
Ex-MLB pitcher Dan Serafini convicted of murdering father-in-law
Article content
Serafini, who ended his MLB career with the Colorado Rockies in 2007, was found guilty of the first-degree murder of Robert Gary Spohr, the attempted murder of Spohr's wife Wendy Wood and of first-degree burglary, according to ABC News.
Article content
Article content
Serafini reportedly broke into his in-laws' Homewood, Calif., house on June 5, 2021, and waited three hours before attacking them with a .22-calibre gun, according to prosecutors.
Article content
Article content
Spohr, 70, died in the ambush, while Wood survived after being shot twice in the head. Wood, however, died by suicide in 2023 with family members saying lingering trauma from the incident was a contributing factor.
Article content
Two children under the age of three also were present in the home at the time of the attack, but were unharmed.
Article content
Prosecutors reportedly said the incident stemmed from an argument over a ranch renovation project that the elderly couple invested in.
Article content
'I'm gonna kill them one day,' Serafini wrote regarding a portion of the investment in a text message prosecutors revealed.
Article content
Article content
He also sent messages saying, 'I will be coming after you,' and, 'Take me to court,' per ABC.
Article content
Article content
Serafini reportedly had received $90,000 from his in-laws on the day of the attack.
Article content
Adrienne Sphor, the couple's daughter, called it a 'heinous and calculated' crime and said her parents had been 'incredibly generous' to Serafini and his wife Erin.
Article content
'It's been four years since my mom and dad were shot and it's been four years of just hell,' Adrienne said Monday. 'Today, finally, justice was served.'
Article content
'At this point, our focus is on the sentencing and making sure that Dan Serafini never sees outside of a jail ever again.'
Article content
Article content
Serafini reportedly is being held without bail until his sentencing date, which is set for Aug. 18.
Article content
Serafini's middling MLB career spanned from 1996-2007, making appearances with six teams including the Rockies, Twins, Cubs, Pirates, Reds and Padres.
Article content

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


National Post
a day ago
- National Post
Ex-MLB pitcher convicted of murdering father-in-law
Dan Serafini, a former pitcher who played seven seasons in the majors, was convicted Monday of murdering his father-in-law in a dispute over $1.3 million US. Article content Serafini, who ended his MLB career with the Colorado Rockies in 2007, was found guilty of the first-degree murder of Robert Gary Spohr, the attempted murder of Spohr's wife Wendy Wood and of first-degree burglary, according to ABC News. Article content Article content Article content Serafini reportedly broke into his in-laws' Homewood, Calif., house on June 5, 2021, and waited three hours before attacking them with a .22-calibre gun, according to prosecutors. Article content Spohr, 70, died in the ambush, while Wood survived after being shot twice in the head. Wood, however, died by suicide in 2023 with family members saying lingering trauma from the incident was a contributing factor. Article content Two children under the age of three also were present in the home at the time of the attack, but were unharmed. Article content Prosecutors reportedly said the incident stemmed from an argument over a ranch renovation project that the elderly couple invested in. Article content 'I'm gonna kill them one day,' Serafini wrote regarding a portion of the investment in a text message prosecutors revealed. Article content He also sent messages saying, 'I will be coming after you,' and, 'Take me to court,' per ABC. Article content Article content Serafini reportedly had received $90,000 from his in-laws on the day of the attack. Article content Article content Adrienne Sphor, the couple's daughter, called it a 'heinous and calculated' crime and said her parents had been 'incredibly generous' to Serafini and his wife Erin. Article content 'It's been four years since my mom and dad were shot and it's been four years of just hell,' Adrienne said Monday. 'Today, finally, justice was served.' Article content 'At this point, our focus is on the sentencing and making sure that Dan Serafini never sees outside of a jail ever again.' Article content Serafini reportedly is being held without bail until his sentencing date, which is set for Aug. 18. Article content Serafini's middling MLB career spanned from 1996-2007, making appearances with six teams including the Rockies, Twins, Cubs, Pirates, Reds and Padres. Article content


Edmonton Journal
a day ago
- Edmonton Journal
Ex-MLB pitcher Dan Serafini convicted of murdering father-in-law
Dan Serafini, a former pitcher who played seven seasons in the majors, was convicted Monday of murdering his father-in-law in a dispute over $1.3 million US. Article content Serafini, who ended his MLB career with the Colorado Rockies in 2007, was found guilty of the first-degree murder of Robert Gary Spohr, the attempted murder of Spohr's wife Wendy Wood and of first-degree burglary, according to ABC News. Article content Article content Serafini reportedly broke into his in-laws' Homewood, Calif., house on June 5, 2021, and waited three hours before attacking them with a .22-calibre gun, according to prosecutors. Article content Article content Spohr, 70, died in the ambush, while Wood survived after being shot twice in the head. Wood, however, died by suicide in 2023 with family members saying lingering trauma from the incident was a contributing factor. Article content Two children under the age of three also were present in the home at the time of the attack, but were unharmed. Article content Prosecutors reportedly said the incident stemmed from an argument over a ranch renovation project that the elderly couple invested in. Article content 'I'm gonna kill them one day,' Serafini wrote regarding a portion of the investment in a text message prosecutors revealed. Article content Article content He also sent messages saying, 'I will be coming after you,' and, 'Take me to court,' per ABC. Article content Article content Serafini reportedly had received $90,000 from his in-laws on the day of the attack. Article content Adrienne Sphor, the couple's daughter, called it a 'heinous and calculated' crime and said her parents had been 'incredibly generous' to Serafini and his wife Erin. Article content 'It's been four years since my mom and dad were shot and it's been four years of just hell,' Adrienne said Monday. 'Today, finally, justice was served.' Article content 'At this point, our focus is on the sentencing and making sure that Dan Serafini never sees outside of a jail ever again.' Article content Article content Serafini reportedly is being held without bail until his sentencing date, which is set for Aug. 18. Article content Serafini's middling MLB career spanned from 1996-2007, making appearances with six teams including the Rockies, Twins, Cubs, Pirates, Reds and Padres. Article content


Toronto Sun
a day ago
- Toronto Sun
Ex-MLB pitcher Dan Serafini convicted of murdering father-in-law
Retired pitcher convicted of first-degree murder as well as attempted murder of mother-in-law Dan Serafini throws a pitch for the Colorado Rockies during a game in 2007. Photo by Doug Pensinger / Files / Getty Images Dan Serafini, a former pitcher who played seven seasons in the majors, was convicted Monday of murdering his father-in-law in a dispute over $1.3 million US. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Serafini, who ended his MLB career with the Colorado Rockies in 2007, was found guilty of the first-degree murder of Robert Gary Spohr, the attempted murder of Spohr's wife Wendy Wood and of first-degree burglary, according to ABC News. Serafini reportedly broke into his in-laws' Homewood, Calif., house on June 5, 2021, and waited three hours before attacking them with a .22-calibre gun, according to prosecutors. Spohr, 70, died in the ambush, while Wood survived after being shot twice in the head. Wood, however, died by suicide in 2023 with family members saying lingering trauma from the incident was a contributing factor. Two children under the age of three also were present in the home at the time of the attack, but were unharmed. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More Prosecutors reportedly said the incident stemmed from an argument over a ranch renovation project that the elderly couple invested in. 'I'm gonna kill them one day,' Serafini wrote regarding a portion of the investment in a text message prosecutors revealed. He also sent messages saying, 'I will be coming after you,' and, 'Take me to court,' per ABC. Serafini reportedly had received $90,000 from his in-laws on the day of the attack. Adrienne Sphor, the couple's daughter, called it a 'heinous and calculated' crime and said her parents had been 'incredibly generous' to Serafini and his wife Erin. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's been four years since my mom and dad were shot and it's been four years of just hell,' Adrienne said Monday. 'Today, finally, justice was served.' 'At this point, our focus is on the sentencing and making sure that Dan Serafini never sees outside of a jail ever again.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO Serafini reportedly is being held without bail until his sentencing date, which is set for Aug. 18. Serafini's middling MLB career spanned from 1996-2007, making appearances with six teams including the Rockies, Twins, Cubs, Pirates, Reds and Padres. He had a career record of 15-16 over 104 games, including 33 starts, with a staggering ERA of 6.04. Following the 2007 season, Serafini received a 50-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. During an appearance on reality TV show Bar Rescue featuring a Nevada bar Serafini had opened in 2013, the former pitcher claimed he had lost $14 million through bad investments and a divorce settlement. Celebrity Toronto & GTA Columnists Editorial Cartoons NFL