Former MLB Pitcher Dan Serafini Found Guilty of Murder
Former Major League Baseball pitcher Dan Serafini has been found guilty of first-degree murder for the 2021 shooting that killed his father-in-law and injured his mother-in-law.The victims of the June 5, 2021 attack were Robert Gary Spohr, 70, who was found dead in a house in North Lake Tahoe, California, from a gunshot wound. His wife, Wendy Wood, then 68, was also injured. Although she recovered from her injuries, she committed suicide a year later. The family cited the trauma of the attack as the reason for her death.
Prosecutors presented evidence of text messages showing the escalation of the dispute and premeditation before the shooting. A text message sent before the attack said: “I’m going to kill them someday.” Serafini and Samantha Scott, 33, were charged as co-defendants last year. In February, Scott pleaded guilty to one count of concealment and, during the trial, was presented as a close friend of one of the Spohr’s daughters, Erin. Erin was married to Serafini and testified that they had an open marriage and that she knew Scott had a romantic relationship with her husband. Erin Spohr testified that she did not believe Serafini had murdered her father or shot her mother. Video surveillance of the house and surrounding area showed a hooded man, his face covered and carrying a backpack, walking towards the Spohr house before the homicide. Evidence presented at the trial alleged that Serafini was in the house almost three hours before the attack. The information gathered during a two-year investigation led Serafini and Scott. Serafini’s sentencing is scheduled for August 18 in Placer County, California. The Minnesota Twins selected Serafini, a native of the San Francisco area, with the 26th overall pick in the 1992 MLB Draft. He debuted in 1996 and participated in 104 games (33 as a starter) with the Twins, the Chicago Cubs, the San Diego Padres, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Colorado Rockies before retiring in 2007. He had a 15-16 record with a 6.04 ERA and one save. He pitched 263 2/3 innings and struck out 127 batters.
