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Ex-MLB pitcher Dan Serafini has been sentenced to spend his remaining years behind bars for orchestrating a lethal assault on his in-laws, resulting in one death and another critically hurt.
At the age of 51, Serafini received a life sentence without parole in a California court on February 27. Prosecutors presented evidence showing that intense monetary disputes spurred him to murder his father-in-law, Robert Gary Spohr, according to a statement from the Placer County District Attorney’s Office.
Additionally, Serafini shot his mother-in-law, Wendy Wood, twice in the head and once in the shoulder, as noted by People. She survived but was left with severe injuries, ultimately ending her life two years after the 2021 attack.
“The impact of this case is profound and far-reaching,” Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire stated. “The defendant’s heinous actions have not only claimed the lives of a father and mother but have also deeply affected their family, friends, and the broader community. This tragedy underscores the enduring consequences of intentional violence.”
Dan Serafini Targeted In-Laws to Access Inheritance, Prosecutors Say
In July, Serafini was found guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder. Jurors were convinced of his animosity toward his in-laws and his desire to claim their substantial inheritance, as reported by NBC News.
Serafini’s lover Samantha Scott testified that she dropped the former baseball player off at his in-laws Lake Tahoe home on June 5, 2021.(Scott pled guilty to being an accessory after the fact, according to KCRA, and agreed to testify against Serafini as part of a deal with prosecutors).
Serafini snuck into the home, according to prosecutors, while the couple was on their boat with his estranged wife Erin and two sons, lying in wait for five hours until they returned, People reported. When they came back to the house, Serafini opened fire, killing Spohr with a single gunshot to the head and gravely injuring Wood, who required extensive rehabilitation.
The couple’s daughter Adrienne Spohr told the court during the sentencing, per NBC News, that Serafini and her sister had received millions from her wealthy parents over the years, including funding a horse estate, paying for nanny services and paying off large credit card debt.
Serafini’s greed didn’t end even after the shooting, she said.
“Dan showed no remorse,” she contended. “He cashed in a $200,000 check made to him from his victim’s account just weeks after holding a gun to her head and pulling the trigger.”
She added that in the aftermath of the shooting, Serafini and her sister had resisted her attempts to post a reward to track down the killer, telling the court, according to People, “He is a monster who knows no moral boundaries and has zero reservations about taking the lives of others to benefit himself.”
Friends of Spohr and Wood also spoke about the couple’s love for adventure and generous nature, with one telling the court, according to The Sacramento Bee, “Daniel’s evilness deserves no sympathy.”
Although Serafini’s estranged wife did not appear in court, she did have his attorney read a statement in support of her husband, which asked for leniency.
Meanwhile, Serafini continued to proclaim his innocence, arguing that he was being unfairly painted as a calculated manipulator by prosecutors for a crime he didn’t commit.
“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,” he said, according to the news outlet. “This trial was a popularity contest.”
The judge ultimately handed down a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. Serafini was also sentenced to 25 years to life for a burglary charge, to be served consecutively.
The former baseball player spent seven seasons in the major leagues, playing for a wide range of teams including the Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies.