Major case squad activated to revisit 1998 double murder in Portageville

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Nearly 10 years after the murder of a Portageville, Mo., woman and her daughter, with investigators following up on hundreds of leads, new means are being used to find answers.

"Basically, this is an activation of the SEMO Major Case Squad," said New Madrid County Sheriff Terry Stevens at a Tuesday morning news conference in Sikeston.

The case is the double murder of Sherri and Megan Scherer in March 1998. The two were found dead in their home northeast of Portageville.

He said the case doesn't fall under the case squad's normal parameters since the murder is now considered a "cold case," but due to the severity of the crime, those involved thought it was necessary.

Just after 7 p.m. March 28, 1998, Anthony "Tony" Scherer found the bodies of his wife, Sherri Ann, 37, and their daughter, Megan Elizabeth, 12, in the living room of the family's rural home. The two were shot repeatedly with a small-caliber gun.

About 40 officials from area departments, in addition to federal agencies, were at the conference. Bud Cooper, a sergeant with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, said it was a time for those involved to get to know one another, as well as get up to speed on where the investigation stands and what the plans are to move forward. They would also review the video and photos from the crime scene.

"I think we've got a wealth of knowledge in this room," Cooper said.

A month after the homicide, officials learned that in a shooting near Dyersburg, Tenn., a few hours after the Scherers were found, matching bullets were used, according to a ballistics report. The victim was able to provide some details about the shooter, and images were released.

More than one appeal was aired on TV's "America's Most Wanted," which generated tips but no answers.

In 2006, due to new technology to analyze DNA evidence, investigators began resubmitting evidence recovered from the crime scene, believed to be left behind from the suspect, Stevens said. From that evidence, the double homicide was linked to an unsolved murder in Greenville, S.C., from 1990.

"Since then we've been working in conjunction with South Carolina and, as you can see, numerous agencies here locally," Stevens said.

Unplowed ground

He noted that those involved in the case are taking advantage of all the advances in technology possible. "This is ground that hasn't been plowed before," he said.

For example, there is software that can match those who live in the area and had ties to South Carolina in 1990.

"That's going to be the gist of this investigation," he said. "We're gong to start contacting these people and see if we can establish a link to these two locations and crime scenes."

Cooper also told those at the conference that a message was sent out Saturday asking other agencies with similar homicides to get in touch with them.

"Leads are coming in, and we will follow them," he said.

Stevens said it could take days or even weeks to follow all of the leads.

"This is not going to stop today. This is going to be an ongoing process until we eliminate everything that has been presented to us," he said. "Hopefully, we'll come to a conclusion and we'll arrest somebody before it's over with."

Stevens, who has been the sheriff for eight years but worked as a special investigator for the prosecutor at the time of the murders, said he is "guardedly optimistic" that something will come out of the leads.

"I'm excited that we have something fresh and new that hasn't been tried yet," he said. "Believe me, we have rehashed and recovered every piece of evidence, every lead and every interview that has been presented to us in the past 10 years."