NBC’s Dateline: Deadly Swagger is now available to stream on Peacock.
This Dateline episode follows the 2021 homicide case that led to the death of Lake Tahoe resident Robert Gary Spohr, while his wife, Wendy Louise Wood, was left severely injured. A former MLB pitcher, Dan Serafini, Spohr and Wood’s son-in-law, was found guilty of the crimes in July 2025. Initially, the investigators were left confused as the elderly couple hardly had any enemies, and the CCTV footage wasn’t clear. After nearly two years of further investigation, they found out that Dan Serafini, the couple’s son-in-law, was arrested in 2023.
Here’s a complete timeline of the Dan Serfinia case as shown in Dateline: Deadly Swagger.
Dateline: Deadly Swagger- A complete timeline of the Dan Serafini case
June 5, 2021: Gary and Wendy were found dead in their Lake Tahoe residence
On June 5, 2021, Gary and Wendy spent their day with their daughter Erin and grandchildren, boating on Lake Tahoe. However, their summer retreat turned into a nightmare hours later. After Erin and his children left. Gary and Wendy were attacked and shot in their house by Dan Serafini, who was apparently hiding for almost five hours in a hoodie, mask, and his 0.22 calibre gun.
Unfortunately, Gary didn’t survive the attack, and he was shot in the head and passed away immediately, as shown in the Dateline episode. When the paramedics arrived, he was declared dead. Wendy survived the attack but was critically injured. She was hit twice on the head and the shoulder.
March, 2023: Wendy kills herself
Even though Wendy survived the attack, she was left paralysed for a while. She has to go through several intensive physical therapy sessions. She had to learn the basic actions from scratch. In February 2023, unable to handle the pressure and the grief, Wendy killed herself in an assisted living facility.
October 2023: Dan Serafini and his mistress were arrested
After two years of investigation, Dan Serafini was arrested for the murder and attempted murder of his in-laws in October 2023. His mistress, Samantha Scott, the on-and-off babysitter/nanny for Serafini’s children, was also arrested. Turns out, it was Samantha who dropped Serafini off at his in-laws’ house on the unfateful day. The investigators traced their mobile data and network and found that it was close to the crime scene.
During his trial, the prosecutors noted that Serafini had lost a whopping amount on bad investments in the major leagues. He was financially dependent on his wealthy in-laws. He wanted them dead so that he could have his share of his wife’s $23 million share.
Interestingly, Erin testified on Serafini’s behalf. She described him as a loving husband and father and revealed that they were in an open marriage. On the other hand, Samantha signed a plea deal. She testified against Serafini and confessed to being an accomplice. She was sentenced to two years of probation.
July, 2025: Dan Serafini is found guilty
In July, 2025, Dan Serafini, the former MLB pitcher, was found guilty of the murder of Robert Gary Spohr and the attempted murder of Wendy Louise Wood. He was also found guilty by the Placer County jury of first-degree burglary and other related crimes, such as lying in wait and felony murder and firearm allegations.
August, 2025: Erin files for a divorce
After Dan Serafini was found guilty, Erin filed for a divorce in August 2025. She also wrote that she will have the sole custody of her children.
February 2026: Dan Serafini sentenced to lifetime imprisonment
In February 2026, Dan Serafini was sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment without any possibility of parole. Apart from that, Serafini was also charged with a third count of burglary, and he received an additional 25 years of imprisonment.
Also Read: Dateline: Deadly Swagger – Who is Dan Serafini and what do we know about his crimes?
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Edited by Priscillah Mueni