Former MLB pitcher Daniel Serafini convicted in Lake Tahoe murder case

By Tim Fang, Richard Ramos

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (KOVR) - Former MLB pitcher Daniel Serafini has been found guilty in the murder of his father-in-law and the attempted murder of his mother-in-law at their home in Lake Tahoe more than four years ago.

A jury in Placer County on Monday convicted Serafini of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and burglary after the couple was shot in June 2021 in the community of Homewood.

Serafini shot and killed Robert Spohr, 70, in what investigators said was an execution-style murder. Spohr's wife, Wendy Wood, was shot twice in the head by Serafini but survived. She has since passed away.

Authorities arrested Serafini along with 33-year-old Samantha Scott, Serafini's nanny turned lover, in connection with the attack in late 2023, following a two-year investigation

Scott pleaded guilty in February to being an accessory after the fact and was released from custody. She admitted she drove Serafini to his in-laws' home in Tahoe the day of the shooting. Scott is still awaiting sentencing.

Erin Spohr, Serafini's wife and a daughter of the couple, testified in the trial, saying she had an open marriage with him and that she still trusts him.

Her sister, Adrienne Spohr, has been advocating for justice for her parents since the shootings.

"It's been four years since my mom and dad were shot, and it's been four years of just hell," she said outside the courthouse Monday. "The Placer County District Attorney's Office and the sheriff's office never gave up."

Serafini, born in San Francisco, was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 1992 MLB Draft. He also played for the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and the Colorado Rockies, according to MLB.com. He also pitched for Italy during the World Baseball Classic in 2013.