Former MLB pitcher Dan Serafini was sentenced to life in prison after he was found guilty of shooting his in-laws.
In 2021, police responded to a call after Serafini’s father-in-law Gary Spohr was found dead at their home in Tahoe City, California, and his mother-in-law Wendy Wood suffered severe gunshot wound injuries.
Wood survived the attack, but suffered brain damage as a result of the shooting. In 2023, Wood died by suicide at an assisted-living facility.
Serafini was originally arrested in October 2023, after detectives claimed the former pitcher was responsible for the alleged 2021 attack. He pleaded not guilty.
Ex MLB Player Dan Serafini Sentenced to Life in Prison for Shooting In-Laws
In July 2025, a jury found Serafini guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder and first-degree burglary. His sentencing was originally scheduled for August 2025, but was ultimately postponed. He was officially sentenced in February 2026.
Keep scrolling to learn more about the disgraced former MLB pitcher:
Serafini’s MLB Career Spanned 11 Years
Serafini was a first round draft pick by the Minnesota Twins in the 1992 MLB Draft, selected right out of high school.
After four seasons in the minor leagues, Serafini made his MLB debut on June 25, 1996, against the New York Yankees. He pitched 4.1 innings and allowed four runs. After his lackluster start, was sent back down to the minor leagues.
He pitched for the Twins again for part of the 1997 and 1998 seasons before the Chicago Cubs purchased his contract.
After just one season with the Cubs, he was traded again — to the San Diego Padres — in 1999.
Serafini also played for the Pittsburgh Pirates but was released in 2001. He did not pitch in the majors for either the 2001 and 2002 seasons.
During that time, he played some more minor league baseball — and even had a stint in the Mexican League — before joining the Cincinnati Reds in 2003.
Serafini took another break from MLB from 2004 to 2007, when he played Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. He later traveled back to the U.S. to join the Colorado Rockies in 2007.
Serafini Was Suspended 50 Games For A Failed Performance-Enhancing Drug Test
After Serafini’s MLB return, he tested positive for a performance enhancing drug and was subsequently handed a 50 game suspension. He said at the time that the drug was given to him by a Japanese doctor to help him recover from a torn Achilles.
Serafini claimed that he asked the doctor to testify for him, but the doctor requested $500,000 in exchange.
“I got completely hosed by Major League Baseball,” he claimed to SF Gate at the time. “My kids read stuff in the paper that I was cheating. It was bull****. I’ve been kind of blackballed in the States ever since.”
He never pitched in the big leagues after his suspension, finishing his career back in the Mexican League.
Fernando Medina/Getty ImagesSerafini Owned A Baseball Academy And A Bar
After he finished his baseball career, Serafini shifted gears and opened a pitching academy called “Throw Like a Pro Baseball Academy.” He also opened a bar, “Bullpen Bar.” Both businesses were in Sparks, Nevada.
“Bullpen Bar” was featured on the show Bar Rescue, which revealed that Serafini’s staff “treated the bar like it was their personal liquor cabinet,” which put the former pitcher $300,000 in debt.
Serafini Was Married To Erin Spohr, Daughter To Gary And Wendy
Serafini and Erin Spohr wed in 2010, but reportedly were divorced following his conviction. Despite the divorce, Spohr supported Serafini throughout the trial, even submitting a statement of support for the baseball player, asking the judge for leniency in his sentencing.
Serafini was allegedly having an affair with Samantha Scott, a family friend, and was also arrested and charged for the crimes. Spohr later testified that she and Serafini had an open relationship.
Ex-MLB Player Sent Love Letters to His Mistress After Murdering His In-Law
Spohr denied any involvement in the shooting.
Serafini Was Sentenced To Life In Prison Without Parole
In February 2026, a judge sentenced Serafini to life in prison without parole for shooting his in-laws in 2021.
Detectives claimed that the former pitcher was responsible for the attacks that left his father-in-law dead and mother-in-law severely injured. Serafini was originally arrested in October 2023. He pleaded not guilty.
In July 2025, a jury found Serafini guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder and first-degree burglary.
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