Scott Erskine
California Serial Killer Case
CLASSIFICATION: Serial Homicide
LOCATION
California, United States
TIME PERIOD
1972 - March 27, 1993
VICTIMS
3 confirmed
Scott Erskine, an American serial killer, was convicted in 2003 for the 1993 murders of two boys in California, following a series of violent sexual offenses dating back to 1972. He was apprehended in March 1993 after kidnapping and repeatedly assaulting a woman in his home, which led to his identification and subsequent arrest. Erskine was sentenced to death and incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, where he died on July 3, 2020, due to complications from COVID-19, amidst an outbreak affecting multiple inmates. Significant evidence in the case included DNA matching the victims and corroborating witness testimonies, which solidified his convictions for first-degree murder, kidnapping, and multiple sexual offenses.
Scott Erskine is believed to have committed multiple murders beyond the two for which he was convicted, with speculation that his early childhood trauma and head injury may have contributed to his violent behavior. Some theorize that his pattern of escalating violence and sexual offenses indicates a deeply rooted psychological disturbance. Additionally, there are discussions about the potential for other unsolved cases in California and Florida to be linked to him, given the span of his criminal activity.
The Dark Path of Scott Erskine: A True Crime Narrative
The Early Days
Scott Thomas Erskine was born on December 22, 1962, in San Diego, California. From the very beginning, his life seemed to take a dark turn. At just five years old, he was struck by a station wagon on the Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach, leaving him in a coma for 60 hours. Although he physically recovered, Erskine often complained of headaches and experienced "black-out" moments where he lost memory of his actions.
His childhood was marred by disturbing behavior. By age ten, Erskine began molesting his six-year-old sister, coercing her into acts of oral sex. His aggressions didn't stop there; he soon moved on to raping friends and threatening them with death if they dared to tell anyone. Erskine's schooling at Southwest Junior High School in San Diego placed him in special classes for the emotionally disturbed, but it did little to curb his violent tendencies.
At fifteen, he escaped from a juvenile detention facility, only to pull a knife on a 13-year-old girl and rape her. The following day, he assaulted a 27-year-old jogger with a knife. Despite his mother's pleas for mental health intervention, Erskine was sentenced to four years in prison in 1980 after beating a 14-year-old boy unconscious during an attempted rape, as well as attacking another inmate. He was released on parole in 1984.
A Predator Unleashed
Erskine's criminal activities escalated over the years. In 1993, he lured a woman waiting for a bus into his home, where he held her hostage for several days, subjecting her to rape and sodomy before finally releasing her. Quickly arrested, Erskine was convicted of rape and kidnapping, earning a 70-year prison sentence.
As a convicted sex offender, his DNA was entered into a database—a decision that would later prove crucial. In March 2001, the San Diego Cold Case squad revisited the unsolved 1993 murders of nine-year-old Jonathan Sellers and 13-year-old Charlie Keever. DNA evidence from the crime scene, tested from swabs taken from Keever's mouth, matched Erskine through the CODIS system.
The Trial of Atrocities
In September 2003, Erskine stood trial for the gruesome murders of Sellers and Keever. Jurors were presented with chilling photographs of the crime scene. Jonathan Sellers was found hanging from a castor bean tree, naked from the waist down, bound by ropes, and gagged. His genitals showed signs of sexual assault, and a noose was tied around his neck. Nearby, Charlie Keever's lifeless body lay on a pile of clothes, similarly bound and gagged, with his genitals bearing extensive bite marks—evidence that he was alive when they were inflicted. Erskine's DNA was found on cigarette butts near the bodies.
During the trial, Erskine's public defender did not dispute his guilt but argued that his childhood car accident caused brain injuries, impairing his moral judgment. Despite the defense's plea for life imprisonment without parole, the jury found Erskine guilty of murder. However, they were deadlocked on the sentence: eleven voted for death, while one opted for life imprisonment. This led to a mistrial on the penalty phase.
In April 2004, a second jury was convened, and they delivered a death sentence. On September 1, 2004, a California judge affirmed this verdict, and Erskine was sent to San Quentin State Prison six days later.
A Florida Connection
While Erskine awaited trial, his DNA was linked to another cold case—the 1989 murder of 26-year-old Renee Baker in Palm Beach County, Florida. Erskine confessed to raping and killing Baker, whose neck he broke before leaving her to drown near the Intracoastal Waterway. In August 2004, he pled guilty to second-degree murder and received a life sentence without parole. Authorities suspect Erskine may have been involved in other unsolved homicides.
The End of a Killer
Scott Erskine's life came to an end on July 3, 2020. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he became one of several death row inmates at San Quentin to succumb to the virus. Erskine, who was 57, died on the same day as fellow inmate Manuel Machado Alvarez. Both had been hospitalized before their deaths.
Sources
No Recent News
No recent news articles found for this case. Check back later for updates.
No Evidence Submitted
No evidence found for this case. Be the first to submit evidence in the comments below.
Join the discussion
Loading comments...
Murders of Two Boys
Nine-year-old Jonathan Sellers and 13-year-old Charlie Keever are murdered in California.
Erskine's Arrest
Scott Erskine is arrested for kidnapping and raping a woman, leading to his conviction and DNA submission.
Cold Case Reopened
San Diego Cold Case squad reopens investigation into the 1993 murders of Sellers and Keever.
Trial Begins
Scott Erskine's trial for the murders of the two boys begins, with jurors shown graphic evidence.
Guilty Verdict
Erskine is found guilty of the murders, but the jury cannot agree on the death penalty.
Second Jury Trial
A second jury trial is held to determine Erskine's sentence, resulting in a death penalty verdict.
Sentenced to Death
A California judge affirms the jury's death penalty verdict and sentences Erskine to death.
Florida Murder Charge
Erskine is charged with the 1989 murder of Renee Baker in Florida and sentenced to life without parole.
Erskine's Death
Scott Erskine dies from COVID-19 complications while on death row in San Quentin.
Scott Erskine, an American serial killer, was convicted in 2003 for the 1993 murders of two boys in California, following a series of violent sexual offenses dating back to 1972. He was apprehended in March 1993 after kidnapping and repeatedly assaulting a woman in his home, which led to his identification and subsequent arrest. Erskine was sentenced to death and incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, where he died on July 3, 2020, due to complications from COVID-19, amidst an outbreak affecting multiple inmates. Significant evidence in the case included DNA matching the victims and corroborating witness testimonies, which solidified his convictions for first-degree murder, kidnapping, and multiple sexual offenses.
Scott Erskine is believed to have committed multiple murders beyond the two for which he was convicted, with speculation that his early childhood trauma and head injury may have contributed to his violent behavior. Some theorize that his pattern of escalating violence and sexual offenses indicates a deeply rooted psychological disturbance. Additionally, there are discussions about the potential for other unsolved cases in California and Florida to be linked to him, given the span of his criminal activity.
The Dark Path of Scott Erskine: A True Crime Narrative
The Early Days
Scott Thomas Erskine was born on December 22, 1962, in San Diego, California. From the very beginning, his life seemed to take a dark turn. At just five years old, he was struck by a station wagon on the Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach, leaving him in a coma for 60 hours. Although he physically recovered, Erskine often complained of headaches and experienced "black-out" moments where he lost memory of his actions.
His childhood was marred by disturbing behavior. By age ten, Erskine began molesting his six-year-old sister, coercing her into acts of oral sex. His aggressions didn't stop there; he soon moved on to raping friends and threatening them with death if they dared to tell anyone. Erskine's schooling at Southwest Junior High School in San Diego placed him in special classes for the emotionally disturbed, but it did little to curb his violent tendencies.
At fifteen, he escaped from a juvenile detention facility, only to pull a knife on a 13-year-old girl and rape her. The following day, he assaulted a 27-year-old jogger with a knife. Despite his mother's pleas for mental health intervention, Erskine was sentenced to four years in prison in 1980 after beating a 14-year-old boy unconscious during an attempted rape, as well as attacking another inmate. He was released on parole in 1984.
A Predator Unleashed
Erskine's criminal activities escalated over the years. In 1993, he lured a woman waiting for a bus into his home, where he held her hostage for several days, subjecting her to rape and sodomy before finally releasing her. Quickly arrested, Erskine was convicted of rape and kidnapping, earning a 70-year prison sentence.
As a convicted sex offender, his DNA was entered into a database—a decision that would later prove crucial. In March 2001, the San Diego Cold Case squad revisited the unsolved 1993 murders of nine-year-old Jonathan Sellers and 13-year-old Charlie Keever. DNA evidence from the crime scene, tested from swabs taken from Keever's mouth, matched Erskine through the CODIS system.
The Trial of Atrocities
In September 2003, Erskine stood trial for the gruesome murders of Sellers and Keever. Jurors were presented with chilling photographs of the crime scene. Jonathan Sellers was found hanging from a castor bean tree, naked from the waist down, bound by ropes, and gagged. His genitals showed signs of sexual assault, and a noose was tied around his neck. Nearby, Charlie Keever's lifeless body lay on a pile of clothes, similarly bound and gagged, with his genitals bearing extensive bite marks—evidence that he was alive when they were inflicted. Erskine's DNA was found on cigarette butts near the bodies.
During the trial, Erskine's public defender did not dispute his guilt but argued that his childhood car accident caused brain injuries, impairing his moral judgment. Despite the defense's plea for life imprisonment without parole, the jury found Erskine guilty of murder. However, they were deadlocked on the sentence: eleven voted for death, while one opted for life imprisonment. This led to a mistrial on the penalty phase.
In April 2004, a second jury was convened, and they delivered a death sentence. On September 1, 2004, a California judge affirmed this verdict, and Erskine was sent to San Quentin State Prison six days later.
A Florida Connection
While Erskine awaited trial, his DNA was linked to another cold case—the 1989 murder of 26-year-old Renee Baker in Palm Beach County, Florida. Erskine confessed to raping and killing Baker, whose neck he broke before leaving her to drown near the Intracoastal Waterway. In August 2004, he pled guilty to second-degree murder and received a life sentence without parole. Authorities suspect Erskine may have been involved in other unsolved homicides.
The End of a Killer
Scott Erskine's life came to an end on July 3, 2020. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he became one of several death row inmates at San Quentin to succumb to the virus. Erskine, who was 57, died on the same day as fellow inmate Manuel Machado Alvarez. Both had been hospitalized before their deaths.
Sources
No Recent News
No recent news articles found for this case. Check back later for updates.
No Evidence Submitted
No evidence found for this case. Be the first to submit evidence in the comments below.
Join the discussion
Loading comments...
Murders of Two Boys
Nine-year-old Jonathan Sellers and 13-year-old Charlie Keever are murdered in California.
Erskine's Arrest
Scott Erskine is arrested for kidnapping and raping a woman, leading to his conviction and DNA submission.
Cold Case Reopened
San Diego Cold Case squad reopens investigation into the 1993 murders of Sellers and Keever.
Trial Begins
Scott Erskine's trial for the murders of the two boys begins, with jurors shown graphic evidence.
Guilty Verdict
Erskine is found guilty of the murders, but the jury cannot agree on the death penalty.
Second Jury Trial
A second jury trial is held to determine Erskine's sentence, resulting in a death penalty verdict.
Sentenced to Death
A California judge affirms the jury's death penalty verdict and sentences Erskine to death.
Florida Murder Charge
Erskine is charged with the 1989 murder of Renee Baker in Florida and sentenced to life without parole.
Erskine's Death
Scott Erskine dies from COVID-19 complications while on death row in San Quentin.