Jack BaerStaff writerSat, February 28, 2026 at 4:07 AM UTC·2 min readContent warning: This story contains references to suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide and needs support now, call or text 988 or chat with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988lifeline.org.
Former MLB pitcher Dan Serafini was sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing his father-in-law and shooting his mother-in-law, according to the Sacramento Bee.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSerafini was found guilty last July of first-degree murder and attempted murder last July, four years after ambushing and shooting Robert Spohr and Wendy Wood at their home near Lake Tahoe in 2021. He was arrested after an investigation that lasted for more than two years.
During his trial, prosecutors alleged that Serafini hated his in-laws and told friends he would offer $20,000 to whomever killed them, before deciding to do it himself.
Spohr and Wood had reportedly been financially supporting Serafini and their daughter, Erin Spohr, who filed for divorce last year. On the day of their murder, prosecutors alleged Serafini snuck into their home wearing a black hoodie and white mask, with a hidden .22 caliber gun, and waited while they were by the laker with Erin and their two grandsons.
After the ambush, Spohr died from a single shot to the head, while Wood survived the shooting and needed extensive rehab in the aftermath. She died by suicide a year later.
Serafini's sister-in-law Adrienne Spohr welcomed his life sentence, via the Bee:
"Dan Serafini executed my dad and left my mom to die," daughter Adrienne Spohr told reporters outside the Historic Auburn Courthouse following Serafini's sentencing Friday afternoon. "My mom fought with everything she could and did not let Dan Serafini win. Dan Serafini is finally being held accountable and will spend the rest of his life behind bars."
Samantha Scott, a family friend with whom Serafini was having an affair, testified against him as part of a deal in which she pleaded guilty to being an accessory.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSerafini had a request for a new trial rejected last month. He continued to insist on his innocence at his sentencing hearing:
"There was no DNA, no photos, no video, to link me to this crime, but because you don't like me, you found me guilty. This trial was a popularity contest," Serafini said before offering "condolences to the victims of this heinous crime."
Serafini, a former first-round pick for the Minnesota Twins, appeared in 102 MLB games from 1996 to 2007 for six different teams, with a 6.04 career ERA. He also appeared in leagues in Japan, Mexico and China, and also played for Team Italy in the 2009 and 2013 World Baseball Classic.
In retirement, he was said to have lost a $14 million personal fortune through "a series of bad investments and a bitter divorce settlement" during a 2015 segment on the show "Bar Rescue."
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