Placer County, California – A former Major League baseball world was found guilty of killing his father-in-law in what prosecutors called a financially motivated attack.
Daniel Serafini, 51, was convicted on Monday for murder in the first degree in the shooting in 2021 by Robert Gary Spohr, 70. The jury also found him guilty of attempting murder of the wife of Spohr, Wendy Wood and first degree.
According to evidence that was presented during the process, Serafini entered the Spohrs house on 5 June 2021, where security images took over a figure with a hood that arrived three hours before someone called 911.
The prosecutors said that Serafini secretly waited in the house with a .22 caliber gun for three hours before he attacked. Two young children of 3 years and 8 months were at home during the shooting.
Wood survived the first attack, but later died by suicide in 2023, in which her family said that the trauma of the shooting led to her death.
The case was aimed at a dispute of $ 1.3 million over a Ranch renovation project. SMS messages that Serafini had written “I will kill them one day” in a message with a mention of $ 21,000, according to ABC News’ Sacramento breast branch KXTV. The victims had given $ 90,000 to Serafini’s wife on the day of the shootings.
The baseball career of Serafini included playing for six different teams after he was prepared in the first round by the Minnesota Twins in 1992. His career ended in 2007. In the same year he was suspended for 50 games for the use of performance -enhancing drugs.
A second defendant, Samantha Scott, 33, who was described as both a good friend of Serafini’s wife and his beloved, pleaded to an accessory in February 2025.
“This was a horrible and calculated crime,” Adrienne Spohr, one of the victims of the victim, told KXTV and noticed that her parents had been “incredibly generous” for Serafini and his wife.
Serafini remains in custody until his conviction, planned for August 18. He could undergo life in prison.
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