Topline: The former first-round draft pick now stands convicted of murder in a chilling case that left one dead, one gravely wounded, and two young children caught in the crossfire.
Published: July 16, 2025 8:00 am ET
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Background: Placer County Assistant Chief Deputy DA Rick Miller (via Placer County DA's Office). Inset: Dan Serafini throws a pitch for the Cincinnati Reds during an MLB game in 2003. (via Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
ROSEVILLE, CA — A former Major League Baseball pitcher was convicted Monday of first-degree murder and attempted murder in the 2021 ambush-style shooting of his in-laws in their Lake Tahoe home.
A Placer County jury found Daniel Serafini, 51, guilty of killing his father-in-law, Robert Gary Spohr, and attempting to murder Spohr’s wife, Wendy Wood.
The jury also returned guilty verdicts for first-degree burglary, and affirmed special circumstance allegations including lying in wait, felony murder, and related firearm enhancements, according to a statement from the Placer County District Attorney’s Office.
Serafini, once a first-round MLB draft pick who played for six teams before retiring in 2007, now faces life in prison.
Prosecutors argued the attack was fueled by a tangled mix of resentment and financial motives, rooted in a dispute over a $1.3 million ranch renovation project and a history of borrowing from the victims.
On the day of the shootings, Serafini’s wife had received $90,000 from her parents. Text messages presented at trial included one in which Serafini allegedly wrote, “I’m gonna kill them one day,” according to reporting by ABC News and Sacramento affiliate KXTV.
The shootings occurred early on the morning of June 5, 2021, in Tahoe City. According to trial evidence, a hooded figure was captured on security footage entering the Spohr-Wood home and remaining inside for hours before the shots were fired.
Prosecutors said Serafini waited silently with a .22 caliber firearm before carrying out the attack. When first responders arrived, they found Spohr, 70, dead and Wood, 68, critically wounded. Two young children—just 3 years and 8 months old—were also inside the house at the time but were not harmed.
Wendy Wood survived the shooting but died by suicide in 2023. Her family told authorities the trauma from the attack contributed to her death.
The case took years to build, with investigators from the Placer County Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office assembling a digital and forensic trail that prosecutors said placed Serafini at the center of the crime. Over six weeks of testimony, jurors heard from dozens of witnesses and reviewed an array of evidence, including cell phone data and surveillance footage.
A second defendant, 33-year-old Samantha Scott—described by ABC News as a close friend of Serafini’s wife and his lover—pleaded guilty in February 2025 to being an accessory to the crime.
Serafini will remain in custody without bail until his sentencing, which is set for August 18 at 1 p.m.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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The Fall of Daniel Serafini: How This MLB Pitcher Went From First-Round Pick to Convicted Killer
The former first-round draft pick now stands convicted of murder in a chilling case that left one dead, one gravely wounded, and two young children caught in the crossfire.
By Jacob Charles
Published: July 16, 2025 8:00 am ET
Background: Placer County Assistant Chief Deputy DA Rick Miller (via Placer County DA's Office). Inset: Dan Serafini throws a pitch for the Cincinnati Reds during an MLB game in 2003. (via Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
ROSEVILLE, CA — A former Major League Baseball pitcher was convicted Monday of first-degree murder and attempted murder in the 2021 ambush-style shooting of his in-laws in their Lake Tahoe home.
A Placer County jury found Daniel Serafini, 51, guilty of killing his father-in-law, Robert Gary Spohr, and attempting to murder Spohr’s wife, Wendy Wood.
The jury also returned guilty verdicts for first-degree burglary, and affirmed special circumstance allegations including lying in wait, felony murder, and related firearm enhancements, according to a statement from the Placer County District Attorney’s Office.
Serafini, once a first-round MLB draft pick who played for six teams before retiring in 2007, now faces life in prison.
Prosecutors argued the attack was fueled by a tangled mix of resentment and financial motives, rooted in a dispute over a $1.3 million ranch renovation project and a history of borrowing from the victims.
On the day of the shootings, Serafini’s wife had received $90,000 from her parents. Text messages presented at trial included one in which Serafini allegedly wrote, “I’m gonna kill them one day,” according to reporting by ABC News and Sacramento affiliate KXTV.
The shootings occurred early on the morning of June 5, 2021, in Tahoe City. According to trial evidence, a hooded figure was captured on security footage entering the Spohr-Wood home and remaining inside for hours before the shots were fired.
Prosecutors said Serafini waited silently with a .22 caliber firearm before carrying out the attack. When first responders arrived, they found Spohr, 70, dead and Wood, 68, critically wounded. Two young children—just 3 years and 8 months old—were also inside the house at the time but were not harmed.
Wendy Wood survived the shooting but died by suicide in 2023. Her family told authorities the trauma from the attack contributed to her death.
The case took years to build, with investigators from the Placer County Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office assembling a digital and forensic trail that prosecutors said placed Serafini at the center of the crime. Over six weeks of testimony, jurors heard from dozens of witnesses and reviewed an array of evidence, including cell phone data and surveillance footage.
A second defendant, 33-year-old Samantha Scott—described by ABC News as a close friend of Serafini’s wife and his lover—pleaded guilty in February 2025 to being an accessory to the crime.
Serafini will remain in custody without bail until his sentencing, which is set for August 18 at 1 p.m.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
The Fall of Daniel Serafini: How This MLB Pitcher Went From First-Round Pick to Convicted Killer
The former first-round draft pick now stands convicted of murder in a chilling case that left one dead, one gravely wounded, and two young children caught in the crossfire.
By Jacob Charles
Published: July 16, 2025 8:00 am ET
Background: Placer County Assistant Chief Deputy DA Rick Miller (via Placer County DA's Office). Inset: Dan Serafini throws a pitch for the Cincinnati Reds during an MLB game in 2003. (via Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
ROSEVILLE, CA — A former Major League Baseball pitcher was convicted Monday of first-degree murder and attempted murder in the 2021 ambush-style shooting of his in-laws in their Lake Tahoe home.
A Placer County jury found Daniel Serafini, 51, guilty of killing his father-in-law, Robert Gary Spohr, and attempting to murder Spohr’s wife, Wendy Wood.
The jury also returned guilty verdicts for first-degree burglary, and affirmed special circumstance allegations including lying in wait, felony murder, and related firearm enhancements, according to a statement from the Placer County District Attorney’s Office.
Serafini, once a first-round MLB draft pick who played for six teams before retiring in 2007, now faces life in prison.
Prosecutors argued the attack was fueled by a tangled mix of resentment and financial motives, rooted in a dispute over a $1.3 million ranch renovation project and a history of borrowing from the victims.
On the day of the shootings, Serafini’s wife had received $90,000 from her parents. Text messages presented at trial included one in which Serafini allegedly wrote, “I’m gonna kill them one day,” according to reporting by ABC News and Sacramento affiliate KXTV.
The shootings occurred early on the morning of June 5, 2021, in Tahoe City. According to trial evidence, a hooded figure was captured on security footage entering the Spohr-Wood home and remaining inside for hours before the shots were fired.
Prosecutors said Serafini waited silently with a .22 caliber firearm before carrying out the attack. When first responders arrived, they found Spohr, 70, dead and Wood, 68, critically wounded. Two young children—just 3 years and 8 months old—were also inside the house at the time but were not harmed.
Wendy Wood survived the shooting but died by suicide in 2023. Her family told authorities the trauma from the attack contributed to her death.
The case took years to build, with investigators from the Placer County Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office assembling a digital and forensic trail that prosecutors said placed Serafini at the center of the crime. Over six weeks of testimony, jurors heard from dozens of witnesses and reviewed an array of evidence, including cell phone data and surveillance footage.
A second defendant, 33-year-old Samantha Scott—described by ABC News as a close friend of Serafini’s wife and his lover—pleaded guilty in February 2025 to being an accessory to the crime.
Serafini will remain in custody without bail until his sentencing, which is set for August 18 at 1 p.m.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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