🏜️ Another twist in Zion murder case

🚨 Suspect Dead in Zion Murder Case

The Dateline episode writes itself. Just days after a former youth pastor was charged with the murder of his wife at Zion National Park two decades ago, the suspect died due to “self-inflicted injuries” before an extradition hearing. [KSTU]

• David Vander Meer claimed his wife fell to her death while hiking at Zion National Park in 2006. According to his story, the two were at Angels Landing around sunrise and Bernadette Vander Meer fell off the edge of a rock formation while her husband was preoccupied with a camera bag. [ABC4/KLAS]
• Angels Landing is a notoriously dangerous trail. Nearly 30 people have died from falls in Zion National Park since 2007, and about 40% of those took place at Angels Landing. [My Utah Parks]
• Bernadette suspected her husband of being unfaithful — and the couple had discussed divorce — shortly before her death. David collected $567,000 in a life insurance policy that was increased shortly before the incident. [Las Vegas Review-Journal]
• Vander Meer was accused of being inappropriate with youngsters in his church, including a four-year relationship with a girl that started when she was 14 years old. She spoke to investigators as far back as 2022. A few years later, a senior pastor told police he believed Vander Meer pushed his wife to her death. [KUTV/KLAS]
• The victim’s family says they had suspicions about David all along. [KSNV]
• City Cast Las Vegas talks about the twists and turns in the case in today’s episode, which also includes discussions about Nevada’s underfunded public lands and the billionaire founder of Zillow picking out a home of his own right here in Las Vegas. [City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]

🎰 All Systems Go for Primm Revival

Nevada gaming regulators wasted no time in approving the transfer of gaming licenses from Affinity to Terrible’s, saving the stateline town from a July 4 shutdown and preserving roughly 300 jobs. [Nevada Independent]

🛫 Spirit’s Airport Departure Hurts Vegas

Passenger traffic at Harry Reid International Airport was down more than 8% in June from the previous month. It was the first full month without Spirit flights after the airline ceased operations. [KSNV]

🚢 A Titanic Legal Battle

The company behind Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at the Luxor is facing pushback from the federal government over plans to auction more than a hundred items recovered from the sunken ocean liner. According to previous agreements, RMS Titanic Inc. is required to preserve the artifacts in the public interest and is limited on selling the collection as individual pieces. [Today]

🛎️ Upgrades for Nevada’s Oldest Hotel

It’s more than 400 miles away from Vegas, but you can still book a night at Nevada’s oldest hotel. The Gold Hill Hotel and Saloon dates back to 1859 — and will keep on going, thanks to a $20,000 grant for improvements funded in part by American Express. [KOLO/KVVU]