Preliminary hearing for high-profile 2021 Tahoe murder case set for May
LAKE TAHOE — Two suspects in a high-profile 2021 Tahoe murder case waived their right to a speedy trial on Monday. Now, the case will take months to play out as the preliminary hearing was set for next year.
The date was set for May 2024, which is when the judge decides if there's enough evidence to move forward with a trial. So far, it's not clear what that evidence is or what the motives are in this two-year murder mystery.
Danny Serafini is a former Major League Baseball player who discussed money problems on the reality show Bar Rescue with his wife, Erin, eight years ago.
Erin has not been charged, but her husband and her former nanny, Samantha Scott, were charged in connection with the execution-style murder of Erin's 70-year-old father Robert Spohr in his Lake Tahoe home.
Wendy Wood – Robert's wife and Erin's mother – was shot twice in the head and survived but has since passed away.
The case went cold two years ago despite widely circulated video of a hooded and masked suspect entering the couple's home.
Then, this summer, on the two-year anniversary of their father's murder, Erin's younger sister, Adrienne Spohr, sued Erin and Serafini in civil court, alleging they knew who shot the girls' parents.
Erin countersued her little sister, alleging she manipulated their mother to cut her out of the estate.
Four months later, Serafini and Scott were arrested, but the arrest warrants in the case have been sealed, so it's not clear what the evidence and the motives are.
Many assume money will be the alleged motive for Serafini based on his reality show appearance, but it's not clear how Scott is connected. She pleaded not guilty earlier this month.
At the last hearing, Adrienne Spohr made an emotional plea to the judge who agreed not to grant bail.
On Monday, Scott had friends in court who did not want to speak on camera but insisted Sammy, as they called her, could never have murdered someone.
They told CBS13 that they are eager for the preliminary hearing to learn what the prosecution believes is Scott's alleged motive, which is now at least six months away.
Both Scott and Serafini plead not guilty.
Legal experts say both the defense and prosecution in the case are among the best at what they do. "Super lawyers" is the term that was used for both sides.
