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A preliminary hearing got underway Monday in Roseville for a former major league pitcher accused of killing his father-in-law.The hearing at Placer County Superior Court will determine if there’s enough evidence to move forward with the murder trial. The two suspects, Dan Serafini and family friend Samantha Scott face murder charges for the 2021 death of Serafini’s father-in-law, 70-year-old Gary Spohr, and the attempted murder of Serafini’s mother-in-law, Wendy Wood, 68. Scott and Serafini face charges for illegally going into the couple’s house in Homewood on June 5, 2021, to burglarize it.Prosecutors said Serafini pulled the trigger on his in-laws. Wood survived, but then, her family said last year, she killed herself.Both Serafini and Scott have pleaded not guilty and still being held in the Placer County Jail.What happened in court on MondayFour witnesses took the stand Monday, all with Placer County law enforcement. A deputy who arrived on the scene said North Lake Tahoe fire first responders were already there working on the victims. They responded to a 911 hang up call, where dispatchers heard someone gasping for air.The deputy saw shell casings and bloodstains on couch cushions. Medics were attending to Wood in an upstairs bathroom. An evidence technician testified he gathered five shell casings from the second-floor living room where Spohr’s body was found. He also attended Spohr’s autopsy and retrieved two bullet fragments found in the body. Another detective said a bullet and bullet fragments were removed from Wood’s body at her autopsy last year, after she died by suicide. The third witness was a detective who said he canvassed the neighborhood looking for surveillance video. The video put together and released to the public by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office was played in court. It showed a man walking in front of and onto the property, a man prosecutors said was Serafini. Det. Chris Carlton wrapped up the first day of the preliminary hearing going over more surveillance video.Prosecutor Rick Miller went over timestamps with Carlton One video taken from Spohr’s home, showing the driveway, just after 5pm June 5, 2021 shows a man prosecutors said is Serafini jogging in front of the house in Homewood and into the driveway about five hours before the shootings. Miller laid out a timeline of the victims’ final hours before being shot. He showed more security video of the couple spending time with their oldest daughter, Erin Spohr and grandchildren heading to and from the lake that afternoon. Erin Spohr is married to Serafini.The man arrived about an hour after the victims leave for the lake with the kids at 5:09 p.m.The video also showed the couple saying goodbye to Spohr and their grandchildren at 7:45 p.m.At 8:51 p.m., six gunshots are heard on the video.Four minutes later, the same man is seen leaving the home.Carlton also testified about a video from a resident’s home about a mile and a half from the Spohr’s home, showing someone he said was Samantha Scott. He testified she parked a tan Subaru and walked around the block. Carlton said the video also showed her picking up Serafini after the shootings. Family members of both defendants were not allowed to listen to testimony in case they will be called as witnesses in the case. Erin Spohr is expected to take the stand tomorrow.The preliminary hearing is expected to last three days. Who are Dan Serafini and Samantha Scott? Serafini attended Serra High School in San Mateo and was drafted to the MLB in 1992.He pitched in the majors from 1996 to 2007 and played for the Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies.He was suspended for 50 games after the 2007 season for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.In 2013, Serafini opened a bar in Sparks, Nevada, that was later featured on an episode of the reality show “Bar Rescue.”According to a promotional video for the show, Serafini had lost $14 million through a series of bad investments and a divorce settlement before convincing his parents to take out a $240,000 loan against their house to buy The Bullpen bar.Officials described Scott as well-known to the family and said she is believed to have been a nanny at some point.| RELATED | Sisters sue each other over inheritance of Tahoe-area parents after 2021 murdersThe Placer County Sheriff’s Office has not said what a possible motive is in the shooting.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.
ROSEVILLE, Calif. —
A preliminary hearing got underway Monday in Roseville for a former major league pitcher accused of killing his father-in-law.
The hearing at Placer County Superior Court will determine if there’s enough evidence to move forward with the murder trial.
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The two suspects, Dan Serafini and family friend Samantha Scott face murder charges for the 2021 death of Serafini’s father-in-law, 70-year-old Gary Spohr, and the attempted murder of Serafini’s mother-in-law, Wendy Wood, 68.
Scott and Serafini face charges for illegally going into the couple’s house in Homewood on June 5, 2021, to burglarize it.
Prosecutors said Serafini pulled the trigger on his in-laws.
Wood survived, but then, her family said last year, she killed herself.
Both Serafini and Scott have pleaded not guilty and still being held in the Placer County Jail.
What happened in court on Monday
Four witnesses took the stand Monday, all with Placer County law enforcement.
A deputy who arrived on the scene said North Lake Tahoe fire first responders were already there working on the victims. They responded to a 911 hang up call, where dispatchers heard someone gasping for air.
The deputy saw shell casings and bloodstains on couch cushions.
Medics were attending to Wood in an upstairs bathroom.
An evidence technician testified he gathered five shell casings from the second-floor living room where Spohr’s body was found. He also attended Spohr’s autopsy and retrieved two bullet fragments found in the body.
Another detective said a bullet and bullet fragments were removed from Wood’s body at her autopsy last year, after she died by suicide.
The third witness was a detective who said he canvassed the neighborhood looking for surveillance video.
The video put together and released to the public by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office was played in court. It showed a man walking in front of and onto the property, a man prosecutors said was Serafini.
Det. Chris Carlton wrapped up the first day of the preliminary hearing going over more surveillance video.
Prosecutor Rick Miller went over timestamps with Carlton
One video taken from Spohr’s home, showing the driveway, just after 5pm June 5, 2021 shows a man prosecutors said is Serafini jogging in front of the house in Homewood and into the driveway about five hours before the shootings.
Miller laid out a timeline of the victims’ final hours before being shot. He showed more security video of the couple spending time with their oldest daughter, Erin Spohr and grandchildren heading to and from the lake that afternoon. Erin Spohr is married to Serafini.
The man arrived about an hour after the victims leave for the lake with the kids at 5:09 p.m.
The video also showed the couple saying goodbye to Spohr and their grandchildren at 7:45 p.m.
At 8:51 p.m., six gunshots are heard on the video.
Four minutes later, the same man is seen leaving the home.
Carlton also testified about a video from a resident’s home about a mile and a half from the Spohr’s home, showing someone he said was Samantha Scott. He testified she parked a tan Subaru and walked around the block. Carlton said the video also showed her picking up Serafini after the shootings.
Family members of both defendants were not allowed to listen to testimony in case they will be called as witnesses in the case. Erin Spohr is expected to take the stand tomorrow.
The preliminary hearing is expected to last three days.
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Who are Dan Serafini and Samantha Scott?
Serafini attended Serra High School in San Mateo and was drafted to the MLB in 1992.
He pitched in the majors from 1996 to 2007 and played for the Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies.
He was suspended for 50 games after the 2007 season for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
In 2013, Serafini opened a bar in Sparks, Nevada, that was later featured on an episode of the reality show “Bar Rescue.”
According to a promotional video for the show, Serafini had lost $14 million through a series of bad investments and a divorce settlement before convincing his parents to take out a $240,000 loan against their house to buy The Bullpen bar.
Officials described Scott as well-known to the family and said she is believed to have been a nanny at some point.
| RELATED | Sisters sue each other over inheritance of Tahoe-area parents after 2021 murders
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office has not said what a possible motive is in the shooting.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.
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