Erin Spohr, the wife of former Colorado Rockies pitcher Dan Serafini, has taken the stand to defend her husband in his murder trial for the 2021 Lake Tahoe shooting of her parents, Robert Gary Spohr and Wendy Wood, in their Lake Tahoe home.
However, Erin insists her husband isn’t the person seen in surveillance footage and has accused Samantha Scott, a former friend and Serafini’s mistress, of being deceitful.
On June 5, 2021, a tragic shooting occurred at the home of Robert Gary Spohr, 70, and Wendy Wood, 68, in Hurricane Bay, Lake Tahoe.
Security cameras captured a figure wearing a black hoodie, a white face mask, and a backpack as they approached the house in the afternoon.
Prosecutors believe the shooter waited inside until the evening when Robert and Wendy returned from a day at the lake with their daughter, Erin Spohr, and her two young sons.
Robert was fatally shot and died at the scene. Wendy was also shot but survived her injuries. However, she tragically died by suicide in March 2023.
The prosecutors say that when Dan Serafini was 51 years old, he committed the crime because he was having financial problems.
They also believe the attack was connected to arguments over a large family inheritance, i.e., an $11 million trust fund and another $12 million in assets.
In October 2023, seven months after Wendy’s death, Dan Serafini was arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder. Later, Samantha Scott, a former nanny for the Serafini family and a close friend of Erin’s, was also arrested.
Above all, Samantha Scott admitted she drove Dan Serafini away from the scene after the shooting. Likewise, she also admitted to helping him commit a serious crime.
Because of the deal, the court dropped the more serious charges like murder and burglary. In return, she promised to help the prosecutors by giving them information.
Erin Spohr Accuses Samantha Scott of Deceit and Mimicking Her Appearance!
Serafini’s wife, Erin Spohr, took a firm stand on June 25 and 26, 2025, in the Placer County Superior Courthouse, for her husband.
She denied that Serafini was the masked figure in the surveillance footage, saying she didn’t believe he was capable of such a crime.
Erin described their marriage as open, admitting she was aware of Serafini’s affair with Samantha Scott but said it didn’t bother her.
She also revealed that Serafini worked at a gold mine five hours from home, often spent time apart from her, and used cocaine while partying, sometimes with other women.
Erin testified that her family had arguments, particularly with her parents, but insisted these conflicts never became physical and were always resolved.
She also mentioned receiving a $90,000 check from her mother on the day of the shooting and said her parents regularly gave her and Serafini money.
Despite prosecution claims that Serafini threatened her father in emails, Erin said she didn’t recall any such threats.
A surprising twist in the trial came when Erin accused Samantha Scott of deceit and trying to “be her.”
Erin pointed to side-by-side photos shown in court, comparing her appearance at a prior hearing wearing a specific suit and hairstyle with recent images of Scott after her release from jail, where she appeared to mimic Erin’s look.
She called this resemblance “creepy” and told investigators she believed Scott was attempting to emulate her. Erin also expressed distrust in Scott, who had remained friends with her even during the affair with Serafini and after his arrest.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Dan Serafini has two children with his wife, Erin Spohr.
- At the time of the tragic 2021 Lake Tahoe shooting involving Erin’s parents, the children were reportedly just 3 years old and 8 months old, and they were present at the home during the incident.
