A tragic case surrounding Pastor David Vander Meer has taken another disturbing turn. New details have emerged following the death of Bernadette Vander Meer, leaving many people searching for answers.
Authorities charged David Vander Meer, 49, with murdering his wife, Bernadette, by allegedly pushing her from Angels Landing in Zion National Park on June 22. Investigators believed her death was not an accident. Before the case could move forward in court, David died on June 25 after he was found with self-inflicted wounds in his jail cell at the Clark County Detention Center. He passed away one day later.
Now, a friend of Bernadette has shared a detail that has added even more heartbreak to an already painful story.
According to the friend, she was shocked to see the woman David was allegedly having an affair with sitting beside him during Bernadette’s memorial service. Speaking to PEOPLE, the friend said the sight was difficult to understand and deeply upsetting for those who had gathered to honor Bernadette’s life.
Over 600 people attended a memorial service for Bernadette Vander Meer six days after she fell 1,200 feet to her death off Angels Landing in Zion National Park.
Among those in attendance was Kathy Page, a former youth leader at Bernadette’s church who had known her since she was 13 or 14.
Page tells PEOPLE she still isn’t certain whether Bernadette told her the mistress’s name or whether she heard it from someone else — but she does know that she saw that same woman at the memorial service.
“I can’t remember the connection, the bridge from her saying that [David was having an affair] to me learning the person’s name and how did I know that was her sitting next to him — not next to him like shoulder to shoulder, but on the same bench or right behind him or something. But I knew who it was,” Page says.
This made Page start to feel suspicious.
“I’m married to a cop and I always suspect that the spouse first. That’s what they always do. And then when I saw that girl there, then I was like, I don’t want to say something that I am going to regret the rest of [my] life,” Page says. “Maybe he needs somebody to say something nice. Maybe he’s hurting.”
For many who attended the service, the memorial was meant to be a time of comfort, reflection, and support. Learning about the alleged affair, along with claims that the other woman was present at the service, has only made the tragedy more painful for those who knew and loved Bernadette.
Page notes, however, that David did not seem very distraught at the memorial.
“I didn’t see the anguish. I was in anguish at this funeral. We were sobbing. I didn’t see that with him,” Page says. “And then your mind tries to justify and fill in the blanks. I try to give benefit of the doubt if I can, but I still didn’t like it.”
As loved ones continue to remember Bernadette, many hope she will be remembered for her life rather than the tragic circumstances surrounding her death.
