Ex-MLB pitcher Daniel Serafini — the Minnesota Twins’ first-round pick in the 1992 draft — was found guilty of murder on Monday.
According to the Placer County District Attorney’s Office, the baseball player was also convicted of attempted murder and first-degree burglary following a jury trial.
The charges stemmed from allegations that Serafini had brutally attacked his in-laws, Gary Spohr and Wendy Wood, during a 2021 incident in Tahoe City.
Investigators alleged Serafini gained access to the couple’s home while they were out, waited for them to return, and then shot them with a .22 caliber gun. Serafini was arrested in 2023.
Spohr was killed, and while Wood survived, she later died by suicide in 2023.
During the trial, it was revealed Serafini, Spohr and Wood had at times had a strained relationship over money … though Serafini’s attorneys argued they had always recovered from the quarrels.
“The guilty verdicts come after a 6-week trial during which the jury heard testimony from dozens of witnesses and the presentation of physical evidence, including digital, cell phone, and other forensic evidence,” the Placer County District Attorney’s Office said Monday evening.
51-year-old Serafini — who played seven seasons in the MLB and logged a 6.04 ERA with a 15-16 record — is slated for sentencing on August 18.
