Dan Serafini’s Babysitter-Turned-Mistress Accomplice in Shooting of In-Laws Sentenced After Testifying Against MLB Star

Samantha Scott, the former mistress of ex-Major League Baseball pitcher Dan Serafini, was sentenced to two years of probation this week, avoiding additional incarceration for her role in the 2021 ambush of Serafini’s in-laws.

The sentencing in Placer County Court follows a high-stakes cooperation agreement. Scott, 30, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of being an accessory after the fact. In exchange, she provided the “smoking gun” testimony that secured multiple life sentences for Serafini last summer.

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The Testimony That Broke the Case

The prosecution’s case hinged on Scott’s admission that she drove Serafini to Lake Tahoe on June 5, 2021—the day Gary Spohr was killed and Wendy Wood was critically wounded.

According to investigative records and trial testimony:

• The Confession: Scott revealed that months after the shooting, Serafini confessed to her that he had shot Wood twice in the head at point-blank range.
• The Digital Breadcrumbs: While Serafini—who typically sent over 100 texts a day—conspicuously powered off his phone during the crime, Scott did not. Her cell records placed her vehicle within one mile of the victims’ $3.5 million Homewood residence.
• The Motive: Prosecutors established that Serafini sought to expedite his access to the victims’ $23 million estate.

Scott maintained she was under the impression the trip was for a large-scale cocaine transaction, which she cited as the reason she did not initially report the incident to authorities.

An “Inside Job” Execution

The 2021 shooting shocked the affluent Lake Tahoe community. Investigators noted early on that the perpetrator entered the home in broad daylight with three cars in the driveway, showing no signs of forced entry. Nothing was stolen, suggesting the motive was personal rather than predatory.

Evidence presented at trial showed Serafini slipped into the home while the victims were out on a boat with Serafini’s then-wife, Erin Spohr, and their two children. While Gary Spohr died at the scene, Wendy Wood survived the initial attack. However, the tragedy culminated in further loss; Wood took her own life in February 2023, months before the arrests were made.

Legal Fallout and Civil Litigation

Despite the criminal conviction, the legal battle over the Spohr-Wood estate continues.

• Disinheritance: Following the shooting, Wood disinherited her daughter Erin.
• Property Assets: Erin Spohr still retains 50% ownership of the Tahoe property via a 2017 trust.
• Wrongful Death: Both Serafini and Scott remain defendants in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Adrienne Spohr, the victims’ other daughter, who has sought justice for her parents since the 2021 attack.

Serafini, who pitched for the Cubs, Rockies, and Padres during his professional career, is currently serving life without the possibility of parole.