Wife of former MLB pitcher accused of killing her father in Tahoe takes stand
PLACER COUNTY - Wednesday was day three of the preliminary hearing of the high-profile Tahoe murder case from June 2021. The wife of the accused killer who is also the daughter of the victim took the stand.
Erin Spohr teared up at some points as question after question was fired at her. She is the daughter of victim, Gary Spohr, and the wife of the accused killer, Daniel Serafini, who is believed to have killed his father-in-law execution style.
"I would never think she or my husband would have anything to do with this," Erin stated in the courtroom Wednesday.
She told the prosecution that she never thought to ask her husband or former nanny and friend, Samantha Scott, where they were the night her father was murdered and her mother shot. The pair are now both in custody – Serafini for the murder and Scott as an accomplice.
The prosecution asked Erin what her relationship was like with her parents.
"Complex. We had our highs of highs and lows of lows," Erin said. "It was complex. They loved my children immensely. They were extremely happy they were born. Loved being grandparents."
In the courtroom, we learned the point of tension was over her children, who are now 3 and 6 years old.
Erin said her parents would get upset that she had to use formula instead of milk for her youngest. Erin's mom sometimes threatened to stop paying for her grandkid's daycare.
"My mom would do anything for my children, but at times she would get frustrated and throw things out there like that," Erin said.
The prosecution asked Erin if her husband knew about the sometimes heated conservations.
"I'm his wife. It would hurt him that I was hurt," Erin said.
Would that hurt cause a killing? Erin said no, despite money troubles that the couple talked about during a reality show years before the killing.
During her testimony, we also learned that Erin had gotten a prenuptial in 2021 that prevented Serafini from receiving any money from Erin's parents if they were to die.
The prosecution presented multiple photos as evidence to Erin, having her identify the Tahoe City home where her father was killed. They showed her photos of the garage and questioned if she knew the code to get in and out. She testified that her sister, Adrienne Spohr, had asked for the code in the past, but she said she could not recall ever knowing the number for it.
On June 5, 2021, Erin had come to visit her parents at their Tahoe City home from Reno with her two kids. She and her parents had taken the grandchildren out to the boat. When they came back, Erin said her father made them all dinner.
The prosecution asked Erin if she had any knowledge that anyone else was in the home at the time or if she noticed anyone jogging behind her car when she left at around 7:00 p.m.
Erin said she did not. She only learned about the person behind her car who was caught on camera until the detective showed her.
Erin also was questioned about the whereabouts of her husband and Scott the night before the killing.
We learned that Serafini and Scott had been partying in Elko, Nevada on June 4 at what Erin described as one of Serafini's work parties.
The prosecution showed Erin the transcript of a phone conversation from late April 2023 between her and a good friend from Texas.
In the transcript, Erin told her friend that Scott had taken Serafini back to his RV in Crescent Valley because the pair had been drinking and doing drugs.
Serafini's attorney at points objected to this part of the questioning. He said this part of the questioning was unfair and like a deposition.
When he asked Erin questions, he established that she was not prepared for the questions brought forth by the prosecution.
Erin initially pleaded the fifth on Tuesday when she took the stand, asserting her Fifth Amendment privilege, spousal privilege, and marital communications privilege.
Following a motion from the prosecution, her attorney agreed to waive the special communication privilege, which has an exemption when a defendant is charged with a crime related to his children.
The district attorney in this case had charged Serafini with child endangerment of his kids in addition to the murder charges.
The continued preliminary hearing was on Thursday, May 9, when the judge found sufficient evidence to hold them to answer. The two are scheduled to be back in court on June 3 at 8:30 a.m.
