Daniel Serafini, a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, and the San Diego Padres, among others, has been found guilty of murder and attempted murder of his in-laws.
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According to the Placer County District Attorney’s Office, Serafini, 51, was found guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder of his in-laws, Gary Spohr and Wendy Wood. He was also found guilty by the jury of first-degree burglary.
Additionally, the jury “found the special circumstance allegations of lying-in-wait and felony murder, as well as related firearm allegations, to be true.”
The verdict comes after a 6-week trial, and Serafini will be sentenced at 1 p.m. on August 18.
Murder And Attempted Murder
As reported by ABC News, the incident occurred back in June 5, 2021. Evidence presented during his trial showed Serafini entering his in-laws’ home, located in North Lake Tahoe. Once inside, armed with a .22 caliber gun, he waited for three hours before shooting Gary Spohr and Wendy Wood.
At the time of the incident, two children, a 3-year-old and an 8-month-old, were inside the house.
Spohr was found dead inside the residence. However, Wood was taken to a local hospital, where she managed to recover from her injuries. Tragically, the woman took her own life in 2023, two years after losing her husband. Her family claimed that the trauma caused by the shooting led to her death.
Reportedly, the murders stemmed from a $1.3 million dispute between Serafini and his in-laws over a ranch renovation project. ABC10 reported on a text written by Serafini, which read, “I’m gonna kill them one day,” mentioning $21,000. On the day of the shooting, Spohr and Wod gave Serafini’s wife $90,000.
Additionally, 2016 emails sent by Serafini contain other threats, with him saying, “I will be coming after you,” and “Take me to court.”
Serafini was arrested in Nevada in October 2023. Alongside him, Samantha Scott, Serafini’s wife’s close friend and Serafini’s lover, was also arrested. She pleaded guilty to accessory in February 2025.
Daniel Serafini played for six different Major League Baseball teams throughout his career. He was an MLB first-round draft pick in 1992. He was suspended in 2007 for using performance-enhancing drugs, according to ABC News, effectively ending his career.