Former MLB Pitcher Arrested in Connection with 2021 Murder of Father-in-law, Authorities Report

In a startling turn of events, former Major League Baseball pitcher Danny Serafini, 49, who played for the Minnesota Twins and five other teams during a seven-season career that concluded in 2007, was apprehended on Friday in connection with the 2021 shooting that resulted in the death of his father-in-law and left his mother-in-law hospitalized in northern California, as announced by authorities.

The arrest took place in Winnemucca, Nevada, according to a news release from the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. Additionally, Samantha Scott, 33, was also arrested in Las Vegas, the release stated.

Serafini, a son-in-law of the victims, was identified as a suspect, along with Scott, who may have been acquainted with the family, possibly serving as a nanny, according to a spokesman for the sheriff’s office who spoke at a news conference on Friday.

Both Serafini and Scott are now facing charges of murder and attempted murder and are awaiting extradition to Placer County, the sheriff’s office reported.

The tragic incident unfolded on June 5, 2021, when authorities responded to a call at a residence in the North Lake Tahoe area, near the border with Nevada. Upon arrival, they discovered Robert Gary Spohr, 70, deceased with a single gunshot wound. Wendy Wood Spohr, 68, his wife, had also been shot and was subsequently hospitalized. Sadly, she passed away a year later, according to the sheriff’s office’s news release.

Video surveillance from the residence showed a hooded individual wearing a face covering and carrying a backpack before the fatal shooting, as reported by the sheriff’s office. Detectives persisted in their investigation, eventually tracing the evidence to Serafini and Scott.