A former Major League Baseball pitcher has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for the 2021 murder of his father-in-law and the attempted murder of his mother-in-law at their California home. Daniel Serafini, 52, was convicted in July of first-degree murder in the death of Gary Spohr, 70, and the attempted murder of Wendy Wood, 68, as well as first-degree burglary.
Prosecutors said Serafini carefully planned the attack, breaking into the couple's Lake Tahoe home while they were out boating with family. He hid in a closet for about three hours, armed with a .22-caliber handgun, and ambushed them when they returned, shooting both in the head. Mr Spohr was killed, and Mrs Wood was shot multiple times but initially survived. She died by suicide in February 2023, struggling to adjust after her husband's death.
At sentencing, the victims' daughter, Adrienne Spohr, called Serafini 'a monster who knows no moral boundaries.' She said, 'He thought he had gotten away with murder. He was happy while my dad lay deceased and my mom laid bleeding out on her couch.' Serafini's wife at the time, Erin Spohr, denied his involvement and urged leniency, but the judge ordered his life terms to run consecutively, adding an extra 25-to-life for the burglary.
Serafini addressed the court defiantly, saying, 'I am far from perfect, but I am no murderer. We live in a society that lacks compassion and empathy.' He maintained his innocence but was arrested in 2023 alongside his nanny-turned-mistress, Samantha Scott, who pleaded guilty to an accessory charge.
Serafini's baseball career spanned over a decade after being drafted 26th overall by the Minnesota Twins in 1992. He played for six teams, including the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs, before retiring in 2007. After baseball, he opened a bar in Nevada that later appeared on the TV show 'Bar Rescue.' Erin Spohr filed for divorce in July 2025, seeking sole custody of their two young sons.
