Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry (2010–…): Season 2, Episode 22 - Gamble on Love - full transcript

Narrator:
ADRIAN SOLOMON THOUGHT

PROFESSIONAL GAMBLER
ERNIE SCHERER

WAS A RISK WORTH TAKING.

I HAD NEVER WANTED TO HAVE
A LONG-DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP,

BUT THIS SEEMED TO WORK
FOR BOTH OF US.

HE ASSURED HER THAT HE WAS
REALLY TRUE TO HER.

I LIKED HIM.

Narrator: BUT SOMETHING DARK
LURKED BEHIND ERNIE'S POKER FACE.

THERE WAS SOME THINGS THAT WERE
A LITTLE BIT OFF.

Narrator:
ADRIAN WOULD SOON REALIZE

ERNIE'S ENTIRE LIFE WAS BUILT
ON A HOUSE OF CARDS.



Dudek: THIS WAS ONE
OF THE MOST BRUTAL CASES

I HAD SEEN
IN MY ENTIRE 33-YEAR CAREER.

Narrator: WHEN IT COMES TO LOVE
AND MARRIAGE,

THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS
AS THEY SEEM.

FOR ADRIAN SOLOMON,
LIFE WAS ONE BIG ADVENTURE.

Adrian:
I WENT TO WORK ON WALL STREET

AND THEN DECIDED I WANTED TO DO
SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT,

SO I APPLIED FOR A JOB
AT A RESORT.

LIVED ALL OVER THE WORLD.

TAUGHT PEOPLE
HOW TO FLY ON THE TRAPEZE.

SO, ESSENTIALLY, I RAN AWAY
AND JOINED THE CIRCUS.

Narrator: BY AGE 34,

ADRIAN HAD BEEN GLOBETROTTING
FOR YEARS.

BUT WHEN SHE LEFT
THE RESORT INDUSTRY



FOR AN EVENT-PLANNING CAREER,

THERE WAS ONE PLACE
SHE HAD YET TO VISIT...

LAS VEGAS.

SO IN APRIL 2006,

ADRIAN JUMPED AT THE CHANCE
TO HEAD TO SIN CITY

FOR A WEEK-LONG WORK CONVENTION.

Adrian:
WHEN I FIRST GOT THERE,

I WAS JUST WALKING AROUND
A LITTLE BIT,

TRYING TO GET A FEEL
FOR THE PLACE,

AND I ENDED UP
OVER AT THE CRAPS TABLE.

Narrator: ADRIAN WAS FASCINATED
BY THE RIVETING NUMBERS GAME...

SO MUCH SO
THAT SHE BARELY NOTICED

THE STRANGER STANDING
NEXT TO HER.

BUT HE CERTAINLY NOTICED HER.

Adrian: HE COULD SEE
I LOOKED A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED.

AND SO HE ASKED IF I WANTED HIM
TO EXPLAIN THE GAME TO ME.

Narrator:
AS THE TWO BEGAN TO CHAT,

ADRIAN REALIZED SHE HAD MET
THE ULTIMATE VEGAS PERSONA...

A PROFESSIONAL POKER PLAYER
NAMED ERNIE SCHERER.

Adrian: WHEN HE ASKED IF I WANTED
TO GO OUT TO DINNER THAT NIGHT,

I WAS
A LITTLE BIT HESITANT AT FIRST

BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW
WHO THIS PERSON WAS.

Narrator: BUT ADRIAN DECIDED
TO ROLL THE DICE.

THAT NIGHT,
SHE JOINED ERNIE FOR DINNER.

IT WAS ONE OF THOSE VERY GOOD,
RELAXED FIRST DATES.

WE TALKED ABOUT HOW CLOSE
WE BOTH WERE WITH OUR FAMILIES.

I LEARNED THAT HE HAD GROWN UP
IN A MORMON HOUSEHOLD,

AND I WAS ASKING HIM
LOTS OF QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.

Narrator: ERNIE TOLD ADRIAN THAT
DESPITE HIS MORMON UPBRINGING,

PLAYING POKER WAS HIS PASSION.

HE LIVED IN CALIFORNIA

BUT SPENT MUCH OF HIS TIME
IN VEGAS FOR TOURNAMENTS.

Adrian: AT THE END OF THE
NIGHT, WE SAID GOOD NIGHT

AND MADE PLANS
TO SEE EACH OTHER THE NEXT DAY.

Narrator: WHILE IN VEGAS,

ADRIAN AND ERNIE HAD
SEVERAL MORE CASUAL DATES.

WHEN THEY SAID GOODBYE,

ADRIAN WASN'T SURE
IF THEIR TIME TOGETHER

WOULD AMOUNT TO ANYTHING MORE
THAN A FLING,

BUT THREE WEEKS LATER,
THE TWO MET UP IN CALIFORNIA,

THEN FLORIDA.

AND SOON, THEY WERE
CRISSCROSSING THE COUNTRY

TO SEE EACH OTHER.

Lynne: ERNIE OBVIOUSLY CARED
ABOUT ADRIAN

'CAUSE IT WAS
A LONG-DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP,

BUT HE ASSURED HER
THAT HE WAS REALLY TRUE TO HER.

Adrian:
AFTER A FEW MONTHS OF DATING,

WE HAD A CONVERSATION ONE DAY
AND DECIDED

THAT OUR RELATIONSHIP
WOULD BE AN EXCLUSIVE ONE.

SO I THOUGHT, "OKAY,
IF SHE LIKES HIM, I LIKED HIM."

Narrator: THINGS SEEMED TO BE
GOING SO WELL

FOR THE NEW COUPLE.

BUT THERE WAS ONE THING
ABOUT ERNIE

THAT TROUBLED ADRIAN.

Adrian:
HE NEVER LET ME SEE HIS HOME.

HIS REASONING WAS THAT I LIVED
IN THIS REALLY NICE CONDO

AND HIS APARTMENT
WAS JUST HORRIBLE

AND HE WAS NOT PROUD OF IT.

SHE WAS CONCERNED

THAT ERNIE WOULD NEVER
TAKE HER TO HIS APARTMENT,

AND SHE TALKED TO HIM ENDLESSLY
ABOUT IT,

AND HE CAME UP
WITH ONE EXCUSE OR THE OTHER.

Adrian: A LOT OF MY FRIENDS
SAID, "IT'S THE MALE EGO.

"HE CANNOT STAND THE FACT

THAT YOU HAVE SOMEWHERE NICER
THAN HE DOES."

Narrator: ADRIAN DECIDED TO
GIVE ERNIE TIME TO COME AROUND,

BUT TWO YEARS
INTO THEIR RELATIONSHIP,

SHE STILL HADN'T SEEN
ERNIE'S APARTMENT.

TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE,

IT SEEMED SHE HAD BEEN SHUNNED
BY HIS PARENTS.

IT WAS DEFINITELY AN ISSUE
IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP.

Narrator: BUT ALL OF THIS
WOULD SOON BE OVERSHADOWED

BY FRIGHTENING
AND TRAGIC EVENTS.

IT ALL STARTED IN APRIL 2008
WHILE ADRIAN WAS

ON A BUSINESS TRIP
IN SAN FRANCISCO.

Adrian: I WAS IN MY HOTEL ROOM,
DOING SOME WORK

AND RECEIVED AN E-MAIL
FROM A WOMAN

THAT ERNIE AND I HAD KNOWN.

AND THE E-MAIL SAID

THAT SHE WAS SO SORRY
TO HEAR ABOUT HIS PARENTS,

AND I HAD NO IDEA WHAT
THIS E-MAIL WAS IN REFERENCE TO.

Narrator:
CONCERNED, ADRIAN DID

AN INTERNET SEARCH
FOR ERNIE'S PARENTS,

AND THE STORY SHE SAW
WAS JAW-DROPPING.

Adrian: I COULDN'T REALLY BELIEVE
WHAT I WAS ACTUALLY READING.

WE WERE SHOCKED AND WANTED
TO REACH OUT TO ERNIE

'CAUSE WE FELT SO BAD FOR HIM.

Narrator: IN THE FALL OF 2006,

TWO YEARS BEFORE GETTING
DREADFUL NEWS

ABOUT ERNIE SCHERER'S PARENTS,

ADRIAN SOLOMON WAS
TAKING A GAMBLE ON HER NEW MAN.

WE LIVED ON OPPOSITE COASTS,
AND THAT WORKED VERY WELL.

BOTH OF US HAD CAREERS...
WE WERE ON THE ROAD A LOT.

Deirdre:
THEY COULD TRAVEL TOGETHER

AND DO
ALL SORTS OF THINGS TOGETHER

THAT SOMEONE THAT HAD A 9-TO-5,
VERY STRUCTURED JOB COULDN'T DO.

Narrator: DESPITE THE DISTANCE
BETWEEN THEM,

ADRIAN AND ERNIE
WERE FLOURISHING.

AND ONE DAY,
WHILE ON A TRIP TO VEGAS,

ERNIE MADE IT CLEAR

HE WAS THINKING ABOUT
THEIR FUTURE TOGETHER.

Adrian: WE WERE WALKING
THROUGH SOME OF THE STORES

AND SAW A BEAUTIFUL RING,

AND WE BOTH COMPLETELY FELL
IN LOVE WITH THIS RING.

AND HE SAID,
"LET'S TRY IT ON."

Narrator: THEY HAD ONLY BEEN
DATING FOR SEVERAL MONTHS,

AND ADRIAN KNEW AN ENGAGEMENT
WAS A TAD PREMATURE.

BUT IT STILL FELT
LIKE A NATURAL STEP.

Adrian: THE FACT THAT WE
BOTH WANTED TO LOOK AT IT

WAS REALLY EXCITING.

SO IT DEFINITELY FELT

LIKE WE WERE
MOVING TOWARDS THIS BEING

THAT TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP WHERE
WE WOULD EVENTUALLY GET MARRIED.

Lynne: HE TALKED TO ME
ABOUT WANTING TO MARRY HER

AND WANTING
TO TALK TO MY HUSBAND

AND GET HIS PERMISSION.

AND HE ALSO TALKED
ABOUT CHILDREN.

HE WANTED TO HAVE
AT LEAST TWO CHILDREN.

BUT FOR ADRIAN,
THERE WAS ONE BIG PROBLEM.

Adrian: HE KNEW
MY ENTIRE EXTENDED FAMILY...

YOU KNOW,
COUSINS AND EVERYBODY...

AND I DIDN'T KNOW HIS FAMILY.

Lynne: SHE WAS CONCERNED THAT
SHE WASN'T ABLE TO MEET THEM.

SHE TALKED TO ERNIE
AT LENGTH ABOUT IT,

Narrator: BUT EVERY TIME ADRIAN
ASKED TO MEET ERNIE'S PARENTS,

HE REFUSED
AND BLAMED HIS MOTHER.

HE SAID
HIS MOTHER WAS NOT COMFORTABLE

WITH OUR RELATIONSHIP.

SHE DID NOT LIKE THE FACT
THAT I AM NOT MORMON,

THAT I WAS OLDER THAN HIM.

SHE SEEMED TO HAVE A LOT
OF NEGATIVE THOUGHTS ABOUT ME,

AND THIS WAS VERY HARD FOR ME.

Narrator: BUT IN THE FALL OF
2007, ADRIAN'S LUCK WOULD CHANGE.

ONE DAY, SHE AND ERNIE HAPPENED
TO BE IN LAS VEGAS

AT THE SAME TIME
AS ERNIE'S FATHER.

Adrian: SO, ERNIE SAID,

"OKAY, YOU'RE FINALLY GONNA
GET TO MEET MY FATHER."

SO I WAS EXCITED
AND A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS.

Narrator: MAKING A GOOD IMPRESSION
MEANT THE WORLD TO ADRIAN,

BUT THAT EVENING,
THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPENED.

SO, WE GET DOWN TO THE LOBBY,
AND HE GOES TO INTRODUCE US

AND SAYS, YOU KNOW,
"THIS IS MY FATHER,

AND THIS IS..."
TURNS TO INTRODUCE ME.

AND HIS FATHER SAID,
"I KNOW WHO SHE IS,"

AND TURNED HIS BACK TO ME.

AND I'M STANDING THERE
WITH MY HAND OUT,

READY TO SHAKE HIS HAND.

I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER BEEN
AS INSULTED IN MY LIFE.

Narrator: ADRIAN WAS CRUSHED.

BUT ERNIE'S REACTION
TOOK THE CAKE.

HE SAID, "OH, SO,
YOU FINALLY MET MY FATHER."

AND I SAID,
"NO, I DIDN'T MEET YOUR FATHER.

I JUST GOT COMPLETELY SNUBBED
BY YOUR FATHER."

HE'S LIKE, "OH, REALLY?"

Narrator: ERNIE SEEMED COMPLETELY
OBLIVIOUS TO THE SITUATION,

ALMOST PRETENDING
IT HADN'T EVEN HAPPENED.

Adrian:
HE SOMEHOW DID NOT SEE

THAT HIS FATHER TREATED ME
LIKE THAT.

Narrator: THE INCIDENT HUNG LIKE A
CLOUD OVER THE COUPLE'S RELATIONSHIP.

AND OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS,

ADRIAN REALIZED THERE WERE
TOO MANY THINGS ABOUT ERNIE

THAT JUST DIDN'T SIT WELL.

HE HAD THIS MENTALITY
THAT HE WAS ALWAYS RIGHT

AND HE WAS SMARTER
THAN EVERYONE ELSE.

HIS EGO WAS HUGE,
AND HE WAS QUICK TO ANGER.

IT SEEMED LIKE
THERE WAS SOMETHING

THAT WASN'T QUITE RIGHT, THERE.

AND THAT MADE ME
A LITTLE NERVOUS.

Narrator: ADRIAN ALSO BEGAN
TO NOTICE TROUBLING SIGNS

THAT ERNIE'S GAMBLING HABITS
WERE ESCALATING.

I DID GET A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED
ABOUT HIS SPORTS BETTING

BECAUSE THE AMOUNTS GOT BIGGER.

AND HE SEEMED TO GET
MORE AND MORE VESTED IN IT.

HE COULD NOT WATCH
A SPORTING EVENT

WITHOUT HAVING A BET ON IT.

HE ALSO WAS NOT DOING VERY WELL
AT THE POKER TABLES.

MY SISTER STARTED TO TELL ME

THAT ERNIE WAS LOSING
A LOT OF MONEY

AND HE WAS
IN SOME FINANCIAL TROUBLE.

Narrator: THE CAUTIOUS PROFESSIONAL
ADRIAN THOUGHT SHE KNEW

WAS TURNING INTO SOMEONE ELSE.

Adrian:
OUR PERSONALITIES WERE NOT RIGHT

TO BE
IN A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP.

I REALIZED
THAT THIS RELATIONSHIP

WASN'T GOING TO BE FOREVER.

Narrator: IN FEBRUARY 2008,
ADRIAN AND ERNIE BROKE UP.

Adrian: WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT
STAYING FRIENDS.

WE BOTH HAD SOME HARD FEELINGS.

Narrator:
BUT LESS THAN A MONTH LATER,

A TRAGEDY WOULD BRING
ADRIAN AND ERNIE BACK TOGETHER.

THE VICTIMS HAD BEEN INSIDE
FOR SEVERAL DAYS.

THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT
OF BLOOD.

THERE WAS
SUCH A TANGLED WEB OF LIES

IN ERNIE'S LIFE.

Narrator:
IN THE SPRING OF 2008,

THREE WEEKS AFTER BREAKING UP
WITH ERNIE SCHERER,

ADRIAN SOLOMON WAS
IN SAN FRANCISCO FOR WORK.

SHE HAD BEEN DOING JUST FINE

UNTIL SHE RECEIVED
A TROUBLING E-MAIL

FROM AN ACQUAINTANCE.

Adrian: AND THE E-MAIL SAID
THAT SHE WAS SO SORRY

TO HEAR ABOUT ERNIE'S PARENTS,

AND IS THERE ANYTHING
THAT SHE CAN DO FOR US?

AND I THOUGHT,
"WHAT ON EARTH IS THIS?"

SO I DECIDED
TO LOOK UP HIS PARENTS ONLINE.

Narrator: AND WHAT ADRIAN SAW
WAS FRIGHTENING.

I LEARNED
THAT THEY HAD BEEN MURDERED.

AND THE BODIES
HAD JUST BEEN FOUND,

AND I WAS COMPLETELY SHOCKED.

Narrator: ERNIE'S PARENTS
HAD BEEN BEATEN TO DEATH

IN THEIR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
HOME.

Adrian: TO THINK THAT SOMEBODY
HAD DONE THIS

IN A VERY BRUTAL FASHION...
IT WAS REALLY SCARY.

Narrator: ADRIAN'S SHOCK QUICKLY
TURNED TO CONCERN FOR ERNIE.

HE HAD BEEN MY BEST FRIEND
FOR TWO YEARS, AND I THOUGHT

IT WAS IMPORTANT
FOR ME TO BE THERE FOR HIM.

SO I SHOT HIM A TEXT
AND JUST SAID,

"I HEARD. I'M SO SORRY.

LET ME KNOW
IF THERE'S ANYTHING I CAN DO".

AND HE CALLED ME BACK
PRETTY SOON AFTER THAT.

Narrator:
ERNIE WAS DISTRAUGHT,

AND ADRIAN DID WHAT SHE COULD
TO CONSOLE HIM.

WHEN ADRIAN RETURNED HOME
TO NORTH CAROLINA

LATER THAT WEEK,

IT WAS WITH A HEAVY HEART.

MEANWHILE,
BACK IN CALIFORNIA,

POLICE WERE WORKING
AROUND THE CLOCK TO DETERMINE

WHO COULD HAVE COMMITTED
SUCH A BRUTAL DOUBLE MURDER.

Dudek: WHEN WE FIRST GOT THERE,
IT APPEARED

THAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN
A BURGLARY.

THERE WAS STUFF THROWN ABOUT.

THERE WAS JEWELRY THAT APPEARED
TO HAVE BEEN LOOKED THROUGH.

Narrator: BUT AS INVESTIGATORS
LOOKED CLOSER,

THEY REALIZED THAT NOTHING
SEEMED TO HAVE BEEN STOLEN.

Dudek:
WE KIND OF FIGURED

IT WAS JUST STAGED
TO LOOK LIKE A BURGLARY.

Narrator:
DETECTIVES NOW WONDERED,

WAS THE KILLER
SOMEONE WHO KNEW THE VICTIMS?

THIS CASE HERE WAS PROBABLY ONE
OF THE MOST BRUTAL CASES

I HAD SEEN IN MY CAREER.

BOTH THE VICTIMS WERE
IN THEIR PAJAMAS.

BOTH OF THEM JUST
FOUGHT FOR THEIR LIVES

UNTIL THE BITTER END.

AND IT WAS JUST HORRIBLE.

Narrator:
THERE WERE NO OBVIOUS SUSPECTS,

BUT THAT WAS ABOUT TO CHANGE.

ON EASTER SUNDAY 2008,

ADRIAN WAS AT HOME
IN NORTH CAROLINA

WHEN SHE GOT
A FRANTIC CALL FROM ERNIE.

HE TOLD ME
THAT THE COPS HAD STARTED

FOCUSING THEIR INVESTIGATION
ON HIM.

THEY HAD GOTTEN A WARRANT
AND SEARCHED HIS HOUSE.

THEY HAD TAKEN HIS COMPUTER.

HE REALLY FELT LIKE
THEY WERE HARASSING HIM.

Narrator: ERNIE CLAIMED POLICE WERE
SIMPLY USING HIM AS A SCAPEGOAT

BECAUSE THEY LACKED
OTHER SUSPECTS.

HE SAID
HE NEEDED TO GET OUT OF TOWN

AND ASKED
IF HE COULD JOIN ADRIAN

ON AN UPCOMING BUSINESS TRIP
TO DALLAS.

I TOLD HIM IT WAS GOING
TO MAKE HIM LOOK GUILTY.

Narrator:
BUT ERNIE WAS INSISTENT.

Adrian:
SO I TOLD HIM THAT WAS FINE.

HE WAS GOING TO BE GETTING
HIS OWN HOTEL ROOM,

BUT I WOULD BE HAPPY TO GO OUT

AND HAVE DINNER WITH HIM
IN DALLAS.

Narrator: ADRIAN FELT SORRY
FOR ERNIE'S MISFORTUNE.

BUT THAT WOULDN'T LAST LONG.

A FEW DAYS LATER,

SHE RECEIVED ONE
OF THE MOST SHOCKING PHONE CALLS

OF HER LIFE.

Adrian: SO, I WAS IN A TAXI,
HEADING TO MY HOTEL IN DALLAS,

AND MY PHONE RANG.

AND IT WAS A RESTRICTED NUMBER,

SO I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE ERNIE,
BUT IT WASN'T.

IT WAS A DETECTIVE
ON THE INVESTIGATION.

HE SAID,
"I KNOW THAT YOU'VE BROKEN UP.

BUT HOW LONG
DID THIS AFFAIR GO ON?"

AND I WAS TAKEN ABACK.

I SAID,
"THAT'S A VERY HARSH WORD

"FOR YOU TO BE USING

'CAUSE WE WERE IN AN EXCLUSIVE
RELATIONSHIP FOR TWO YEARS."

Narrator: AND THAT'S WHEN THE
DETECTIVE DROPPED A BOMBSHELL.

HE SAID,
"OH, SO YOU DON'T KNOW

THAT HE'S MARRIED
AND HAS A CHILD."

AND I WAS COMPLETELY SHOCKED.

I THOUGHT
HE WAS TELLING ME THESE THINGS

TO TRY TO GET ME ANGRY.

I THOUGHT HE WAS TRYING
TO MAKE ME MAD AT ERNIE

SO THAT I WOULD
SAY THINGS ABOUT HIM.

Narrator:
BUT SOON AFTER HANGING UP,

ADRIAN'S DOUBTS TURNED INTO
A HORRIFYING CERTAINTY.

Adrian: IT PROBABLY TOOK
MY BRAIN ABOUT 10 SECONDS

TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THE FIGHTS
AND EVERY ISSUE THAT WE EVER HAD

AND REALIZE, "WOW.
HE'S MARRIED AND HAS A CHILD.

"THIS IS WHY
HIS PARENTS WOULDN'T TALK TO ME.

"IT'S NOT BECAUSE
I'M NOT A MORMON.

"IT'S BECAUSE HE'S MARRIED.

AND THIS IS WHY
I WASN'T ABLE TO SEE HIS HOUSE."

Narrator: IT SEEMED BLUFFING WAS
NOT JUST ERNIE'S PROFESSION,

IT WAS ALSO HIS WAY OF LIFE.

Adrian: ALL OF THE THINGS
THAT I WAS LEARNING

WERE JUST MIND-BOGGLING.

Narrator: ADRIAN COULDN'T HELP
BUT WONDER...

IF ERNIE HAD LIED TO HER
EVERY DAY FOR TWO YEARS,

WHAT ELSE WAS HE CAPABLE OF?

HE WAS MEETING ME IN DALLAS.

HE WAS GOING TO BE THERE
IN A SHORT TIME,

AND HE MIGHT HAVE KILLED
HIS PARENTS.

I WAS TERRIFIED.

Narrator:
THE AFTERNOON OF APRIL 1, 2008,

ADRIAN SOLOMON ARRIVED
AT HER DALLAS HOTEL.

SHE WAS IN TOWN FOR WORK.

BUT SUDDENLY, THIS WAS
NO ORDINARY BUSINESS TRIP.

HER EX-BOYFRIEND ERNIE SCHERER
WAS ALSO IN TOWN

AND HEADING HER WAY.

Adrian:
IT WAS JUST CRAZY TO THINK

THAT SOMEONE THAT I HAD DATED
FOR TWO YEARS

IS NOW UNDER SERIOUS SUSPICION
OF MURDERING HIS PARENTS,

AND I WAS TERRIFIED.

SO WHEN I GOT TO THE HOTEL,

I ASKED THE PERSON
AT THE FRONT DESK

TO UNREGISTER MY NAME.

Narrator:
AND AS ERNIE ARRIVED,

ADRIAN ASKED COWORKERS
TO KEEP A WATCHFUL EYE ON HER

WHILE SHE MET HIM
IN THE HOTEL LOBBY.

Adrian: HE WALKED IN,
TRIED TO GIVE ME A HUG.

AND I BACKED UP.

AND WE STARTED TALKING.

I SAID,
"WELL, I KNOW YOU'RE MARRIED."

AND HE SAID,
"WELL, IT'S IN NAME ONLY.

"WE ARE NOT ACTUALLY
IN ANY KIND OF RELATIONSHIP.

WE JUST HAVE NOT GOTTEN
DIVORCED."

Narrator: ERNIE ADMITTED HE
HADN'T BEEN HONEST WITH ADRIAN

ABOUT HIS PERSONAL LIFE.

BUT HE INSISTED
HE WASN'T CAPABLE OF MURDER.

Adrian: HE SAID,
"I DID SOME HORRIBLE THINGS.

"I KNOW.
I'M SO SORRY FOR THAT.

BUT YOU KNOW I COULD NEVER
MURDER MY PARENTS."

Narrator: ADRIAN FOUND HERSELF
BELIEVING ERNIE.

HE WAS GUILTY OF BEING
A REALLY MEAN, HORRIBLE PERSON

AND AN ADULTERER,
BUT NOT A MURDERER.

YOU KNOW, THOSE TWO THINGS WERE
ON A DIFFERENT SCALE.

Narrator: STILL,
ERNIE HAD BETRAYED ADRIAN'S TRUST.

AND WHILE SHE WASN'T SURE
HE WAS GUILTY,

SHE KNEW SHE NEVER WANTED
TO SEE HIM AGAIN.

MEANWHILE, BACK IN CALIFORNIA,

INVESTIGATORS HAD
NO SUCH DOUBTS.

THEY WERE CERTAIN
ERNIE SCHERER WAS THEIR MAN.

Dudek: WITHIN FIVE MONTHS,

WE KNEW THAT HE HAD KILLED
HIS MOM AND DAD.

WE HAD APPROXIMATELY 35 ITEMS
OF CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE.

Narrator:
AMONG THAT EVIDENCE,

DISTURBING DETAILS
OF ERNIE'S FINANCIAL DOWNSLIDE.

WE LOOKED AT HIS GAMBLING,
AND HE HAD SOME SERIOUS DEBTS

THAT HE HAD TO PAY OFF
IN REGARDS TO THE GAMBLING...

IN EXCESS OF $100,000.

Narrator:
ACCORDING TO DETECTIVES,

ERNIE WAS ALSO BEHIND
ON MORTGAGE PAYMENTS.

AND HE OWED HIS FATHER
A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY...

MONEY ERNIE WAS DUE TO PAY BACK.

Dudek:
THE DAD WAS ACTUALLY KILLED

A WEEK BEFORE ONE
OF THE PAYMENTS

WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MADE.

Narrator: TO TOP IT ALL OFF,
ERNIE STOOD TO INHERIT

AT LEAST $1 MILLION
FROM HIS PARENTS.

BUT THE KEY PIECE OF EVIDENCE
CAME FROM A SECURITY CAMERA

MOUNTED AT THE ENTRANCE TO
THE SCHERERS' GATED COMMUNITY.

Dudek: ONE OF MY DETECTIVES
WAS GOING THROUGH

HOURS AND HOURS OF THESE TAPES.

AND SHE CAME ACROSS
A RED, CONVERTIBLE CAMARO

THAT WENT INTO THE PROPERTY
ON MARCH 7th AROUND 8:30

AND LEFT THE PROPERTY
AROUND 12:30 A.M.

Narrator:
RIGHT AROUND THE TIME

DETECTIVES BELIEVED
THE MURDERS HAD HAPPENED.

THE CAMERAS WEREN'T ABLE

TO CAPTURE
A LICENSE PLATE NUMBER,

BUT THE CAR WAS A FAMILIAR ONE.

IT WAS THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL
DRIVEN BY ERNIE SCHERER.

TO ME, THAT WAS
AN "OH, MY GOD" MOMENT.

Narrator:
THE EVIDENCE WAS CIRCUMSTANTIAL,

BUT TO DETECTIVES,
IT ALL ADDED UP.

HOW MANY COINCIDENCES
CAN YOU HAVE

WHEN IT'S NOT
A COINCIDENCE ANYMORE?

Narrator: DETECTIVES WERE CERTAIN
THE MOTIVE WAS FINANCIAL GAIN.

ON FEBRUARY 25, 2009,

ERNIE SCHERER
WAS ARRESTED IN LAS VEGAS.

HE WAS CHARGED
WITH FIRST-DEGREE MURDER.

ON MARCH 28, 2011,
AFTER A TWO-MONTH TRIAL,

A JURY CONVICTED ERNIE SCHERER

OF TWO COUNTS
OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER.

HE WAS SENTENCED
TO TWO CONSECUTIVE TERMS

OF LIFE IN PRISON
WITHOUT PAROLE.

IN THE MONTHS THAT FOLLOWED
ERNIE'S CONVICTION,

ADRIAN STEELED HERSELF
TO MOVE ON.

Adrian: IT WAS A HARD ROAD.

I THINK THE HARDEST PART FOR ME
WAS TRUSTING AGAIN.

BUT I THINK I'M HAPPIER NOW
THAN I'VE EVER BEEN.

Lynne:
ADRIAN IS DOING TERRIFIC.

SHE'S STRONG
AND HAS HER HEAD ON STRAIGHT.

THAT'S BEEN HEALING FOR HER.

Narrator: THROUGH IT ALL,

ADRIAN MANAGED TO KEEP
HER THIRST FOR ADVENTURE INTACT.

AND TODAY, SHE'S EMBARKED
ON A NEW KIND OF JOURNEY.

I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE
TO START MY OWN COMPANY,

WHICH IS VERY EXCITING.

DOING EVENT PLANNING,
AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT.

Narrator: BUT AS FOR TAKING
ANOTHER GAMBLE ON LOVE,

FOR ADRIAN,
THE ODDS ARE 50/50.

Adrian: IF I MEET SOMEONE
AND I GET IN A RELATIONSHIP,

THAT'S GREAT.

BUT RIGHT NOW,

I'M JUST CONCENTRATING
ON ENJOYING LIFE.