A retired Major League Baseball pitcher, Daniel Serafini, has been found guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder in connection with the shooting of his wife’s parents during a burglary at their home near Lake Tahoe four years ago. The Placer County jury convicted Serafini of killing his father-in-law, Gary Spohr, and severely wounding his mother-in-law, Wendy Wood.
Serafini, 51, had previously made headlines for his successful baseball career, which spanned multiple teams including the Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, and Colorado Rockies. However, he was also involved in a heated dispute with his wife’s wealthy parents over a $1.3 million loan to support her horse ranch business.
The prosecution argued that Serafini hated his in-laws and was motivated by anger and greed. They presented transcripts of angry emails and text messages between Serafini and his in-laws, which showed a long-standing dispute over the loan. The defense team, led by attorney David Dratman, argued that there was no physical evidence linking Serafini to the crime scene and suggested that security camera footage showed an intruder who appeared younger and smaller than Serafini.
Serafini faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole when he is sentenced on August 18.
Source: https://www.denverpost.com/2025/07/15/dan-serafini-murder-conviction-wife-parents