Tahoe Murder Trial: Key Testimony in Dan Serafini Case Set to Continue Thursday
The trial for a former Major League Baseball pitcher accused of ambushing and shooting his in-laws at their Tahoe-area home continued with testimony on Thursday.
Jurors are determining Daniel Serafini's guilt in a June 5, 2021, attack that left Gary Spohr dead and Wendy Wood seriously wounded.
Sign up for our NewslettersDespite surviving and making a full recovery, she killed herself because she felt she could not go on without her husband, family told KCRA 3.
Serafini is married to Erin, one of Gary and Wendy's two daughters.
Reporter Lysée Mitri will be in the courtroom during the proceedings. See her liveblog updates from Thursday when trial resumes at 8:30 a.m.
What happened recently
Placer County District Attorney’s Office Investigator Justin Infante took the stand for the third day on Thursday as prosecutors finished direct-examination and then the defense began its cross-examination.
He testified to everything from emails and text messages between the family to handwritten letters sent in jail between Serafini and his alleged accomplice, Samantha Scott.
Scott pleaded guilty to being an accessory to a felony in February.
However, before that, Infante testified that he met with Scott and her attorney in January.
He said she provided him with a handwritten letter, which she said she received from Serafini during their time in jail. It is known as a “jail kite,” Infante said.
He read the letter to jurors. Serafini wrote that he loved Scott and that he thought about her every day.
“As crazy as it sounds, I wish we had more court dates just so I could see your face,” the letter stated.
Later in the letter he wrote, “I’m sorry these people are wasting over a year of our lives, but I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
Serafini stated that he was writing a book while in jail to help pay for defense attorneys.
Infante said, after the January interview with Scott, investigators got a warrant and searched Serafini’s jail cell.
He said they recovered a “manuscript” during that search although he did not describe the contents of that manuscript. He said it was more than 100 pages long.
Infante also testified about several contentious emails shared back and forth between the victims and their daughter, Erin Spohr, and her husband, Serafini.
Emails that defense attorneys questioned Infante about during cross-examination.
“Over 20,000 emails,” Infante said about the amount of emails investigators obtained.
“What you were asked to show the jury were the 10 or 12 that we talked about, correct?” asked Serafini’s attorney, David Fischer.
“Correct,” Infante said.
Infante said the relationships among those in the family had their “ups and downs.” A lot of the emails the prosecution presented centered on a financial dispute over buying and selling property.
“You have no idea whether this got all patched up, they sold and everyone was fine afterwards?” Fischer asked.
“I don’t,” Infante replied.
Fischer pointed out that after some of those emails were sent, the family went on vacation together.
In addition, despite reading emails that appeared to show a disagreement over finances and real estate, Infante said he did not do any additional investigation of the properties mentioned in the emails or additional investigation into the family's finances outside of what was discussed in the emails.
After Infante, the prosecution called Christopher Iber, a physical scientist with the FBI, to the stand.
Iber said he uses a technique called, "reverse projection photogrammetry." It helps determine measurements and distances within a photograph or video, often with surveillance video.
Iber said he visited Gary Spohr and Wendy Wood's home in Homewood in October 2023 to apply that technique in this case.
Jurors saw a picture of the exterior of the home of Gary Spohr and Wendy Wood as Iber pointed out the security camera out front that was the focus of his work.
Jurors viewed a screenshot taken from surveillance video around the time of the murder.
Iber said, during his visit, he took the live feed of the camera and overlaid it with the 2021 screenshot to make sure the camera is still in the same position.
Ultimately, Iber determined the distance from the ground to the top of the individual's head is 6'2," but he said that is with shoes and a hat. He pointed out that someone's height can change depending on things, like clothing, posture or time of day.
During cross-examination, the defense pointed variables that could have impacted his calculations.
Serafini's attorney, David Dratman, asked Iber, "Did you determine what the slope was of that driveway?"
"No, sir. I did not," Iber said.
"Did you use a level?"
"No, sir," Iber said.
Dratman also asked a lot of questions about Iber's calculations, along with the tools and method he used.
Iber was then excused as a witness. Court will be back in session on Friday at 8:30 a.m.
Previous trial coverage:
- May 19 | Opening statements begin in former MLB pitcher's Tahoe burglary case
- May 20 | Testimony of seasoned fire captain calls crime scene 'shocking'
- May 22 | Defendant becomes emotional when jury sees video of his children, grandparents
- May 23 | Dan Serafini's brother testifies
- May 27 | Emails between victims, defendant shown
- June 3 | Text messages shown to jurors
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