A former MLB pitcher was found guilty of murder and attempted murder of his wife’s parents in a 2021 Lake Tahoe attack, where he waited inside their home with a gun in what prosecutors say was a financially motivated killing.
Danny Serafini, 51, faces in life in prison after a jury convicted him in the murder of his father-in-law, Robert Gary Spohr, 70, according to the Placer County District Attorney’s Office. His mother-in-law, Wendy Woods, survived the shooting but died by suicide a year later.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office arrested Serafini and his lover, Samantha Scott, two years after finding Spohr dead at the home.
Deputies were called to the Lake Tahoe home on June 5, 2021, where they found Spohr dead and Woods shot, the sheriff’s office said. An investigation found security footage of a hooded male wearing a face covering and a backpack walking to the residence several hours before the slaying.
The sheriff’s office said at the time of Serafini’s 2023 arrest that a subsequent investigation led to Serafini and Scott as suspects.
Scott took a deal in February and pleaded guilty to being an accessory to a felony, according to NBC News affiliate KCRA. She then testified against Serafini at trial, admitting to having an affair with him.
She testified that she gave a ride to Serafini the day of the shooting, but believed it was because of a drug deal, KCRA reported. Scott told the court she later suspected Serafini might have been involved in the attack, but that Serafini later admitted that he “shot Wendy twice in the head and once in the hand and survived it,” according to KCRA.
Serafini’s attorney, David Dratman, attempted to undermine Scott’s testimony by pointing out her changed story and her plea deal. Dratman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The jury found Serafini guilty of first-degree burglary in addition to the murder and attempted murder charges.
Prosecutors accused Serafini of killing his in-laws in order for he and his wife, Erin Spohr, to gain access to a multi-million dollar inheritance after Serafini’s baseball career ended.
His wife testified that her parents cut the couple a $90,000 check the day of the attack, SFGate reported, which she believed was evidence that her husband didn’t need to kill them. The news outlet also reported that she testified her parents had a trust worth $11 million and owned millions more in assets.
Serafini spent seven years in the big leagues, logging time with the Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies. His busiest season was in 1998, going 7-4 with a 6.48 ERA for the Twins.
He also pitched professionally in Japan, Taiwan and Mexico.
Adrienne Spohr, Serafini’s sister-in-law, told reporters following the verdict that she looks forward to his sentencing on Aug. 18, according to KCRA.
“It’s been four years of hell,” she said.
