In 1974, a quiet Salt Lake City record store became the scene of one of Utah’s most infamous crimes. What began as an ordinary day at the Hi-Fi Shop turned into a nightmare of unimaginable violence, leaving five victims and a community struggling to comprehend what happened.
In this episode of Beneath the Salt, we’re diving into the Hi-Fi Shop murders—a case that shocked Utah, raised difficult questions about justice, and left a lasting mark on the state’s history. We’ll walk through the events of that day, the investigation that followed, and the devastating impact on the victims, their families, and the community.
Because beneath Utah’s familiar streets and mountain views, some stories are far darker than they appear.

What was supposed to be a romantic anniversary hike in Utah’s Zion National Park ended in tragedy when Bernadette Vander Meer fell to her death in 2006. For nearly 20 years, it was considered an accident… until some disturbing secrets about her husband, a former youth pastor, came to light. In our very first episode, we dive into the suspicious death, shocking allegations, and unexpected twist that brought this decades-old case back into the spotlight.