A Former MLB Player and Bar Owner Featured on 'Bar Rescue' Has Been Charged With Murder

The former professional athlete to bar/restaurant owner pipeline is pretty robust. Michael Jordan opened up Michael Jordan's Steakhouse, which promises fine-dining and outstanding service. Former NFL star John Elway also took the steakhouse route with Elway's. We could keep going, but we're just going to keep running into steakhouses.

One former baseball relief pitcher who played seven seasons in the MLB bucked the trend by opening up a bar in Sparks, Nev. Daniel Serafini and his wife were once proprietors of The Oak Tavern, which ended up needing some help from Bar Rescue. The establishment was featured on the show in June 2015. Where is Daniel Serafini now? He kind of needs some real rescuing.

According to the New York Post, Serafini was arrested in October 2023 in connection to the June 2021 murder of his father-in-law, Gary Spohr and the attempted murder of his mother-in-law, Wendy Wood, who took her life 10 months later. A friend of the family, 33-year-old Samantha Scott, was also taken into custody. They were both accused of shooting Serafini's in-laws, per KCRA.

The preliminary hearing was in May 2024, during which Serafini's wife testified that she didn't think her husband could do such a thing. Erin Spohr testified that she didn't think either of them had anything to do with it. Spohr's parents were wealth and as such, were quite generous when it came to her, Serafini, and their children. Serafini's in-laws gave them a million dollars for their home, paid for their grandchildren's school, and bought Serafini a $55,000 car, reported KCRA.

Spohr also testified about a security video she was shown by detectives. A man is jogging onto her parents' property mere hours before the crimes. She told police that it wasn't Serafini. Other testimony revealed that on the day of the murder, both suspects were in the area. They checked into a nearby hotel at different times, with Serafini arriving the night before and Scott getting there the morning of. They were both charged with the shooting.

In February 2025, KOLO reported that Scott was released from custody as part of a plea deal after the 34-year-old pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. The former nanny and family friend plead guilty to being an accessory after the fact, saying she drove Serafini but was not directly involved with the murder. Serafini has officially been charged with first-degree murder and burglary. His trial is scheduled for sometime in March 2025.

Erin, Serafini's wife, has not been charged in connection with the murders but she and the defendants are being sued by her sister, per Law & Crime. In the wrongful death lawsuit, Adrienne Spohr said, "My parents had been incredibly generous to Daniel Serafini and Erin Spohr throughout their marriage," and added she cannot comment on her sister's involvement. Erin countersued, alleging that Adrienne manipulated her mother to cut her out of their inheritance.