LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — For nearly 20 years, the family of Bernadette Vander Meer waited for answers.
On Monday evening, just after 6 p.m., that wait finally came to an end.
Bernadette's parents say they received a phone call from investigators in Utah informing them that her husband, David Vander Meer, had been arrested and charged with murder and insurance fraud in connection with her death nearly two decades ago. Their reaction was immediate, "finally."
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The arrest marks a major development in a case that has haunted Bernadette's family since August 2006, when the Las Vegas woman died after falling from Angels Landing in Zion National Park during an anniversary trip with her husband.
According to court documents, Vander Meer told investigators he briefly turned away while taking photographs and then heard his wife scream as she fell.
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At the time, investigators ruled her death an accident. But her family says they never stopped believing there was more to the story.
"We left it in God's hands," they told Channel 13 senior reporter Alyssa Bethencourt. "But we always believed this day would come."
To them, Bernadette was never just a case. She was a daughter, a sister, and a woman whose kindness for others left a lasting mark on everyone who knew her.
"Everything," her mother Laura Gudenkauf said when asked what he misses most about her. "I miss everything about her. She was so special, so sweet... wonderful.
While the arrest brings a sense of relief, they say it does not erase nearly two decades of grief.
"There is no real closure," the family said.
Investigators reopened the case after receiving new tips.
Court documents allege investigators learned Vander Meer groomed and had a relationship with an underage girl in his church while he was still married to Bernadette. That woman later told investigators Vander Meer once said the only way they could be together was if Bernadette was not alive. She also told investigators she ended the relationship just two days before Bernadette's death.
Prosecutors also allege the couple had recently increased their life insurance policies before Bernadette's death. Investigators say those findings led them to reexamine whether Bernadette's death was truly an accident.
For Bernadette's family, the case is far from over. They know nothing will bring their daughter back but after nearly two decades of waiting, they say they finally believe they are one step closer to justice.
Vander Meer remains in custody at the Clark County Detention Center and is scheduled to appear in court Thursday morning.
