In prison for two consecutive life sentences ... for murdering both of his parents to claim an inheritance that was worth two million dollars.

Prosecutors described him as a cold, sociopathic killer.

Their case was built entirely on circumstantial evidence.

Ernie Scherer was a bigamist - he picked up women like Joseph Smith to woo them, then fleece them out of whatever they owned.

Was his Mormon upbringing responsible in part for turning him into a narcissistic psychopath?

Quite possibly. Doesn't excuse by any stretch of the imagination his behavior.

He had a privileged childhood and upbringing. His sense of entitlement outweighed any sense of right and wrong.

https://www.pokertube.com/article/808-poker-pro-ernie-scherer-loses-appeal-on-murder-conviction



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/2017 11:08PM by Amyjo.

The convicted killer had been an Eagle Scout growing up. An active member of the COJCOLDS. He graduated from BYU with a degree in Economics.

He became a professional gambler around 2002.

"A family friend who had been defendant's scout leader testified that when defendant was a teenager he said his father had set up a large trust fund, which defendant would get when he was 30 years old. Defendant said that was "too long to wait." Defendant thought he should get the money by age 18, or 21 at the latest."

Prosecutors described him as not only a narcissistic sociopath, but a "self-righteous" one. (Some overlap there with his religious upbringing.)

Such a senseless tragedy. He thought he'd committed the perfect crime. He deserves life behind bars. His only living sibling has become a mid-life orphan because of his actions. He showed no remorse or emotion over his parents fate.

https://www.leagle.com/decision/incaco20130828030

Is it possible for a sociopath to experience something like genuine remorse now that he'll be spending the rest of his life in jail? His only concern following his parents murders was getting arrrested and then convicted. For a sociopath that may be all he'll ever be genuinely remorseful over.

He left so many victims in his wake.

Psychpaths are never remorseful about what they have done to other people. They will, however, be sorry they were caught or called out. Then they refuse to take responsibility for their own actions. Everything is always somebody else's fault. I know these things because my own mother was one. Talk about a horrible upbringing. I just made up my mind to do just the opposite, and it really does work. I managed to build a good life for myself anyway. That guy is such a POS.'

I have an uncle who's a con artist. He has no remorse for his actions.

He's lived a privileged life before, during and after his life of crime. That he hasn't been arrested just puffs him up further that he's really that good.

I've written him off. I ordered him years ago to keep away from my children. He still maintains ties with one, against my wishes. He's evil through and through.

My grandmother would be rolling over in her grave if she knew what he's been up to for only God and him knows for how many years he's been doing it.

He wasn't raised a Mormon. He grew up in the Morridor surrounded by them. He was treated as an outsider as a child and laughed out of Primary and church the time or two he went to visit because he was different. He never went back.

He is/was a genius. At some point he turned into a sociopath.

I don't think he's ever done anything violent though, like this Scherer dude.

If I remember right, he had a sister who turned out fine. It seems like money more than Mormonism was the motivating factor. He wasn't exactly living a righteous lifestyle with his poker tournaments.

His mother was dead set against his poker playing. Yet it was his father who taught him the game.

Go figure. Parents can be well meaning, and still have their children turn out horribly.

I remember this case. It was a pretty horrific crime scene in a place that doesn't really get many cases like this. I think the police and prosecutors did a good job of nailing this case down.

It's pretty shocking that he would butcher his parents to the extent he did. It was overkill.

Later he commented to someone that his mother went quickly. His father put up a fight. When the bodies were found, decomposing, a week after their murder the dad was found lying in a fetal position.

After Ernest beat them unconscious with a baseball bat he slit their throats and wrists to make sure they were dead.

What kind of monster does that? He's as sinister as Charles Manson.

I thought California brought back the death penalty? The prosecution decided not to seek it.

California has the death penalty in name only. It is essentially on indefinite hiatus.