regret for the rest of my life. Maybe he needed somebody to say something nice. Maybe he was hurting.”
However, she said David did not appear devastated during the memorial.
“I didn’t see the anguish. We were sobbing. I didn’t see that with him,” she recalled. “Your mind tries to justify and fill in the blanks. I try to give the benefit of the doubt if I can, but I still didn’t like it.”
Page said she briefly spoke with David before leaving the memorial and only saw him once more a few years later when he visited her church.
The next time she heard about him was after U.S. Marshals arrested him in Las Vegas on June 22, 2026.
“It was justice for Bernie,” she said.
David was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on charges of murder and insurance fraud over Bernadette’s death.
Authorities later found him with self-inflicted injuries on June 24, and he died the following day.
Despite his death, Page said the outcome brought some measure of closure.
“He’s not around to hurt anybody else anymore. End of story. It can be all put to rest. It’s as close to closure as you can get,” she said.
Reflecting on Bernadette’s character, she added, “I think Bernadette would’ve forgiven him because that’s the kind of person she was.”
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