The California Court of Appeals has upheld his 2011 conviction for killing his parents
Ernest Scherer III, once a successful professional poker player, has lost his appeal in a double murder case that shocked both the poker and California communities. The California Court of Appeals upheld his 2011 conviction for killing his parents, Ernest and Charlene Scherer, in their Pleasanton home. Scherer, who earned more than $313,000 in lifetime poker winnings, will continue serving two consecutive life sentences without parole.
Investigators said Scherer brutally murdered his parents in 2008 to claim more than $2 million in inheritance. The crime scene was staged to appear like a robbery, but police uncovered key evidence linking him to the killings, including a bloody warranty card for a baseball bat purchased by Scherer shortly before the murders. Both victims were found bludgeoned and stabbed, with cash still visible in the home, which further raised suspicion that theft was not the motive.
At the time of his arrest in 2009, Scherer was drowning in debt. Despite several tournament successes, he owed his parents more than $600,000 and had large gambling and credit card balances. Prosecutors described him as living beyond his means, funding an extravagant lifestyle that included luxury cars and extramarital affairs arranged through online ads.
During the appeal, Scherer’s attorneys argued multiple issues, including alleged errors in jury selection, the admission of evidence about his affairs, and claims of prosecutorial misconduct. They also challenged a simulated driving test used by prosecutors to prove Scherer could have traveled to and from his parents’ home within the murder window.
The appellate court rejected nearly all arguments, except for a minor $10,000 parole-related fine, which was overturned. The decision means Scherer will remain behind bars, ending another attempt to overturn a conviction that has haunted California’s poker community for more than a decade.
