A former youth pastor is accused of murdering his wife in Zion National Park

The US military arrested former youth minister David Vander Meer on Monday after prosecutors charged him with first degree murder and insurance fraud in connection with the 2006 death of his wife Bernadette Vander Meer in Zion National Park.

Investigators initially closed the case but reopened it last year after Barry Diamond, senior pastor of the church where Vander Meer worked, said he did not believe the death was accidental, according to a probable cause affidavit.

“At that time, due to a lack of evidence, and a limited investigation, Bernadette Vander Meer’s fall was ruled an accident and the case was closed – even though investigators felt the circumstances were suspicious,” the affidavit reads.

A little more than 17 months before Bernadette’s death, on August 22, 2006, David Vander Meer took out life insurance policies for himself and Bernadette, each worth $150,000. Eight months later in November 2005, Vander Meer increased the policies by $400,000 each, the affidavit read.

HIKER FALLS ON HIS HIKING IN ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH: ‘WAS BEYOND HELP’

Vander Meer applied for insurance in November 2006, after his wife’s death was an accident. In July 2007, he received a payout of $567,439. He reportedly spent the money lavishly on cars and all-expenses-paid trips to romantic partners, according to the affidavit.

At the time of Bernadette’s death, Vander Meer said his wife fell off the edge of a cliff while they were hiking in Utah’s Zion National Park.

Vander Meer said he went to remove the obstructions from the camera he had installed to take a picture of his wife when she fell and said he “heard her scream as she fell,” the affidavit reads. Bernadette’s father doubted this account.

2 Mysterious Deaths in Zion National Park ASK URGENT VISITOR SAFETY QUESTIONS.

“I went with him a lot of times,” his father, Richard Gudenkauf, told the Las Vegas Review Journal. “He was a mountain goat. To fall off a cliff? No.”

In April 2022, investigators received a tip from a former member of Vander Meer’s youth group who said he was using his “position of special trust to groom children.”

Canyon Overlook at Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah, on Jan. 15, 2021. (Josh Brasted/Getty Images)

The tipster, identified in the affidavit only as “SH,” told a coroner he had a sexual relationship with Vander Meer when he was 16, the affidavit said.

SOUTH CAROLINA PREACHER IS FACED WITH NEW SUSPECTS AFTER WOMAN’S DEATH, FBI RAIDS HOME.

The tipster says he broke off the relationship the night before Bernadette’s death because he “felt it was wrong,” according to the affidavit.

After Diamond’s statement, the investigators reopened the case, and interviewed the tipster, who told them that Vander Meer allegedly told him that “that’s how they could be together if Bernadette wasn’t there,” the affidavit reads.

The tipster later fell out with Vander Meer again, eventually marrying him in 2008, saying she did it “so David could be on SH health insurance,” according to the affidavit.

Tipster and Vander Meer divorced in 2014, and Vander Meer remarried twice, according to the affidavit.

Angels Landing, pictured here, is considered one of the most dangerous hiking spots in the US, with steep descents where climbers must hold on to chains near a knife’s edge. (Stock)

In subsequent interviews with Diamond, the pastor told the Washington County District Attorney’s Office that several members of Vander Meer’s former youth group reported having sex with him when they were younger.

The affidavit describes another incident where “SH” and Vander Meer were having sex in the church when Bernadette, who was “starting to suspect,” came to the church knocking on the door looking for David.

David “knew he gave false information” to officers during the interview, saying he had never been unfaithful to his wife, which officers learned was untrue, according to the affidavit.

“David lost a lot if Bernadette found out about his relationship with SH. David faced losing his job as a youth minister at the church, due to infidelity. David stood to lose his marriage. Based on SH’s age when their relationship became physical, David faced possible criminal charges and became a registered sex offender,” the affidavit reads.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM

The investigator who compiled the affidavit against Vander Meer recommended that he be held without a bail warrant; However, the warrant set bail at $100,000.

Vander Meer has yet to appear in court and is currently being held at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to NBC News.