It is a grim, heavy subject. When people ask about what was written on the bullets that killed Charlie Keever, they aren't usually looking for a ballistics report. They are looking for a glimpse into the mind of a monster.
Charlie Keever was just eleven years old. In 1993, he and his friend Jonathan Sellers were riding their bikes in San Diego when they crossed paths with Scott Erskine. What happened next is a permanent stain on the history of Southern California. But for years, one specific detail haunted the investigators and the public: the messages left behind. Erskine didn't just commit a double homicide; he treated the act like a canvas for his own depravity.
On the ammunition used and the items left at the scene, Erskine had scrawled the word "Killer." It sounds like a cliché from a bad horror movie. Except it wasn't. It was real, and it was carved with a chilling level of deliberation. Forensic teams found that Erskine had inscribed this word on the casings and the projectiles, a literal signature of his intent. It wasn't a cry for help. It was a boast.
The San Diego Riverbed Murders: A Timeline of Terror
March 27, 1993, was a Saturday. The sun was out. Charlie and Jonathan were doing what kids in the nineties did—exploring. They were heading toward the Otay River area. They never came home.
For two days, the community searched. Then, the discovery.
Police found the boys in a brush-filled area near the Interstate 5 bridge. The scene was chaotic and meticulously cruel at the same time. While the physical evidence—the DNA, the tire tracks—would eventually lead to an arrest, the psychological evidence was found in those small, inscribed pieces of metal.
You have to understand how rare this is. Most killers want to hide. They want to vanish. Erskine, however, wanted to be known, even if he wasn't ready to be caught just yet. By writing "Killer" on the bullets, he was manifesting an identity. He wasn't just Scott Erskine; he was the person who ended lives. This kind of ritualistic behavior is what profilers look for when they talk about a "signature." It’s different from a modus operandi. An MO is how you kill; a signature is why you kill.
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For Erskine, the "why" was tied up in a desperate, narcissistic need to be feared.
The DNA Breakthrough and the Cold Case
The case actually went cold for years. Can you imagine the frustration of the San Diego PD? They had the bullets. They had the word "Killer" staring them in the face. But they didn't have a name to go with the handwriting or the DNA.
It wasn't until 2001 that technology caught up with the crime.
Scott Erskine was already in prison for another attack. When his DNA was finally uploaded into CODIS (the Combined DNA Index System), it hit. It hit hard. The match was undeniable. Investigators finally had the man who had etched those words.
When you look at the trial transcripts, the mention of the bullets always sends a chill through the room. It’s the premeditation of it. You don't just "accidentally" have inscribed bullets. You sit down. You take a tool. You scratch the letters into the brass or the lead. It takes time. It takes focus. It means that long before he saw Charlie and Jonathan, Scott Erskine had decided he was going to be a "Killer" that day.
Why the Inscriptions Mattered to the Jury
During the trial, the prosecution used the inscriptions to dismantle any hope of a "temporary insanity" defense or a claim of an impulsive act.
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The handwriting on the bullets proved a state of mind. It showed a "predatory readiness."
- It proved intent.
- It demonstrated a lack of remorse.
- It highlighted the ritualistic nature of his violence.
The defense tried to point toward Erskine’s troubled upbringing. And he had one—a history of abuse and institutionalization that would make anyone cringe. But the jury didn't care. How could they? When a man writes "Killer" on the tools he uses to murder children, he has forfeited his right to sympathy.
The jury returned a death sentence.
The Psychology of Signature Killers
Why do it? Honestly, it’s about power.
Most people who study the Keever-Sellers case, including forensic psychologists, point toward the "need for recognition." Erskine felt like a nobody. In prison, he was just another number. But the person who wrote on those bullets? That person was "The Killer."
It’s a way of claiming ownership over the victim’s final moments.
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In many ways, the bullets were a precursor to the way modern criminals use social media. Today, they might livestream or post a manifesto. In 1993, Erskine used the limited tools he had: a sharp object and the ammunition in his pocket. It’s the same impulse. The same dark, twisted desire to be the protagonist in a tragedy of your own making.
The End of the Story (Sort Of)
Scott Erskine never made it to the execution chamber. He died in 2020.
But he didn't die from the state's needle. He died from COVID-19 while on death row at San Quentin. He was 57. Some people felt cheated by that. They wanted the formal execution that the jury had ordered. Others felt it was a fitting, unceremonious end for a man who spent his life trying to be a "legendary" monster.
Charlie Keever and Jonathan Sellers are remembered by a beautiful memorial park today. It’s a place for kids to play, a sharp contrast to the riverbed where they were found.
When we talk about what was written on those bullets, we shouldn't focus on the word itself. We should focus on the fact that the word didn't win. Erskine tried to define himself by that inscription, but history defines him as a coward.
Actionable Insights for Researching Cold Cases
If you are interested in the forensic details of cases like this, there are specific ways to dig deeper into the public record without getting lost in sensationalism.
- Access Court Transcripts: Most of the detailed information about the ballistics in the Keever case comes from the California Supreme Court’s review of the death penalty. These are public documents and provide the most factual, non-sensationalized accounts of the evidence.
- Study Forensic Linguistics: The study of what killers write—whether on bullets, in notes, or on walls—is a legitimate field. Look into the work of experts like Dr. Maurice Godwin to understand the "why" behind these signatures.
- Support Victim Advocacy: The Sellers-Keever Foundation was established to help keep children safe. Instead of lingering on the grim details of the ammunition, look at the legislative changes made in California regarding DNA collection that resulted from this case.
- Verify via CODIS: Learn how the DNA database works. The Keever case is one of the most significant examples of a "cold hit" in American history, changing how we process crime scenes forever.
The word "Killer" was meant to be a badge of honor for Scott Erskine. Instead, it became the primary evidence that ensured he would never walk free again.