Adrienne Spohr is speaking out after former MLB player Daniel Serafini was arrested for gunning down her parents, Gary Spohr and Wendy Wood.
“My parents were forces of nature. They were strong, adventurous, generous and they loved deeply,” Adrienne, 35, told People in an interview published on Tuesday, August 5. “That’s how I want people to remember them — not as victims but as the incredible people they were.”
In 2021, Gary and Wendy entered their $3.5 million home built on Lake Tahoe in Homewood, California, unaware that a masked man had entered the garage hours prior and was waiting inside. Authorities claimed that the intruder opened fire on Gary, who was shot in the back of the head and died instantly, and Wendy, who survived after being hit twice in the head and once in the hand.
While Wendy was unable to speak, she dialed 911 and law enforcement came to her home and transported her to the hospital. Adrienne told the outlet that her mom “relearned how to walk and write and even went hiking” in the following weeks. “She was amazing,” Adrienne recalled.
In 2023, Wendy — who suffered brain damage as a result of the shooting — died by suicide at an assisted-living facility. “The heartbreak of losing my dad — and knowing who was responsible [for his death] — became too much,” Adrienne said. “She said it felt like she had lost her right arm.”
Wendy, who never remembered the night of the incident, became convinced that the man was daughter Erin Spohr’s husband, Serafini, with whom she and Gary had a tumultuous relationship. (Erin said that her parents would pay for several aspects of their life, but were controlling over how the money was spent.)
In 2023, Serafini and Samantha Scott, with whom the former athlete was having an affair, were arrested and charged in the murder of Gary and attempted murder of Wendy. (Erin testified that she and Serafini maintained an open relationship since the day they began dating.)
In Serafini’s six-week trial, which began on May 19, prosecutors alleged that he was financially dependent on Wendy and Gary and wanted to share Erin’s inheritance of their $23 million estate.
Scott ultimately made a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to a lesser accessory charge and testify against Serafini in court. Serafini was found guilty of murder, attempted murder and first-degree burglary on July 14, with a sentencing set for August 18.
The outlet reported that Scott has maintained her relationship with Erin, who denied involvement in the incident. Erin, for her part, testified at the trial that the individual in the surveillance video didn’t look like the man she “laid next to for 13 years of my life.”
She added, “He’s always been there for me. He’s an amazing father, great provider. He’s my best friend.”
Erin and Adrienne, meanwhile, have been at odds. Adrienne accused Erin and Serafini of involvement in the incident in a wrongful-death lawsuit and are currently battling over the Lake Tahoe home.
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