A former Major League Baseball player, Dan Serafini, has been denied a second request for a new trial in the shocking murder of his father-in-law and attempted murder of his mother-in-law. The judge’s decision comes seven months after Serafini was found guilty following a grueling six-week trial that laid bare a chilling tale of greed and violence.
The case centers around a calculated attack on Gary Spohr, 70, and his wife, Wendy Wood, 68, at their California home on June 5, 2021. Prosecutors argued that Serafini’s motive was a ruthless pursuit of his estranged wife’s inheritance – a $23-million estate – and he meticulously planned the assault, breaking into the home and lying in wait for three agonizing hours.
Spohr tragically died in the ambush, shot with a .22-caliber gun. Wood, though surviving two gunshot wounds to the head, was left deeply traumatized, a trauma that ultimately contributed to her death by suicide in 2023. The horror unfolded before two young children, both under the age of three, who were thankfully unharmed.
Serafini’s defense hinged on claims of ineffective counsel and jury misconduct, arguments that were previously dismissed. This second attempt to overturn the conviction also failed, with the judge delivering a scathing rebuke, branding Serafini a “liar, manipulator, arrogant and someone who has a loose relationship with the truth.”
A key point of contention revolved around a voicemail from Wendy Wood. Serafini argued his previous legal team wrongly withheld it from evidence, a message where Wood stated she had regained her vision and identified someone *other* than Serafini as the shooter. However, prosecutors countered with a recording of Wood’s direct testimony to detectives, unequivocally naming her son-in-law as the gunman.
“I remember him walking over and seeing him shooting Gary and then pointing the gun at me,” Wood stated in the chilling recording, a statement that proved devastating to the defense. The conflicting accounts fueled a dramatic courtroom battle, ultimately failing to sway the judge.
Adding another layer of complexity, Serafini and his estranged wife, Erin Spohr, are also facing a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Erin’s sister. While Erin has maintained an alibi and has not been accused of any wrongdoing, the lawsuit remains on hold pending Serafini’s sentencing.
With all appeals exhausted, Serafini now faces the prospect of life in prison. The sentencing hearing will provide a platform for the victim’s loved ones to share the profound impact of this senseless act of violence, finally offering a voice to those forever scarred by the tragedy.
