Former MLB pitcher Dan Serafini has been convicted of murder and attempted murder for shooting his in-laws at their Homewood, California home in 2021.
Prosecutors said Serafini, 51, hid for more than three hours before shooting Robert Spohr and his wife, Wendy Wood, in their residence on the western shore of Lake Tahoe on June 5, 2021. Spohr, 70, died of a gunshot wound at the scene. Wood, 68, survived the shooting but died by suicide in 2023.
A jury in Placer County, California read the verdict Monday, July 14 after nearly three days of deliberations − the coda to a dramatic trial that spanned parts of six weeks.
Serafini is due to be sentenced Aug. 18. Prosecutors have said they will not seek the death penalty.
‘We truly appreciate and thank the jury for their attentiveness and thoughtful consideration of this tragic case,’ Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire said in a statement. ‘The dedication and tenacity of the prosecution and investigative team made securing this conviction possible. While there can never truly be closure for Gary and Wendy’s family and friends, we hope this verdict provides some semblance of resolve as they move forward.’
Serafini’s attorney, David Dratman, did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment on the verdict.
Authorities spent roughly two years investigating the fatal shooting before identifying Serafini, who pitched for six different MLB teams, as the shooter. They obtained surveillance footage of a hooded man who resembled Serafini entering the house on the evening of the shooting while his wife, Erin Spohr, was out on a boat with her parents and their children. (Serafini also faced charges of burglary and child endangerment. He was found guilty of the former and not guilty of the latter.)
Investigators found threatening email exchanges between Serafini and his in-laws, and learned that he had previously talked about being willing to pay $20,000 to have them killed.
At trial, the prosecution also hinted at a possible financial motive; Erin Spohr testified that her parents’ trust was valued at around $11 million in 2021, with $12 million in other assets.
The trial ultimately hinged, in part, on the testimony of Samantha Scott − the former nanny with whom Serafini was having an affair. Scott was arrested alongside Serafini but is facing a reduced charge of accessory to a felony as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. She testified about transporting Serafini to and from the scene on the day of the fatal shooting, then lying to police in initial interviews to protect her one-time lover.
‘He was one of the few people I felt I could confide in. I trusted him a lot,’ she testified, according to KCRA-TV.
Dratman attempted to cast doubt on Scott’s testimony by painting her as an unreliable source. He also harped on what he said was a one-inch height discrepency between Serafini and an expert’s testimony about the height of the man in the surveillance video.
Placer County Deputy District Attorney Rick Miller, meanwhile, asked the jury in his closing arguments to consider all of the evidence together − including Serafini’s acrimonious history with his in-laws, and Scott’s testimony about the day of the shooting.
‘There is a murderer in this room,’ Miller told the jury, before gesturing to Serafini. ‘He is sitting right there.’
Serafini pitched in the major leagues for parts of seven seasons between 1997 and 2007, working primarily as a middle reliever. He was drafted out of high school by the Minnesota Twins in 1992 and made his big-league debut with the club, though the bulk of his appearances came with the Chicago Cubs during the 1999 season. The left-hander also had stints with the San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies before a 50-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs in 2007 effectively ended his career.
After retiring, Serafini embarked on a second career as a businessman. He was featured a 2015 episode of the reality TV show ‘Bar Rescue’ after his parents took out a loan to help him purchase a bar called ‘The Bullpen’ in Sparks, Nevada. The bar was rebranded to ‘Oak Tavern’ but later closed.
(This story was updated to add a gallery and new information.)
If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services.
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @tomschad.bsky.social.