LAKE TAHOE, CA – A murder mystery that has been haunting Lake Tahoe, California since 2021, took a significant turn on Friday with the arrest of a former Major League Baseball pitcher and a woman. Danny Serafini, 49, and Samantha Scott, 33, are now in custody, linked to the murder of 70-year-old Robert Gary Spohr and the attempted murder of 68-year-old Wendy Wood, as announced by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.
The duo was apprehended in separate locations, with Serafini being arrested in Winnemucca, Nevada, and Scott in Las Vegas. The victims were identified as Serafini’s in-laws by Sgt. David Smith, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office. While the exact relationship between Serafini and Scott remains undisclosed, it was confirmed that they were known to each other.
Serafini, now an inmate at the Humboldt County Detention Center, faces charges as a fugitive from justice. Scott was arrested at the Harry Reid International Airport and is currently held at the Clark County Detention Center, facing similar charges. The question of whether they have secured legal representation remains unanswered.
The case traces back to June 5, 2021, when deputies were summoned to a residence in Homewood, a neighborhood in North Lake Tahoe. They found Spohr dead from a gunshot wound, while his wife, Wood, was injured but survived, only to die a year later.
A surveillance video from the residence showed a hooded male with a face covering and a backpack approaching the house hours before the crime. The evidence collected since then has led investigators to identify Serafini and Scott as the main suspects.
Sheriff Wayne Woo of Placer County praised his team for their relentless pursuit of truth in the investigation that lasted over two years. The sheriff’s office is now awaiting the suspects’ extradition. Serafini had a seven-season career in the MLB, playing for teams like the Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and the Colorado Rockies.