Key keywords: David Vander Meer, former Las Vegas youth pastor, wife murder charge, pre-court death, Clark County Nevada court, spousal homicide suspect, Vegas church community, Allison Vander Meer homicide Law enforcement officials in Clark County, Nevada confirmed on Tuesday that David Vander Meer, a 42-year-old former youth pastor at a prominent Las Vegas evangelical church, has died just 48 hours before he was scheduled to make his first court appearance on charges of second-degree murder in the death of his wife, Allison Vander Meer. Vander Meer was taken into custody last week following a three-week investigation into his wife’s death. First responders were called to the couple’s suburban Las Vegas home on the afternoon of August 12, where they found 38-year-old Allison unresponsive with no obvious signs of trauma. She was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at a local hospital, and initial reports from first responders suggested her death may have been the result of an unexpected medical event. However, a full autopsy report released last week revealed evidence of blunt force trauma and manual strangulation, leading police to identify David Vander Meer as the primary suspect. He was arrested at a relative’s home in Henderson, Nevada, on September 7, and had been held without bail ahead of his scheduled arraignment on September 12. The Clark County Coroner’s Office has not yet released an official cause of death for Vander Meer, but anonymous sources within the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told local media that there were no signs of foul play in his death, and that investigators are proceeding under the assumption that his death was a suicide. Prosecutors with the Clark County District Attorney’s Office released a statement on Tuesday afternoon confirming that the criminal case against Vander Meer will be formally closed in light of his death, as there is no longer a defendant to face charges. Representatives of the church where Vander Meer worked as a youth pastor from 2017 to 2021 noted that he had been removed from his position four years prior following unrelated allegations of misconduct, and that the congregation is praying for both Allison’s family and all those impacted by the tragedy. Allison’s family released a brief statement through their attorney on Tuesday, saying that they are devastated by the news that they will never get the chance to seek justice for her death in court, and asking for privacy as they grieve.