Professional Poker Player, Ernest Scherer III, to Stand Trial for His Parents’ Death

Last year, professional poker player, Ernest Scherer III, found himself considered as the most likely suspect of his parents', Ernest Scherer, Jr. and wife Charlene, murders.  Today, he is going to stand trial for their deaths.

A Background on Ernest Scherer III

Ernest Scherer III worked in the mortgage industry but has a passion for poker, as did his father.  It was in 2002 that he decided to quit his job and focus more on his games and winnings as his and his wife's source of income.  He might have won almost $400,000 from gambling alone, but then his gambling debts stated to pile up.  Since both Scherer III and his wife do not have a stable income to support themselves and a $40,000 credit card debt among other debts including mortgages and taxes, his situation turned to worst.

A Brief Look at the Crime

The bodies of Ernest Scherer, Jr. and wife Charlene Abendroth were found last March 2008 in their very own home, which is situated in Castlewood Country Club.  Findings suggested that they were beaten and stabbed to death, and upon further investigation, the crime was finally taking shape.  Evidences that have been gathered as well as the crime scene itself point to the fact that it looked so much like a staged burglary.

When investigators began looking at Ernest Scherer III as a suspect, things began coming out like the latter's need for money to pay off his gambling debt and other debts that he has accumulated.  It showed that Scherer III had borrowed more than $600,000 from his parents to purchase a condominium, and when the police talked to him about the murders, they said that he was more interested in what he would be able to gain from his parents' deaths.

Although the defense says that there are no hard facts and evidences pointing to Scherer III as the killer, the gambler has been accused of their murders.  The cases against him are multiple murders, murder for financial gain, and the use of a deadly weapon.  This could easily put him in life sentence without the prospect of parole or death penalty.

The preliminary hearing has just finished, and the arraignment is going to be on September 4, 2009.  The decision whether he gets life sentence without the prospect of being paroled or death penalty now lies on the hands of the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.

It seems that Ernest Scherer III has made the biggest gamble of his life and lost.

Tagscrime, death, Ernest Scherer III, poker, poker player, professional poker player

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