Poker Player Murder Trial Set For November 1
The murder trial of poker player Ernie Scherer III is slated for November 1. He is accused of murdering both his father, Earnest Scherer Jr., and his mother, Charlene Abendroth. Scherer Jr. was also well known on the poker circuit.
Ernie is alleged to have staged a home invasion of his parents Castlewood Country Club home in March, 2008. At the time, local law enforcement had reached out to Gambling911.com in an effort to get “associates” of Scherer III to step forward. They considered the younger Scherer a primary suspect.
It was later learned that Scherer III had amassed substantial gambling debts and owed his father over $600,000. He is alleged to have killed his parents in order to obtain a seven-figure inheritance.
While lawyers are prohibited to discuss the case after a judge imposed a strict gag order, the San Jose Mercury News on Monday published a list of expected witnesses who would be testifying. They included a mistress and another woman who claims that Scherer III assaulted her between the time of the slayings and his arrest. According to the Contra Times, the prosecution is looking to refute character testimony that Scherer III never exhibited violence tendencies.
Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
