Latest news with #RobertGarySpohr
Japan Times
4 days ago
- Japan Times
Former MLB and NPB pitcher Dan Serafini found guilty of murdering father-in-law
Dan Serafini, a former MLB pitcher who also played four seasons in NPB, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the 2021 shooting that claimed the life of his father-in-law and left his mother-in-law injured. The victims in the June 5, 2021, attack were Robert Gary Spohr, 70, who was found dead in a home in North Lake Tahoe, California, from a single gunshot. Also shot was his wife, Wendy Wood, then 68. She recovered from the injures but died by suicide one year later. The family cited the trauma of the attack as the reason for her death. Prosecutors said the fatal incident involved a $1.3 million ranch renovation project and presented text message evidence of the escalation of the disagreement and premeditation prior to the shooting. One text message sent prior to the attack read, "I'm going to kill them one day." Serafini and 33-year-old Samantha Scott were charged as co-defendants last year. In February, Scott pleaded guilty to an accessory charge and during the trial was introduced as a close friend of one of the Spohrs' daughters, Erin. Erin was married to Serafini and testified that they had an open marriage and was aware Scott was romantically involved with her husband. Erin Spohr testified that she did not believe Serafini murdered her father or shot her mother. Video surveillance from the home and surrounding area showed a man wearing a hood, face covering and a backpack walking to the Spohrs' home before the homicide. Evidence presented at the trial alleged Serafini was in the home nearly three hours before the attack. Information gathered during a two-year investigation led them to Serafini and Scott. Serafini is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 18 in Placer County, California. The Minnesota Twins selected Serafini, a native of the San Francisco area, with the No. 26 overall pick in the 1992 MLB Draft. He made his debut in 1996 and went on to appear in 104 games (33 starts) with the Twins, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies. In his MLB career, he had a 15-16 record with a 6.04 ERA and one save. He threw 263⅔ innings and struck out 127 batters. Serafini spent four seasons in Japan, two each with the Chiba Lotte Marines and the Orix Buffaloes. In 2005, he had an 11-4 record with a 2.91 ERA under manager Bobby Valentine as part of a Marines team that won the Japan Series.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Ex-MLB Player Danny Serafini Found Guilty In Father-In-Law Murder Case
Former Major League Baseball pitcher Danny Serafini was convicted Monday of the first-degree murder of his father-in-law and attempted murder of his mother-in-law. The Placer County District Attorney's office confirmed in a news release on Facebook that Serafini, 51, was found guilty in the fatal 2021 shooting of Robert Gary Spohr, 70, in the community of Homewood near Lake Tahoe, California. Serafini was also convicted of shooting Spohr's 68-year-old wife, Wendy Wood, twice in the head. She survived, but died by suicide about a year later. 'The jury also found the defendant guilty of first-degree burglary and found the special circumstance allegations of lying-in-wait and felony murder, as well as related firearm allegations, to be true,' the news release read. The verdicts follow a six-week trial that included 'testimony from dozens of witnesses and the presentation of physical evidence, including digital, cell phone, and other forensic evidence,' according to the release. Serafini is due to be sentenced Aug. 18. A San Francisco Bay Area native, Serafini played for the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago Cubs, among other major league teams, from 1996 to 2007, when he was suspended following a failed performance-enhancing drug test. Following his exit from the MLB, he owned and operated The Bullpen Bar in Sparks, Nevada, with his wife, Erin Spohr. The bar ― which was featured in an episode of the reality series 'Bar Rescue' in 2015 ― has since been shuttered. After a two-year investigation, authorities arrested Serafini along with Samantha Scott, his children's former nanny, for the attacks on Spohr and Wood in 2023. Scott, who was in a romantic relationship with Serafini at the time of the attacks, pleaded guilty to being an accessory in February. According to Sacramento-based news station ABC 10, prosecutors found that Serafini had been in a financial dispute with his in-laws for years. Much of the tension stemmed from a $1.3 million ranch renovation project. Serafini reportedly wrote emails and text messages that read, 'I will be coming after you' and 'I'm going to kill them one day,' among other threats. At her husband's trial, Erin Spohr testified that she did not believe Serafini had murdered her father or shot her mother, according to ESPN. She also said she and her husband had an open marriage and that she was aware of his romantic relationship with Scott. Watch a report from NBC affiliate KCRA 3 on Danny Serafini's trial below. Former MLB Pitcher Accused Of Murder, Attempted Murder In 2021 Shooting Of In-Laws Police Bodycam Footage Captures Mary Lou Retton's Flustered DUI Arrest Manhunt Continues For Nashville Police Chief's Son Suspected In Shooting Of 2 Tennessee Officers
National Post
5 days 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
The Guardian
5 days ago
- The Guardian
Former MLB pitcher Dan Serafini guilty of murdering father-in-law after property dispute
Former MLB pitcher Dan Serafini was found guilty of first-degree murder in the 2021 shooting that claimed the life of his father-in-law and left his mother-in-law injured. The attack took place in June 2021 in North Lake Tahoe, California. Serafini was found guilty of killing Robert Gary Spohr, 70, who was found dead in a house from a single gunshot. Serafini was also found guilty of shooting Spohr's wife, Wendy Wood, then 68, twice in the head. She recovered from the injures but took her own life one year later. Her family said the trauma of the attack led to her death. Prosecutors said the fatal incident involved a dispute over a property renovation project. Jurors were presented with text message evidence of the escalation of the disagreement and premeditation prior to the shooting. One text message by Serafini sent prior to the attack read, 'I'm going to kill them one day.' Serafini, who played seven years in the majors, and 33-year-old Samantha Scott were charged as co-defendants last year. In February, Scott pleaded guilty to an accessory charge and during the trial was introduced as a close friend of one of the Spohrs' daughters, Erin. Erin was married to Serafini and testified that they had an open marriage and was aware Scott was romantically involved with her husband. Erin Spohr testified that she did not believe Serafini murdered her father or shot her mother. Video surveillance from the home and surrounding area showed a man wearing a hood, face covering and a backpack walking to the Spohrs' home before the homicide. Evidence presented at the trial alleged Serafini waited for three hours in the house before attacking the couple. Spohr and Wood's daughter, Adrienne, said Serafini was guilty of a 'heinous and calculated' crime. 'It's been four years since my mom and dad were shot and it's been four years of just hell,' Adrienne Spohr said after the guilty verdict. 'Today, finally, justice was served.' Serafini is scheduled to be sentenced on 18 August. The Minnesota Twins selected Serafini, a native of the San Francisco area, with the No 26 overall pick in the 1992 MLB draft. He made his debut in 1996 and went on to appear in 104 games with the Twins, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies before his retirement in 2007. Serafini made more than $10m during his baseball career but lost much of it due to a divorce settlement and failed investments.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Former MLB player convicted of murder in California home invasion
A former Major League Baseball pitcher has been found guilty of murdering his father-in-law in what prosecutors called a financially motivated attack. Daniel Serafini, 51, was convicted Monday of first-degree murder in the 2021 shooting death of Robert Gary Spohr, 70. The jury also found him guilty of attempted murder of Spohr's wife, Wendy Wood, and first-degree burglary. According to evidence presented at trial, Serafini entered the Spohrs' home on June 5, 2021, where security footage captured a hooded figure arriving three hours before anyone called 911. Prosecutors said Serafini secretly waited inside the house with a .22 caliber gun for three hours before attacking. Two young children, ages 3 years and 8 months, were in the home during the shooting. Wood survived the initial attack but later died by suicide in 2023, with her family saying the shooting's trauma led to her death. MORE: Hard drives with Beyoncé's unreleased music stolen in Atlanta The case centered on a $1.3 million dispute over a ranch renovation project. Text messages revealed Serafini had written "I'm gonna kill them one day" in a message mentioning $21,000, according to ABC News' Sacramento affiliate KXTV. The victims had given $90,000 to Serafini's wife the day of the shootings. Serafini's baseball career included playing for six different teams after being drafted in the first round by the Minnesota Twins in 1992. His career ended in 2007. That same year, he was suspended for 50 games for using performance-enhancing drugs. A second defendant, Samantha Scott, 33, who was described as both a close friend of Serafini's wife and his lover, pleaded guilty to being an accessory in February 2025. "This was a heinous and calculated crime," Adrienne Spohr, one of the victim's daughters, told KXTV, noting that her parents had been "incredibly generous" to Serafini and his wife. Serafini will remain in custody without bail until his sentencing, scheduled for Aug. 18. He could face life in prison.
