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Prosecutors' love triangle theory. Youth pastor accused of wife's murder. Plus, June Diane Raphael.
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The Insurance Motive and the Changed Password
At 18:35 · chapter starts 18:02
Money was the second pillar of the investigators' motive theory. According to the probable cause affidavit, David Vander Meer collected approximately $567,000 in life insurance proceeds after Bernadette's death. Nate Eaton interviewed Bernadette's mother, who revealed a chilling detail: that very morning, before they left for Zion, Bernadette told her they had recently increased their life insurance coverage and wanted to show her the policy. She went to the computer, typed in the password — it didn't work. Tried again. Still nothing. David had changed it. Bernadette told her mother she'd sort it out when they returned. She never got the chance.
Investigators compared David Vander Meer's timeline to NASA sunrise data and found that if he had really been setting up a sunrise photo, the sun should have been visible — but the 911 call came in long before sunrise.
Investigators used NASA sunrise data to test David Vander Meer's story that he was setting up a sunrise photo when Bernadette fell. The 911 call came in long before the sun was visible at that location. His own alibi — a sunrise photo — was disproved by the sun itself.
