AUBURN, CA — Former Minnesota Twins pitcher Dan Serafini has been convicted of murdering his father-in-law and attempting to murder his mother-in-law in a 2021 ambush-style shooting at a Lake Tahoe-area home.
A jury found Serafini, 51, guilty of fatally shooting 70-year-old Gary Spohr and seriously wounding Spohr’s wife, 68-year-old Wendy Wood.
Wood survived the attack but later died by suicide, according to KCRA-TV.
Jurors also found Serafini guilty of several “special circumstance” sentencing enhancements, including lying in wait, use of a firearm, and that the attack was willful, deliberate, and premeditated.
He was also convicted of first-degree burglary.
Prosecutors had also charged Serafini with child endangerment, saying he put his infant and toddler sons at risk by having a gun in the home. Jurors found him not guilty on that count.
On the day of the shooting, Serafini’s wife, the victims’ daughter, had taken the children to the lake to visit their grandparents.
Prosecutors said the deadly ambush stemmed from a dispute over a $1.3 million investment in a ranch renovation project. The victims had reportedly contributed the money.
In one text message shown in court, Serafini wrote, “I’m gonna kill them one day,” referencing a dispute over $21,000, prosecutors said.
He also sent other threatening messages, including “I will be coming after you” and “Take me to court,” according to ABC10.
The verdict was delivered Monday afternoon in California after three days of jury deliberations.
Serafini is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 18 and faces the possibility of life in prison.
The case also involved a second defendant, 33-year-old Samantha Scott, who pleaded guilty to being an accessory in February, according to the New York Post.
Scott was described as a close friend of Serafini’s wife and his lover. Nevada police arrested Serafini and Scott in separate cities in October 2023.
A first-round pick by the Twins in 1992, Serafini pitched for six MLB teams over seven seasons, including the Cubs, Padres, Rockies, Reds, and Pirates.