NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
Former MLB pitcher Dan Serafini, who was sentenced to life in prison, insists he is innocent of the 2021 murder of his in-laws.
Serafini recently gave an interview to “Dateline,” in which the former Minnesota Twins pitcher told Keith Morrison that he was not the one who killed Gary Spohr and Wendy Wood five years ago.
“I don’t understand at all,” Serafini told Morrison. “I believed in the justice system. And the justice system failed.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Pitcher Dan Serafini of the Minnesota Twins poses for the camera during photo day during spring training at Hammond Stadium at the Lee County Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Florida. (GETTY)
Serafini was accused of surprising Spohr and Wood in Lake Tahoe, California, at their home in 2021, where he murdered them in the belief that he would acquire a share of their fortune through his then-wife, Erin Spohr.
Prosecutors said Serafini sneaked into the Lake Tahoe home while the married couple was on the lake. He allegedly hid in a closet with a gun for several hours while waiting for them to return.
BRIAN WALSHE WILL BE CONVICTED FOR MURDER AND DISMEBRATION OF WOMAN WHO DISAPPEARED ON NEW YEAR’S DAY 2023
When they returned, Serafini allegedly shot them in the head, but Wood survived after being left for dead. However, she committed suicide in 2023.
Serafini was ultimately convicted of first-degree murder and attempted murder as well as first-degree burglary in 2025 after a trial that lasted weeks. In February, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“This is a circumstantial matter and I believe the circumstantial evidence they had was just a story. They had no evidence, nothing at all,” he told Morrison.
Italy’s Dan Serafini throws a pitch during a World Baseball Classic game against Canada at the Rogers Center in Toronto on March 9, 2009. (Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
Serafini also felt that the jury disliked him for the way he behaved in court, although he claimed he was simply following his lawyers’ advice.
“They just didn’t like me, they didn’t like my lifestyle,” Serafini said. “They didn’t like the way I acted in court, and I didn’t act in any way. I sat there like I was supposed to because my lawyers told me to do it. [not] react, [not] answer. “Sit there like nothing bothers you.” And I did it. And I was crucified for it.”
The entire “Dateline” special with Serafini will air Friday night.
Dan Serafini #50 of the Cincinnati Reds throws a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio on September 11, 2003. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PK Press Club APP
Serafini was a first-round draft pick of the Twins in 1992, and finally made his major league debut in 1996. He allowed five runs on seven hits, including a home run, and two walks in 4.1 innings.
Serafini also played for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies during his seven years in the big leagues.
