Ex- MLB pitcher, Serra High star Daniel Serafini gets life in prison without parole for 2021 murder
AUBURN — Former MLB pitcher Daniel Serafini, who was a star at San Mateo’s Serra High, was sentenced Friday to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the 2021 shooting of his wife’s parents during a burglary at their home near Lake Tahoe, authorities said.
Serafini, 51, was convicted in July 2025 of first-degree murder of his father-in-law, Gary Spohr, attempted murder of his mother-in-law, Wendy Wood, and first-degree burglary. Spohr was killed and Wood survived, though she died a year after the shooting.
Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire said in a Friday statement that Spohr and Wood were loving grandparents and that Serafini’s crimes greatly affected family members and friends.
“The impact of this attack has extended far beyond the immediate victims, deeply affecting family members and the broader community, and highlighting the lasting harm caused by deliberate violence,” Gire said.
Serafini’s attorney did not return requests for comment.
During his sentencing hearing, Serafini addressed the court and maintained his innocence, according to MyNews4. He said he was out partying with his wife the night of the shooting and described himself as a “broken, imperfect man that makes mistakes.”
Serafini graduated from Serra High in 1992 and was drafted shortly thereafter by the Minnesota Twins. In a career spanning 11 years, the left-hander played for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies.
Serafini pitched in 42 games (four starts) for the Cubs in 1999, going 3-2 with a 6.93 ERA and one save. In 104 career appearances, he was 15-16 with a 6.04 ERA.
Prosecutors said Serafini hated his wife’s wealthy parents and was heard saying he was willing to pay $20,000 to have them killed, according to the Sacramento Bee. Prosecutors showed jurors transcripts of angry emails and text messages between Serafini and his in-laws.
During the six-week trial, Serafini’s attorney David Dratman argued there was no physical evidence linking his client to the crime scene. He told the jury that although Serafini had a rocky relationship with his in-laws, he did not have motive to kill them.
Following his conviction, Serafini filed multiple motions for a new trial, but those were denied.
Serafini will serve his sentence at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, according to the Placer County District Attorney’s Office.
Serafini pitched in Japan from 2004-07 before returning to the U.S. He was suspended for 50 games in 2007 for using performance-enhancing drugs that he blamed on medication he took in Japan. He also pitched for Italy in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
On June 28, 2015, Serafini’s bar in Sparks, Nev., was featured on an episode of Bar Rescue. The bar’s named was changed from The Bullpen Bar to The Oak Tavern as part of the makeover, but not before his financial woes were described as blowing through $14 million in career earnings and taking a $250,000 loan from his parents.