Former youth pastor dies day he was set to appear in court for the 2006 death of his wife
Former youth pastor dies day he was set to appear in court for the 2006 death of his wife
Former youth pastor dies day he was set to appear in court for the 2006 death of his wife
Two decades after a woman fell to her death in Zion National Park, her husband, David Vander Meer, has been arrested for her murder. He died Thursday.
According to court records, David Vander Meer collected over $567,000 in life insurance, which he allegedly used to live "lavishly." He allegedly, according to court records, bought vehicles for a girl he had groomed and another member of the youth group, and took the group on several all-expense-paid trips.
David Vander Meer applied for $150,000 life insurance policies for himself and his wife in 2005. He then raised their policies to $550,000 each in November 2005, less than a year before his wife's death, according to court records.
In August 2006, David Vander Meer and his wife went to Zion National Park in Utah to celebrate their anniversary. The two went on a hike to the summit of Angels Landing starting at 4:20 a.m., according to court documents.