GEAR Up Scandal: Westerhuis Estate Auction One Year after Deaths

A day before the one year anniversary of Scott Westerhuis killing his family, setting his home ablaze and killing himself, the family's remaining estate went up for auction.

The murders took place on September 17, 2015, hours after Scott Westerhuis learned the federal funding would not continue for Mid-Central Educational Cooperative and the Gear Up program intended to help Native American Children and their educational needs.

Attorney General Marty Jackley says Westerhuis embezzled nearly one million dollars.

On Friday September 16, 2016, honest shoppers and curious onlookers gathered to look and bid on items ranging from bikes, life jackets, hot tubs, jet skis and the partially burned property itself.

Event coordinator, Gary Wieman said the auction didn't forget what happened last September.

There is a lot of sympathy, there are a lot of questions but it's a bad situation. We're just trying to make it finalize it and get closure for people. We've never done one exactly like this, but certainly a lot of estates and tragic events over the last 60 something years,  so it's certainly a tragedy.

According to KDLT news, Weiman says the bidding on over 300 items surpassed their expectations. The Platte Area Ministerial Association won the bid for the Westerhuis estate for 370 thousand dollars. Pastor Daniel Daum said they hope to make the property a youth and church recreational facility.

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