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Former MLB pitcher Dan Serafini, who was sentenced to life in prison, insists he is innocent of the murder of his in-laws in 2021.
Serafini did a recent interview with “Dateline,” where the former Minnesota Twins pitcher claimed to Keith Morrison that he wasn’t the one who killed Gary Spohr and Wendy Wood five years ago.
“I don’t understand it at all,” Serafini told Morrison. “I believed in the justice system. And the justice system failed.”
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Minnesota Twins pitcher Dan Serafini poses for the camera on 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 portion of their fortune through his then-wife, Erin Spohr.
Prosecutors said Serafini had snuck into the Lake Tahoe home while the married couple was at the lake. He was allegedly hiding in a closet with a gun for several hours waiting for her return.
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When they returned, Serafini allegedly shot them both in the head, but Wood survived after being left for dead. However, he committed suicide in 2023.
Serafini was ultimately found guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder, as well as first-degree robbery in 2025, after a trial that lasted weeks. In February, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“A circumstantial case and I think the circumstantial things they had were just making up a story. They had no evidence or anything,” he told Morrison.
Italy’s Dan Serafini throws a pitch during a World Baseball Classic game against Canada at Rogers Center in Toronto on March 9, 2009. (Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
Serafini also felt that the jury did not like him because of the way he acted in court, although he claims that he was only following the advice of his attorneys.
“They just didn’t like me, they didn’t like my lifestyle,” Serafini explained. “They didn’t like the way I acted in court, that I didn’t act in any way. I sat there like I was supposed to because my lawyers told me that [not] react, [not] reply. “Sit there like nothing’s bothering you.” And I did it. And that’s why they crucified me.”
The full “Dateline” special with Serafini will air Friday night.
Dan Serafini #50 of the Cincinnati Reds throws out a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio on September 11, 2003. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
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Serafini was a first-round 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 in his seven years in the Major Leagues.
