LAS VEGAS — The man arrested for murder in the Angels Landing death of his wife has died of self-inflicted injuries suffered just ahead of his first scheduled court appearance.
David Vander Meer was arrested in Nevada earlier in the week on murder and insurance fraud charges brought by the Washington County Attorney's Office.
Vander Meer had claimed his wife, Bernadette, had fallen from the top of the popular trail at Zion National Park when the two were visiting in 2006.
The exact circumstances surrounding Vander Meer's death aren't known, but were announced by the Las Vegas judge who was set to oversee his extradition hearing.
Watch: Judge announces death of inmate
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department originally said they had found an inmate, later identified as Vander Meer, at the Clark County Detention Center on Wednesday with self-sustained injuries. Vander Meer was taken to the hospital but was declared dead early Thursday.
The charges against Vander Meer came after the investigation into the death of Bernadette Vander Meer was reopened following a tip sent to the office.
According to court documents, the tip came from Vander Meer's former boss at his church, who told investigators that "he believed the death was not an accident and that David had pushed Bernadette."
In the early morning on August 22, 2006, the couple had hiked to the top of the popular spot in Zion to allegedly take sunrise photographs when David claimed he turned around and then heard his 28-year-old wife "scream as she was falling."
David Vander Meer told detectives that he was moving backpacks when Bernadette allegedly fell, and then ran through the trail to find someone with better cell service to call 911.
Bernadette's body was found hours later by detectives at the base of Angels Landing.
Court documents allege that while serving as a youth pastor, Vander Meer began a sexual affair with an underage girl at his church, and told her that the only way they could be together was if his wife "were not alive." In 2006, the same girl, who was then of legal age, broke off her 4-year relationship with David the day before the Vander Meers left for Zion National Park.
Within a year or two following the Zion fall, Vander Meer was fired from his church job after he allegedly was throwing parties for underage members and providing them alcohol at his house.
Two years after Bernadette's death, Vander Meer and the former church congregant with whom he was having an affair married in a private arrangement, only to divorce in 2014 over accusations of infidelity.
Vander Meer has never been charged with any crime related to sexual impropriety or abuse of a minor.
Documents from the investigation into Bernadette's death note that the couple, who lived in Las Vegas, had purchased a home together, at which time they each had life insurance policies that totaled approximately $150,000 each. They later increased the policies to insure them for approximately $600,000.
Following the death, a coworker of Bernadette's at the New York New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas contacted police and "was concerned with some of the circumstances surrounding" what had happened.
