Dan Serafini, a former pitcher and first-round pick of the Minnesota Twins, was convicted on Monday in the 2021 execution-style shootings of his wealthy in-laws at their home at Lake Tahoe.
On the third day of deliberations in the high-profile case, a jury in Placer County, Calif., convicted Mr. Serafini, 51, of first-degree murder in the killing of his father-in-law, Gary Spohr, 70, and attempted murder of his mother-in-law, Wendy Wood, who survived being shot in the head. She died by suicide in 2023 at age 70, according to her family.
Mr. Serafini, who has denied being involved in the shootings, was also found guilty of special circumstance allegations of lying in wait and first-degree burglary.
He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 18.
During his six-week trial in Superior Court in Auburn, Calif., prosecutors described Mr. Serafini as having had an acrimonious relationship with his in-laws, who were worth millions, and said that he had once been overheard offering $20,000 to have them killed.
The prosecutors presented testimony from Samantha Scott, the family’s former nanny, with whom they said that Mr. Serafini was having an affair and who helped commit the crime. Ms. Scott, who was initially charged with murder and attempted murder, pleaded guilty in February to being an accessory to a felony and is awaiting sentencing.
Jurors also viewed security camera footage from June 5, 2021, the day of the shootings. The recordings showed a masked and hooded man, who prosecutors said was Mr. Serafini, waiting for his in-laws, who were out boating, to return to their home. Both of the victims were shot in the head at close range, execution style, the authorities said.
Rick Miller, the assistant chief deputy district attorney for Placer County, said during his closing arguments that there was a “mountain” of corroborating evidence connecting Mr. Serafini to the shootings.
“You know why he did it,” Mr. Miller said. “You know he did it. You know his motive. You know his opportunity.”
Mr. Serafini’s lawyer, David Dratman, did not immediately respond on Tuesday to a request for comment about the verdict.
In his closing arguments, Mr. Dratman had argued that an analysis by a F.B.I. expert had determined that the person on the surveillance video was 6 feet 2 inches tall, accounting for shoes and hood, which he said was shorter than Mr. Serafini’s height as measured by investigators.
“There is no way a 6-foot-3-inch man is the person on the video,” Mr. Dratman said.
During the trial, Mr. Serafini’s wife, Erin Spohr, testified that she and her husband had an open marriage and that she still supported him, the television station KCRA reported. Ms. Spohr also acknowledged how her mother had wanted Mr. Serafini to sign a postnuptial agreement while she and her husband were having marital issues.
After the jury reached its verdict on Monday, Adrienne Spohr, another daughter of the victims, told the news media outside the courthouse that she was relieved by the trial’s outcome.
“It’s been four years of just hell,” she said. “Today, finally, justice was served.”
Mr. Serafini, who was arrested in 2023, is being held at a county jail.
During his Major League Baseball career as a left-handed pitcher, he played for six teams, making his debut with the Twins in 1996. In 1992, he was selected in the first round of the amateur draft, the same round that included Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon.
Mr. Serafini struggled to live up to his high draft position, finishing his career with 15 wins and 16 losses. In 2007, he was suspended for 50 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.
In 2009 and 2013, he was a member of the Italian team during the World Baseball Classic. His grandparents were born in Italy, SFGate.com reported.
Neil Vigdor covers breaking news for The Times, with a focus on politics.
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