Dateline NBC (1992) Season 2026 Episode 10

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🏘️ Dateline NBC (1992) - Season 2026 Episode 10  When the key witness disappears, the truth gets harder to find. In Episode 10 "The Vanishing Witness", investigators race to locate a crucial eyewitness whose testimony could make or break a high-profile murder case. As clues surface and alibis unravel, detectives must separate fact from fiction before the window of opportunity closes. Who knows what really happened... and who is working to keep it buried?  🔹 Episode Highlights: • Witness disappearance: a critical voice goes silent at the worst possible moment • Investigative deep dive: detectives retrace steps, analyze digital footprints & interview reluctant sources • Timeline reconstruction: piecing together the final hours before the vanishing • Family & community impact: how uncertainty affects those seeking justice • Signature Dateline intensity: meticulous reporting + human stories + unforgettable twists  🔹 Series Info: • Format: True Crime Documentary / Investigative Journalism / Mystery Serial • Original Network: NBC (US) / Peacock / International Syndication • Series Launch: 1992 | Season: 2026 | Episode: 10 | Title: "The Vanishing Witness" • Setting: United States (Various Locations) | Language: English • Runtime: ~42-45 minutes (full) | Clip/Highlight version: ~10-15 min  🎧 Prefer audio? Listen to true crime recaps & investigative journalism podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts.  👉 Enjoying the series? Hit LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and comment: "Do you think the witness is in danger? 👇" Turn on notifications 🔔 for Episode 11!  #ShowTVMovies #DatelineNBC #NBC #TheVanishingWitness #S2026E10 #TrueCrime #InvestigativeJournalism #BingeWatch #CrimeDocumentary #MysteryTV  ⚠️ Copyright Disclaimer: This video is shared for promotional, review, and informational purposes only. All rights to "Dateline NBC" belong to NBCUniversal, NBC News, and associated producers. This upload complies with Fair Use guidelines (Section 107, U.S. Copyright Act). No copyright infringement intended.

Transcript

00:00:02Tonight on Dateline.

00:00:04She was this tall, beautiful, blonde.

00:00:07They were always joyful together as a couple.

00:00:11They were worth quite a bit of money.

00:00:13A multi-million dollar fortune that they made.

00:00:17The news is on and I heard murder in Lake Tahoe.

00:00:21There was blood on all the mirrors, on all the vanities, on the bathtub.

00:00:25This was a very personal, targeted attack.

00:00:27It wasn't shocking to me that they had a list of enemies.

00:00:31She was in 22 lawsuits.

00:00:34Good lord.

00:00:35Who would gain from this?

00:00:37Well, clearly the two daughters.

00:00:39Samantha was a big part of their life.

00:00:41We always joke around that we're like a fripple.

00:00:44Reading all about it, I was like, whoa.

00:00:47It was middle of summer and I watched a male run up the street wearing full sweats with a hood

00:00:53on.

00:00:54He was hiding in the house for about three hours.

00:00:59I see these people who look like they have it all.

00:01:02But you never know what your fate is going to be.

00:01:05A charismatic couple living a life of luxury.

00:01:08Turns out they were also rich in enemies.

00:01:11I'm Lester Holt and this is Dateline.

00:01:23Here's Keith Morrison with Deadly Swagger.

00:01:32Lake Tahoe.

00:01:34It's one of those bucket list destinations for people around the world.

00:01:41As setting so sublime, Mark Twain wrote,

00:01:45To breathe the same air as the angels, you must go to Tahoe.

00:01:49He knew whereof he wrote,

00:01:52If any place can be equated with heaven on earth, then surely it is Tahoe.

00:01:56Snow-capped mountains above, crystal clear waters below.

00:02:01It is where people go to find peace.

00:02:02The lucky ones call this home, never want to leave.

00:02:10Though, once upon a time,

00:02:13He was waiting inside that house.

00:02:16In the very heart of this paradise.

00:02:19Then, multiple gunshots, fire.

00:02:25The question of leaving wasn't a choice.

00:02:36It was June the 5th, 2021.

00:02:40The 911 call was recorded at 9.26 p.m.

00:02:44911, what's the address of the emergency?

00:02:48Hello, 911?

00:02:52All the dispatchers could hear was moaning in the background

00:02:56or they could hear someone gasping for air, but there was no words.

00:03:00What was that?

00:03:02Who was that?

00:03:04The 911 operator just couldn't tell.

00:03:07But it didn't sound good.

00:03:09So they dispatched the fire department.

00:03:11Gary Nelson was a captain and paramedic.

00:03:14All we know is there's a possible medical or some type of situation happening,

00:03:18but we don't know what it is.

00:03:20We pull in front of the house, you see behind me with lights on.

00:03:24Here, the home of a retired couple named Gary Spore and Wendy Wood.

00:03:30The front door was unlocked.

00:03:32The first responders walked upstairs to the living area.

00:03:36The dogs are moving back and forth.

00:03:38They're just wound up.

00:03:39So we yell, fire department, we get no response.

00:03:41And there's a gentleman laying on the couch.

00:03:44It looked like he was sleeping.

00:03:45His arms were crossed, his legs were crossed,

00:03:46his feet were up on the table or an ottoman.

00:03:50And the TV was on like he was watching the news.

00:03:53And we come over behind him, not to startle him.

00:03:56And we're like, tap him on the shoulder and go, sir.

00:03:58And yell it loudly, fire department, sir.

00:04:01No response.

00:04:02And that time we look over and my partner looks at him and goes,

00:04:05I don't think he's breathing.

00:04:06At that point, we check a pulse.

00:04:08We don't get a pulse.

00:04:09We look across at another section of the couch

00:04:12and we notice there's blood.

00:04:15And there on the floor, behind the couch, shell casings.

00:04:20And we notice a blood trail leading around the back of the couch.

00:04:24And the dogs that were very agitated,

00:04:26they kept coming between us and back into a master bedroom.

00:04:29They would go back and forth and back and forth.

00:04:31So we're like, okay, this doesn't seem right.

00:04:32We work into the master bedroom.

00:04:34In the master bedroom, we turn on the lights in there.

00:04:38Nothing obvious.

00:04:39So we go around the corner and we turn on the light

00:04:41in the master bathroom and that's where we find a female patient.

00:04:46It was Wendy, Gary's wife, covered in blood.

00:04:50As were the mirrors, the vanity, the bathtub.

00:04:54An iPhone speckled in blood was by the sink.

00:04:57Wendy had held on to it long enough to call 911.

00:05:01She was alive, but barely.

00:05:04She would only give one-word answers.

00:05:06She would say yes, no.

00:05:08And she was, I believe, the paramedic, when he asked her name,

00:05:11she was able to give her name and that was it.

00:05:13He was asking, were you assaulted?

00:05:15Were you shot?

00:05:16You know, does she have, you know, obviously bleeding from the head,

00:05:19obviously bleeding from the arms?

00:05:21They called in a helicopter, flew her to a trauma center in Reno,

00:05:2650 miles away, did all they could to keep her breathing.

00:05:29And still middle of the night,

00:05:32Placer County Detective Daniel Meyer got the call.

00:05:35It was going to be his day off.

00:05:38Not anymore.

00:05:39What's it like for you and for the family when,

00:05:43I mean, presumably you make plans for when you're off.

00:05:46And then, sorry, I have to wait, I got to go.

00:05:49So it's really hard.

00:05:52My kids are older, a little bit older now.

00:05:54They're teenagers, so now they understand it.

00:05:56My wife's really good with it.

00:05:58She knows the kind of when it happens,

00:06:00it's something we have to go do.

00:06:02With a thing like that, all day's off and all bets are off, right?

00:06:06All day's off, all sleep is off,

00:06:08and we go pretty much all in on it until we're finished.

00:06:13Investigators at the scene filled him in when he arrived.

00:06:16We had a male that had been shot in the head,

00:06:19and we had another victim, the wife, the female that was found, also shot.

00:06:25We still didn't know the status,

00:06:26if she was going to make it through the surgery

00:06:30or if we were going to have a double homicide at the time.

00:06:34And then Detective Meyer tried to work out what must have happened.

00:06:38It appeared that after her husband was shot and killed where he was sleeping,

00:06:43that she was most likely woken up during the shots

00:06:46and had put her arms up in a kind of a defensive kind of posture

00:06:52and then tried to get herself into safety.

00:06:56No surprise, the search of the house and property turned up no suspect.

00:07:02Long gone, of course,

00:07:03but whoever it was clearly had one purpose in mind.

00:07:07There was no sign of forced entry.

00:07:10There was no sign that a fight or anything ended sued.

00:07:12It looked eerily normal,

00:07:15minus, obviously, the personal destruction to Gary and Wendy.

00:07:20Now, who in this paradise on Earth

00:07:23would want to do a thing like that?

00:07:27You knew the whole damn crime,

00:07:28and yet you knew nothing.

00:07:30Exactly.

00:07:31We had absolutely no idea who this individual could be.

00:07:36So she must have had a reputation around town.

00:07:39And not a very good one.

00:07:41We're like a frepl because he always complains that he has two wives.

00:07:46I've got to be challenging because we don't have much time,

00:07:48I have to tell you.

00:08:03The fear spread at the speed of news,

00:08:07neighbor to neighbor,

00:08:08around the wealth-encrusted shores of Lake Tahoe.

00:08:12Murder, execution style.

00:08:16That Wendy survived, the neighbors heard,

00:08:18was something of a miracle.

00:08:20Though, as the doctors told investigators,

00:08:23continued survival was no sure thing.

00:08:26Did you think maybe she can tell us what happened?

00:08:29We were praying she would.

00:08:30We had all of the nurses waiting to give us a phone call

00:08:34the moment she woke up.

00:08:35And we were praying, but not hopeful.

00:08:38We knew the severity of her injuries,

00:08:40the likelihood that she would be able to,

00:08:43was probably not very high.

00:08:46Everything about this seemed against the odds,

00:08:49starting with the location of the shooting,

00:08:51a multi-million dollar lakefront home

00:08:54in one of the safest neighborhoods in Lake Tahoe.

00:08:57Michelle Bandour covered the case for KCRA,

00:09:00the local NBC affiliate.

00:09:02You don't hear about murder at Lake Tahoe.

00:09:04You know, you maybe hear of someone

00:09:06falling to their death while hiking,

00:09:09you know, or a boating accident.

00:09:10But a crime where someone kills another person,

00:09:15it's just unheard of in Tahoe.

00:09:17I was standing in my kitchen making dinner

00:09:19and the news is on.

00:09:20Detectives identifying the victim.

00:09:22And then the next word they said was Gary Spore.

00:09:25Stopped me dead in my tracks.

00:09:26I just couldn't believe it.

00:09:28Just shock is all I can remember of just, what?

00:09:31You know, these people meant a lot to me.

00:09:33Judy Muir and Lisa Fernandez,

00:09:36once worked for Gary and Wendy,

00:09:38were with them almost a decade, years and years ago.

00:09:41Gary and Wendy were my favorite owners of that place ever.

00:09:44The place was the copy house,

00:09:47a print shop in Sacramento.

00:09:49Gary and Wendy bought it in the 1990s.

00:09:52And Gary and Wendy were more than just bosses.

00:09:57They were better.

00:09:58Wendy was such a presence.

00:10:00She made such an impression on me as a female.

00:10:03She was Wendy Wood.

00:10:04She was not Wendy Spore.

00:10:06And at that time in the 90s,

00:10:08that made an impression on me of like,

00:10:10wow, she's so independent.

00:10:11There's attitude for you.

00:10:12And she was this tall, beautiful blonde.

00:10:16And she was so confident.

00:10:18And Gary, absolutely dashing.

00:10:21Hi, hon.

00:10:22He drove a cool little Porsche,

00:10:24which again, in my 20s,

00:10:25I thought that was so neat.

00:10:27He was very friendly.

00:10:28He was a very good looking man.

00:10:30Yes, he was.

00:10:34Here they were, brimming with charisma.

00:10:37And yet...

00:10:38I never felt like she looked down on us

00:10:41or treated us like the hill.

00:10:43I always felt like they just treated us

00:10:45like we were part of their family.

00:10:47Gave them presents, perfumes, steak dinners,

00:10:51free weekends at their ski house.

00:10:54They would do things like that for all of us.

00:10:56For all of us.

00:10:57They were so generous.

00:10:58With their employees,

00:11:00and especially their daughters,

00:11:02Erin and Adrienne.

00:11:04Are you having fun yet, Gary?

00:11:05There was horse lessons

00:11:07and the different things the girls like to do.

00:11:10But Gary and Wendy could afford to be generous

00:11:12because they were rich.

00:11:14As John Ward,

00:11:16who acted as their local attorney a few times,

00:11:19knew well.

00:11:20Wendy and Gary had real estate holdings

00:11:23in California and I believe in Washington.

00:11:26By 2021, their time was their own

00:11:29and they loved skiing and boating

00:11:31and spending time with grandchildren.

00:11:34In fact, the very day Gary was shot,

00:11:36they had gone boating with the grandkids

00:11:37and their daughter, Erin.

00:11:39She lived in nearby Reno with her husband,

00:11:42a former Major League Baseball player.

00:11:44Erin was an equestrian

00:11:46and had a stable in the Reno area.

00:11:50Younger daughter, Adrienne,

00:11:51and her boyfriend lived about three hours away from Tahoe.

00:11:54Life had been good to Gary and Wendy,

00:11:57but picture perfect, maybe not.

00:12:01The family didn't always get along.

00:12:03There was tension between the sisters

00:12:05and Wendy, with her strong personality,

00:12:09often fought with her daughters.

00:12:12Around the lake,

00:12:13Wendy also butted heads with neighbors,

00:12:15so much so that local prosecutor Christopher Catran

00:12:18was already familiar with Wendy.

00:12:20She was either named as the plaintiff

00:12:23or the defendant in 22 lawsuits.

00:12:27Good Lord.

00:12:28So she must have had a reputation around town.

00:12:31And not a very good one.

00:12:33Gary often backed up his wife in these disputes.

00:12:37Had the couple's neighborhood battles

00:12:39made them a target?

00:12:41Or their money?

00:12:43Or was there something in their past?

00:12:45Because this certainly wasn't some random violent thief,

00:12:49as Detective Meyer could plainly tell.

00:12:52One of the first things that they say is,

00:12:55was it a burglary?

00:12:56Did somebody, you know,

00:12:57go in to steal something

00:12:58and encounter the owners

00:13:00and shoot them and then flee?

00:13:02That was our first,

00:13:03one of at least my first thoughts,

00:13:05that there was no signs of any burglary.

00:13:08The normal things that we'll see in burglaries,

00:13:11with the drawers being pulled

00:13:12or things being disheveled inside of bedrooms,

00:13:17none of that was present during this.

00:13:19And the fact nothing was taken,

00:13:21nothing of any significance

00:13:22you could figure out anyway.

00:13:23Nothing was...

00:13:24Or the first responders could.

00:13:25There was even a very high-priced tennis bracelet

00:13:29that was not taken,

00:13:30that was left right where Wendy was shot.

00:13:34Burglary wasn't the motive.

00:13:36They'd pissed somebody off

00:13:37and that was that.

00:13:38They got killed.

00:13:39It was a very, very personal

00:13:43and very intentional act.

00:13:45Detective Meyer was about to get some help

00:13:47with his investigation.

00:13:49There were security cameras

00:13:51inside and outside of the house.

00:13:53And when he rolled that tape...

00:13:55I knew that at that point,

00:13:57that was going to be our shooter.

00:14:13What a difference a bit of tech can make.

00:14:16Those little front-door cameras,

00:14:18common as clover now,

00:14:20like a gift for a detective in need of a break.

00:14:24You must have thought,

00:14:26hey, this will get our guy.

00:14:28Pure excitement.

00:14:30Especially when they spotted one

00:14:31with the perfect angle.

00:14:33Kind of up above the garage,

00:14:35pointing towards their vehicles

00:14:37and their driveway area.

00:14:40So if the shooter came in that way,

00:14:43they might be able to see him or her.

00:14:46They started watching the video

00:14:48from that morning

00:14:49and nothing happened for hours.

00:14:53Things picked up

00:14:54when daughter Erin arrived

00:14:55with her two boys at 2.24 p.m.

00:14:58That's Wendy in the driveway

00:15:00as Erin backed in.

00:15:01A bit later, Gary pulled in.

00:15:03Looked like an Audi, blue.

00:15:06There was a pause for almost an hour

00:15:08and then Gary headed out,

00:15:10followed by the rest of the family,

00:15:12down to the lake,

00:15:13by the look of it.

00:15:15But then,

00:15:16then something very peculiar

00:15:19showed up on that surveillance tape.

00:15:21It was middle of summer,

00:15:23so it was obviously warm up there,

00:15:26even for Tahoe.

00:15:27And I watched a male run up the street

00:15:30wearing full sweats with a hood on,

00:15:34a mask on, and a backpack.

00:15:36I would think you'd think,

00:15:37looking at that video,

00:15:38uh-oh, there's our shooter.

00:15:40I was very hopeful that it was.

00:15:44Especially when the masked man

00:15:45turned into the driveway.

00:15:47I knew that at that point,

00:15:48that was going to be our shooter.

00:15:50Did you happen to think at that moment,

00:15:53all right, this is not going to be so hard after all?

00:15:57I did for a little bit until you saw how close he got

00:16:02and then saw we couldn't see his face.

00:16:04He covered every aspect of his skin, of his face.

00:16:08But surely there were more cameras around the neighborhood.

00:16:12They went hunting.

00:16:14We were out here canvassing the full area for several days.

00:16:18We were looking up and down the road

00:16:20from the Spores residence

00:16:22all the way up to the,

00:16:25what we call the Y,

00:16:26up here up in Tahoe City.

00:16:28Did it show you anything more

00:16:30about where the shooter came from

00:16:32or where he went after?

00:16:33It did.

00:16:34Thankfully, we were able to find

00:16:36several cameras along the pathway.

00:16:39It was enough to start piecing together

00:16:42some kind of timeline anyway,

00:16:44which the detectives laid out for the prosecutor,

00:16:46Christopher Katryan.

00:16:47The first sighting of the apparent shooter

00:16:50was at 5.02 p.m.,

00:16:52almost half a mile from Gary and Wendy's house,

00:16:55walking along the main road towards them.

00:16:58By then, Gary, Wendy, Aaron,

00:17:01and the kids were out on the boat.

00:17:03Last person left the house at 3.56 p.m.

00:17:07They walk out the driveway and down the street,

00:17:10and you can see out on the lake.

00:17:12We're fairly close to the lake here.

00:17:14Then, 5.06 p.m.,

00:17:16a neighbor's security camera

00:17:17recorded the probable shooter

00:17:19walking along the lake.

00:17:21On the other side of the roadway,

00:17:23there's a bike path,

00:17:23which is used for bikes and pedestrians

00:17:25and things like that.

00:17:26So, he's approaching.

00:17:28Minutes later,

00:17:29the masked man jogged into the view

00:17:31of the outside camera.

00:17:33He comes up this hill.

00:17:35You can see the driveway right here.

00:17:37And, like he knew just where to go,

00:17:40he turned towards the house.

00:17:43And then...

00:17:45No mistaking what that was.

00:17:47The sound of the garage door opening.

00:17:51After which, a pause.

00:17:54And then, around 30 minutes later,

00:17:56the family returned.

00:17:59And at 7.45 p.m., Aaron left the house

00:18:03with the kids and drove away.

00:18:07An hour and six minutes later,

00:18:09at 8.51 p.m.

00:18:14No mistaking that sound, either.

00:18:18Gunshots.

00:18:19Five of them.

00:18:21Silence.

00:18:22Five minutes passed.

00:18:24And out he came,

00:18:25same way he went in.

00:18:27Through the garage and away.

00:18:30At 9.02, another glimpse,

00:18:32faintly,

00:18:33in the gathering dark.

00:18:36It's like you're seeing the whole play

00:18:38from these security cameras.

00:18:40Fortunately, we were able to watch

00:18:41the entire thing,

00:18:43knowing that he was inside the house

00:18:45while the whole family was in there,

00:18:47and they had no idea.

00:18:50Well, and this guy hid in the house

00:18:53for three or four hours

00:18:55while the family was out on the lake,

00:18:57and he waited all that time.

00:18:59He waited almost a time enough

00:19:01to let them kind of get comfortable.

00:19:03Were you able to find a place

00:19:05inside the house

00:19:05where the shooter hid

00:19:06for a period of time?

00:19:08We found a place

00:19:08where we believed

00:19:09that he was hiding.

00:19:11They had a very large closet

00:19:14on the bottom floor,

00:19:16and in the back of it,

00:19:17almost a little hidden room

00:19:18that was off there

00:19:21that somebody could stand up,

00:19:23move around in, lay down.

00:19:24I mean, you knew a whole lot.

00:19:27You knew the whole damn crime,

00:19:29and yet you knew nothing.

00:19:31Exactly.

00:19:31Strange.

00:19:32We saw everything.

00:19:34We heard everything,

00:19:35but yet we had absolutely no idea

00:19:38who this individual could be.

00:19:40Who was this masked intruder?

00:19:43Was he a hired gun?

00:19:45An enemy from around the lake?

00:19:47Or was the shooter's motive

00:19:48one of the oldest of them all?

00:19:50They're worth a lot of money,

00:19:51and as the old adage goes,

00:19:54follow the money, right?

00:20:08Days passed,

00:20:09and the masked shooter

00:20:11who took Gary's life

00:20:12with a single bullet

00:20:13and left Wendy for dead

00:20:14was still out there somewhere.

00:20:16Desperate for leads,

00:20:18the Placer County Sheriff's Office

00:20:20posted a video of the gunman

00:20:21on social media.

00:20:27What made you decide to appeal

00:20:29to the public for help?

00:20:30Because we needed all the help

00:20:31at that point we could get.

00:20:33Tips came in,

00:20:35flooded the phone lines.

00:20:37Reporter Michelle Bandour.

00:20:39They continued to ask for help,

00:20:41even asking people in the area

00:20:43within a so-many-mile radius

00:20:45of checking their security video.

00:20:47Do you see a figure like this,

00:20:48or what do you see on, you know,

00:20:50June 5th between these hours?

00:20:53Did it help much?

00:20:54Unfortunately, it didn't.

00:20:55Might scare the hell out of them, though.

00:20:57I mean, this is an affluent community,

00:20:59and they hear that some guy

00:21:01was sneaking into houses

00:21:02and shooting people,

00:21:03and, I mean,

00:21:04that's pretty scary stuff.

00:21:05The community was terrified,

00:21:06but the way that it was done

00:21:08and let us feel a little safer

00:21:11to let the Tahoe community know

00:21:13we don't believe

00:21:14that somebody's out there.

00:21:16We really felt that this was

00:21:17a very personal, targeted attack.

00:21:19And as the old adage goes,

00:21:21follow the money, right?

00:21:23Yeah, sure.

00:21:23Who would gain from this?

00:21:26Well, clearly the two daughters.

00:21:30Adrian and Aaron were the beneficiaries

00:21:32of their parents' estate

00:21:33worth $25 million.

00:21:36They would split the inheritance equally.

00:21:39Both agreed to talk to detectives.

00:21:42How were they taking it?

00:21:43They were very, very stoic,

00:21:45very composed.

00:21:46They were obviously upset,

00:21:49like any child's gonna be,

00:21:50but they were very much into

00:21:53trying to figure out what had happened.

00:21:55You showed them the video,

00:21:56I'm assuming, right?

00:21:57Absolutely.

00:21:58Could they identify him at all?

00:21:59Neither of them were able

00:22:00to identify him.

00:22:02Of course, they had to check

00:22:03the daughters' alibis anyway,

00:22:05even though they were sure

00:22:06the shooter was a man.

00:22:08When you talked to Aaron,

00:22:09what could she tell you?

00:22:11She was unaware

00:22:11of what could have happened,

00:22:12and she was there with the kids,

00:22:14and in genuine shock

00:22:16that that person could have been

00:22:18inside the house with her

00:22:20while her kids and her were present.

00:22:21She was very, very upset at that time.

00:22:24Remember, the shooter came in

00:22:27at five o'clock

00:22:28while she, Aaron, and the boys

00:22:30are on the boat with mom and dad.

00:22:32The driveway security camera

00:22:34also showed her leaving her parents home

00:22:37before the shots were fired.

00:22:39So she clearly has a good alibi.

00:22:43And what about her husband?

00:22:46Aaron told detectives he was out of town

00:22:48when the shooting occurred.

00:22:50Dan Serafini was his name,

00:22:51ex-Major League Baseball player.

00:22:54Minnesota Twins, Cincinnati Reds,

00:22:56Pittsburgh Pirates, etc., etc.

00:22:59He was an ex-bar owner, too,

00:23:01and now a miner.

00:23:03I believe he was a heavy equipment operator

00:23:05in a mine about three and a half hours

00:23:10east of the Reno Sparks area.

00:23:14They went to see him,

00:23:15and he had alibis, too.

00:23:18Day before the shooting,

00:23:19he said he attended a training class

00:23:20at the gold mine where he worked,

00:23:22then met up with co-workers.

00:23:24He was going to have a couple drinks

00:23:26with some friends that night from work.

00:23:29He spent the next day in Crescent Valley, Nevada,

00:23:32where he had a trailer he used

00:23:34when working away from his family.

00:23:36Never left.

00:23:37Phone records showed him in Crescent Valley

00:23:39when Gary and Wendy were shot,

00:23:41just as Dan told them he was.

00:23:43So his alibi looked pretty good.

00:23:45His alibi was looking really good.

00:23:47Did Adrienne have an alibi?

00:23:48She did.

00:23:49She was at work,

00:23:51and we were able to verify

00:23:53that she was working

00:23:54during the time of the murder.

00:23:55But detectives did wonder

00:23:57about Adrienne's boyfriend,

00:23:59a guy named Taylor Hatton.

00:24:01Didn't he have a record, that guy?

00:24:03He did.

00:24:04Taylor was a convicted felon,

00:24:06confessed to robbing a bank,

00:24:08then ultimately pleaded guilty

00:24:10to a weapons charge.

00:24:11He was one of the first individuals

00:24:13that detectives were very interested in.

00:24:18During the commission of that armed robbery,

00:24:20Taylor was covered from head to toe,

00:24:23wore a ski mask, sunglasses,

00:24:25and had a backpack on a hot summer day,

00:24:29just like the guy who shot Gary and Wendy.

00:24:34Again, maybe solving this murder

00:24:36wouldn't be so hard after all.

00:24:39Was that Taylor on the surveillance video?

00:24:42We did look into him extensively,

00:24:45and we were able to determine

00:24:47he was actually in Petaluma, California,

00:24:50during the time of the homicide.

00:24:51He was working out there as a contractor,

00:24:53constantly working on his cell phones,

00:24:55and he's significantly smaller

00:24:58than the shooter was.

00:25:00It couldn't have been him.

00:25:03So, there were other possibilities, remember?

00:25:07Angry neighbors, potential enemies.

00:25:11And just about then,

00:25:13less than two weeks after the shooting,

00:25:15Wendy woke up and started talking.

00:25:19It was a genuine excitement

00:25:22throughout the entire unit

00:25:23that we might finally have

00:25:25that huge break we're looking for.

00:25:42Around Lake Tahoe,

00:25:43lots of people knew Wendy Wood,

00:25:46and perhaps for all the wrong reasons.

00:25:49After the murder,

00:25:51there were a number of people

00:25:53who said that the suspect list

00:25:56was going to be at least

00:25:57four or five pages.

00:25:58Family attorney John Ward

00:26:00figured Wendy was the killer's target.

00:26:03I think my knee-jerk reaction was

00:26:05that Wendy had pissed off somebody.

00:26:09So, how would she have done that?

00:26:12There were two ways to do things.

00:26:14Wendy's way and Wendy's way.

00:26:18Yeah.

00:26:19She had a mind and will of her own.

00:26:22And that she did.

00:26:23Less than two weeks after

00:26:25she was left for dead,

00:26:26the detectives got a call.

00:26:28She was awake and talking.

00:26:30It was a genuine excitement

00:26:33throughout the entire unit

00:26:35that we might finally have

00:26:37that huge break we're looking for.

00:26:39Yeah.

00:26:40But?

00:26:41She was struggling

00:26:42coming in and out of consciousness.

00:26:44She made a quick statement

00:26:46of it was Rick,

00:26:48the water guy,

00:26:50and she passed back out again.

00:26:52The nurses had told us

00:26:53that she had said it was Rick.

00:26:55Well, that was something

00:26:57because Rick, the water guy,

00:27:00was certainly a person of interest.

00:27:01Wendy and Rick had had

00:27:04a lot of eavesman issues

00:27:06because Rick would access

00:27:07his water access from her property.

00:27:10Rick owned a water well

00:27:11that sat on Wendy and Gary's property

00:27:13and Wendy had issues with that.

00:27:16Things escalated.

00:27:18And then Gary sent Rick an email

00:27:20to let him know

00:27:20that Wendy had a permit

00:27:22to use a gun

00:27:22and would if needed.

00:27:24So did Rick use a gun on them?

00:27:28We were able to look at him

00:27:30and compare him to the camera

00:27:31and we knew at that point

00:27:33he was definitely not our shooter.

00:27:35And then, weeks later,

00:27:38more good news.

00:27:40Wendy has made

00:27:41a surprisingly miraculous recovery.

00:27:44Amazing.

00:27:45The detectives hear

00:27:46that she's made

00:27:47this miraculous recovery

00:27:48and, of course,

00:27:49now they want to get

00:27:50a statement from her.

00:27:51Of course, yeah.

00:27:52So...

00:27:52Eyewitness to the murder

00:27:53comes back from the dead

00:27:54to tell the story.

00:27:56Can't have it any better

00:27:58than that, I would think.

00:28:00Wendy struggled,

00:28:01but remembered

00:28:02that she and Gary

00:28:03had gone to the lake

00:28:04with Aaron and their grandkids.

00:28:06And at the end

00:28:07of the boating trip,

00:28:08she recalled

00:28:09covering up the boat.

00:28:10That's the last thing

00:28:11she remembers of that day

00:28:13was putting the tarp on.

00:28:16And then the next thing

00:28:17she remembers

00:28:17is waking up in the hospital.

00:28:20Ward sat in on this.

00:28:22Did they ask her

00:28:22who she thought

00:28:23it might have been?

00:28:24They did.

00:28:24And she was quite certain

00:28:26that it involved

00:28:27the incident with the paddleboard.

00:28:29Different guy now.

00:28:30Dave the fisherman.

00:28:32So one day

00:28:33she was out paddleboarding

00:28:34and there was a gentleman

00:28:36who was a caretaker

00:28:37of one of the lakefront properties

00:28:39and he was

00:28:39an avid fisherman.

00:28:41So one day

00:28:42he had his

00:28:43minnow trap

00:28:44out.

00:28:46As Dave watched

00:28:47from shore,

00:28:47he saw Wendy

00:28:49yanking his traps

00:28:50out of the water.

00:28:51So while she's

00:28:52on her paddleboard,

00:28:53she starts

00:28:54hauling them up.

00:28:55Now why would she

00:28:56do that?

00:28:58Keith,

00:28:58I have no idea.

00:29:00And Dave?

00:29:00He apparently

00:29:01got in a boat,

00:29:02went out to go

00:29:03talk to her,

00:29:04stop her from doing it

00:29:05and while he was

00:29:07out there,

00:29:08she hit him in the head

00:29:09with the oar

00:29:10or the paddle

00:29:10and it kind of

00:29:12went south from there.

00:29:14Dave suffered

00:29:15puncture wounds

00:29:16and abrasions

00:29:16to his head.

00:29:18The cops were called

00:29:19and Wendy was charged.

00:29:21Katran prosecuted

00:29:22Wendy for assault

00:29:23with a deadly weapon.

00:29:25She pleaded

00:29:25no contest,

00:29:26got probation

00:29:27and was ordered

00:29:28to stay away

00:29:28from the fisherman

00:29:29and his property.

00:29:30That was 2018,

00:29:32three years

00:29:32before the shooting.

00:29:33Was Dave

00:29:34getting his revenge?

00:29:36I mean,

00:29:36it seemed like

00:29:37that might have legs.

00:29:39That had legs

00:29:40for a little while.

00:29:41We looked into him.

00:29:43We were able

00:29:43to go through

00:29:45all the cell phone data,

00:29:47including the GPS locations

00:29:49and found out

00:29:51he wasn't present,

00:29:53he wasn't there.

00:29:54His digital alibi,

00:29:56so to speak,

00:29:57was very good.

00:29:58So maybe Wendy

00:30:00wasn't the target

00:30:01after all.

00:30:02But Gary?

00:30:04Well,

00:30:05lovely house

00:30:06along the lake,

00:30:07looks very genteel

00:30:08and sweet

00:30:09and there's

00:30:09grandparents

00:30:10taking the grandkids

00:30:12out on the boat.

00:30:13It looks so idyllic.

00:30:14But,

00:30:15when you dig

00:30:15a little bit,

00:30:17what did you find out

00:30:18about Gary's past?

00:30:19I found out

00:30:20a little bit

00:30:21he did have

00:30:22a past

00:30:23with

00:30:25narcotics.

00:30:26I believe it was

00:30:26a federal case

00:30:27that was brought

00:30:28against him

00:30:29and that he had

00:30:30kind of worked

00:30:30with the federal

00:30:32government

00:30:32to kind of

00:30:34right the wrong

00:30:35that he had done,

00:30:36so to speak,

00:30:36of the crimes

00:30:37that he had been

00:30:37caught for.

00:30:39Long ago,

00:30:40mind you,

00:30:40and no records

00:30:41to be found,

00:30:42but some things

00:30:43aren't forgotten.

00:30:44Well,

00:30:45that opens up

00:30:45all kinds of possibilities

00:30:47though,

00:30:47doesn't it?

00:30:47It opened

00:30:48an amazing amount

00:30:49of possibilities.

00:30:50It kind of gave

00:30:51me and my partners

00:30:53a giant moment

00:30:54of pause.

00:30:55Yeah.

00:30:56This could span...

00:30:58Oh, Lord, yeah.

00:31:00For, I mean,

00:31:01we could be down

00:31:01into anywhere.

00:31:03We have no idea

00:31:04how far

00:31:04this rabbit hole

00:31:05could go.

00:31:07Meanwhile,

00:31:07they were confirming

00:31:08alibis,

00:31:09like where Dan Serafini,

00:31:11Wendy and Gary's

00:31:13son-in-law,

00:31:13said he was

00:31:14night before the murder.

00:31:16Detectives learned

00:31:17that after drinks

00:31:17with his co-workers,

00:31:18Dan left to relax

00:31:19in a hotel

00:31:20in Elko, Nevada.

00:31:22When they drove out there,

00:31:24the desk clerk said

00:31:24he was there all right.

00:31:26Security cameras

00:31:27proved it.

00:31:28But then,

00:31:29a bit odd,

00:31:30a woman checked out

00:31:32for Dan

00:31:32and checked herself

00:31:34in to the same room.

00:31:35Her name was

00:31:36Samantha Scott.

00:31:38Interesting because

00:31:39Dan's phone record

00:31:41showed he had

00:31:41received a call

00:31:42the morning of the murder

00:31:44from the same woman.

00:31:46They do their

00:31:47cop stuff,

00:31:48you know,

00:31:49they get her

00:31:49driver's license,

00:31:50they get a picture,

00:31:51you know,

00:31:51and they find

00:31:52an address for her.

00:31:53Samantha lived

00:31:54in Reno, Nevada

00:31:55in an apartment complex

00:31:57about 45 miles

00:31:58north of Tahoe City.

00:31:59A detective

00:32:00drove out there

00:32:01and when he pulled up,

00:32:02he saw something

00:32:03that caught his attention.

00:32:05There's an Audi

00:32:07sitting in the parking lot

00:32:09and he thinks

00:32:11he's seen the car

00:32:12before and then

00:32:13it dawns on him

00:32:14that the Audi

00:32:15was Gary's.

00:32:17Oh boy.

00:32:17The victim

00:32:18of the murder.

00:32:20Who was

00:32:21Samantha Scott?

00:32:23Why did she

00:32:24have Gary's car?

00:32:39You've heard it

00:32:40here before,

00:32:41sometimes luck

00:32:42is the best detective.

00:32:44While checking

00:32:45Dan's alibi,

00:32:47detectives came

00:32:48across a woman

00:32:48named Samantha Scott

00:32:50who checked

00:32:51into Dan's room

00:32:52and just weeks

00:32:53after Gary's murder

00:32:54was driving

00:32:55the dead man's car.

00:32:57It was very,

00:32:58very weird

00:32:59that presumably

00:33:01the girls

00:33:02or somebody

00:33:03within the family

00:33:04structure

00:33:04had given the okay

00:33:06to give her

00:33:07that vehicle

00:33:08either permanent

00:33:09or a temporary

00:33:09use of the vehicle.

00:33:11I mean, it could happen

00:33:12just a little unusual.

00:33:14Absolutely.

00:33:15It was enough

00:33:16to make us

00:33:17start asking

00:33:18more questions

00:33:19to start looking

00:33:20a little bit more.

00:33:21And that is exactly

00:33:23what they did

00:33:25in the hospital.

00:33:25Hello.

00:33:25Hi.

00:33:26Placer County.

00:33:26Hi.

00:33:27Hi.

00:33:27How are you?

00:33:27Samantha?

00:33:28Yeah.

00:33:29Detectives showed up

00:33:30at Samantha's apartment

00:33:31in Reno, Nevada,

00:33:32about an hour away

00:33:33from Lake Tahoe.

00:33:34You obviously know

00:33:35why we're here

00:33:36to speak to you.

00:33:37Um, I mean,

00:33:38I'm assuming...

00:33:40Are you assuming?

00:33:40Yes.

00:33:41Sure.

00:33:41What do you think?

00:33:43Um, I mean,

00:33:44it probably has something

00:33:45to do with

00:33:46my friend Aaron's

00:33:47picture.

00:33:48Yeah.

00:33:51And what...

00:33:52What can you tell me

00:33:55about that?

00:33:56Um, I'm not really

00:33:58sure why I would

00:33:59be involved in it.

00:34:02Involved in it?

00:34:04What was Samantha

00:34:05referring to exactly?

00:34:07So I'm not too sure

00:34:09what to tell you.

00:34:10Okay.

00:34:11I'm more than happy

00:34:12to try and answer

00:34:13the question.

00:34:14Samantha said she met

00:34:16Aaron about five years

00:34:17earlier when she was

00:34:18looking for a trainer

00:34:19who specialized in

00:34:20equestrian triathlons.

00:34:22She's the only one

00:34:23in town that does it.

00:34:25Outside, Ryan,

00:34:26bring her around.

00:34:26Aaron became her trainer

00:34:27and she would let

00:34:29Samantha board her horse

00:34:30in exchange for some

00:34:31work.

00:34:32Good.

00:34:34What can you tell me

00:34:35about Aaron's husband,

00:34:36Danny?

00:34:38Um,

00:34:40it's Aaron's husband.

00:34:42And I've known her

00:34:43for about five years.

00:34:44Okay.

00:34:45Um,

00:34:46and I mean,

00:34:47therefore I've known him

00:34:48for about five years

00:34:48as well.

00:34:49Okay.

00:34:50Then,

00:34:51without being asked,

00:34:52she launched into

00:34:53her and his

00:34:55whereabouts

00:34:56on Friday,

00:34:57June 4th,

00:34:58the night before

00:34:59the shooting.

00:35:00I went with him

00:35:01to Elgo,

00:35:02I think that Friday.

00:35:04Um,

00:35:05and that's kind of

00:35:06the first time

00:35:07we've ever hung out.

00:35:08Why?

00:35:10Because,

00:35:10she said,

00:35:11Dan needed help

00:35:12with a surprise

00:35:13purchase for Aaron.

00:35:15We went to look

00:35:16for a truck

00:35:17for Aaron,

00:35:18a new Ford.

00:35:20And I had just

00:35:22broken up

00:35:23with someone

00:35:23so he's like,

00:35:24hey,

00:35:24come,

00:35:24we're having a party.

00:35:25And I was like,

00:35:25okay,

00:35:26cool.

00:35:26And then,

00:35:27we didn't look

00:35:28for a truck though.

00:35:30What did you end up

00:35:31doing?

00:35:32Oh,

00:35:32I just spent

00:35:33the night up there.

00:35:34After a night out

00:35:36in Elgo,

00:35:37she said,

00:35:37she and Dan

00:35:38went back

00:35:38to the suite

00:35:39he had booked

00:35:40and she slept

00:35:41in the bedroom.

00:35:42He slept

00:35:43in the living room.

00:35:44So she said.

00:35:45So no sexual relations

00:35:46or anything like that?

00:35:47No.

00:35:48No.

00:35:48Uh,

00:35:49no.

00:35:50Not at all.

00:35:52Ever?

00:35:53Ever.

00:35:54And when she woke

00:35:55up in the morning,

00:35:56Dan was gone.

00:35:58Did he tell you

00:35:59that the night

00:35:59before he was

00:35:59going to be leaving early?

00:36:00No.

00:36:01She assumed

00:36:02Dan had left

00:36:03for work,

00:36:03she said,

00:36:04and so she decided

00:36:05she would extend

00:36:06her stay

00:36:06for a little R&R.

00:36:08I was getting ready

00:36:09to go

00:36:10and then

00:36:11kind of wanted

00:36:12to stay

00:36:13because I've just

00:36:14never been

00:36:15in a suite before.

00:36:18She said

00:36:18she checked out

00:36:19the following day

00:36:20and on her drive

00:36:21home,

00:36:22a friend called

00:36:22to let her know

00:36:23what had happened

00:36:24to Erin's parents.

00:36:25And so Samantha

00:36:26said she reached

00:36:27out to Erin

00:36:28and offered to help

00:36:29any way she could.

00:36:31She's upset,

00:36:33but I mean

00:36:35I've known her

00:36:35long enough,

00:36:36like how she

00:36:36handles things too.

00:36:38How does she

00:36:38handle things?

00:36:40She's pretty structured

00:36:41when it comes

00:36:42to things.

00:36:43Right now

00:36:44she seems pretty

00:36:46adamant about

00:36:47getting her house

00:36:48prepared so her

00:36:49mom can live there

00:36:50too when she's

00:36:51released.

00:36:53And all of that

00:36:54story,

00:36:55all of it,

00:36:56could have been

00:36:57quite true,

00:36:58except...

00:36:59We could see

00:37:00there was a

00:37:00crack in the

00:37:01armor of fear.

00:37:02Really?

00:37:03She was nervous

00:37:04at points

00:37:06when there

00:37:07shouldn't have

00:37:08been nervousness.

00:37:09If she was

00:37:09an innocent person

00:37:10or didn't know

00:37:11anything.

00:37:12Correct.

00:37:13If there was

00:37:13nothing that

00:37:14she didn't know,

00:37:15I mean,

00:37:15we understand

00:37:16and expect

00:37:17a certain degree

00:37:18of nervousness,

00:37:19but when the

00:37:20fear continues

00:37:21and the oddities

00:37:23continue,

00:37:24that kind of

00:37:25puts some of

00:37:25the alarms

00:37:26up that

00:37:26something was

00:37:28wrong.

00:37:28I'm not

00:37:29super involved

00:37:30with anything

00:37:32but the horses.

00:37:36Can I ask

00:37:37why I'm

00:37:38involved besides

00:37:39me having

00:37:41Ben and Elko?

00:37:42Well,

00:37:44we're...

00:37:45Seems like

00:37:45Dan's

00:37:46an interest.

00:37:48It's an

00:37:49investigation,

00:37:50and so

00:37:51we have

00:37:52to make

00:37:54contact with

00:37:55folks that

00:37:56we come

00:37:56across in

00:37:58the investigation.

00:37:59We're just

00:37:59trying to get

00:38:00the facts.

00:38:01That's it.

00:38:02Obviously,

00:38:03it's a death

00:38:04investigation.

00:38:05You also

00:38:06have his

00:38:07car here.

00:38:09So,

00:38:10I mean,

00:38:10can you

00:38:10understand why

00:38:11we're here

00:38:12talking to you

00:38:12and that's

00:38:14based on that?

00:38:15Yeah.

00:38:15No,

00:38:16I do understand.

00:38:18Simple explanation,

00:38:19said Samantha.

00:38:20Erin let her

00:38:21borrow the Audi

00:38:22because Samantha's

00:38:23sisters were in

00:38:24town and they

00:38:24were using

00:38:25her Subaru.

00:38:26In fact,

00:38:27she had taken

00:38:27the day off

00:38:28to meet up

00:38:29with her sisters

00:38:30who were at

00:38:30a hotel in

00:38:31Lake Tahoe.

00:38:32All perfectly

00:38:33innocent.

00:38:34The detectives

00:38:35wrapped up

00:38:36the conversation.

00:38:37Have a good day.

00:38:38Thanks,

00:38:38Samantha.

00:38:38Hi.

00:38:39And drove to

00:38:40the hotel in

00:38:41Lake Tahoe.

00:38:42They watched

00:38:43and waited.

00:38:44And there

00:38:45was Samantha,

00:38:46not with

00:38:47her sisters,

00:38:48but with

00:38:49Erin.

00:38:50and Dan.

00:38:51It started

00:38:52to raise

00:38:52a lot of

00:38:53questions of

00:38:54how deeply

00:38:55are they all

00:38:56connected

00:38:56and who's

00:38:56connected to

00:38:57who and

00:38:58what are

00:38:59they doing

00:38:59up here.

00:39:01Someone

00:39:01held the

00:39:02answers to

00:39:02those questions.

00:39:04Tell me about

00:39:04your relationship

00:39:05with Samantha.

00:39:21I idolized her.

00:39:22I thought

00:39:22she was the

00:39:23coolest person.

00:39:24Sarah Ross

00:39:25was barely a

00:39:26teenager when

00:39:27she met

00:39:27Erin Spore.

00:39:28I was like,

00:39:29whoa,

00:39:29I was a bit

00:39:29starstruck.

00:39:30Erin had built

00:39:31her career

00:39:32on riding

00:39:33feral horses

00:39:34and had become

00:39:35a bit of a

00:39:35celebrity in

00:39:36the event

00:39:36riding community.

00:39:38She was really,

00:39:39really brave.

00:39:40I think that was

00:39:40her biggest

00:39:40quality.

00:39:41And it didn't

00:39:42really dawn on

00:39:43her to be afraid.

00:39:44In her mind,

00:39:44she could outmuscle

00:39:45it.

00:39:46She could make

00:39:46it do what

00:39:46she wanted to do.

00:39:48Sarah lived

00:39:49across from

00:39:49Erin and Dan's

00:39:50barn in

00:39:51Rideau, Nevada

00:39:52when she joined

00:39:53Erin's training

00:39:54program.

00:39:55She was almost

00:39:56more of a

00:39:57big sister type

00:39:59coach.

00:39:59So she was

00:40:00funny,

00:40:00she wanted to

00:40:01engage,

00:40:02but she also

00:40:03was pretty firm

00:40:04when she had

00:40:05to be.

00:40:06To help with

00:40:07the cost of

00:40:07the sport,

00:40:08Sarah often

00:40:09worked at

00:40:09Erin's barn,

00:40:10and it's how

00:40:11she met

00:40:11Samantha Scott.

00:40:13So I'd go

00:40:13schmobbing on

00:40:14the hay cart,

00:40:15and we'd load

00:40:16bales, and we'd

00:40:17just chit-chat,

00:40:18and that kind

00:40:18of was our

00:40:19bonding.

00:40:20Sarah also

00:40:21saw the bond

00:40:22that developed

00:40:23between Samantha

00:40:24and Erin.

00:40:25It started

00:40:26just like a

00:40:26client, like

00:40:27anything, and

00:40:27then over

00:40:27time, when

00:40:29that's kind

00:40:30of your

00:40:30circle, then

00:40:30you all

00:40:31kind of

00:40:31become friends,

00:40:32and so they

00:40:32were quite

00:40:33close friends.

00:40:34Dan was

00:40:35part of

00:40:35that circle

00:40:36too.

00:40:36He'd come

00:40:37to the

00:40:37horse shows

00:40:38when he

00:40:38could, he'd

00:40:39be out

00:40:40there fixing

00:40:40fences, he

00:40:41really cared

00:40:42about the

00:40:42horses

00:40:42themselves.

00:40:43Together,

00:40:44Dan and

00:40:44Erin were

00:40:45a good

00:40:45time.

00:40:46Everybody

00:40:46gravitated

00:40:47toward them.

00:40:48They were

00:40:49just fun

00:40:49to be

00:40:50around, and

00:40:51they had

00:40:51these

00:40:52massive

00:40:52personalities.

00:40:55Was that

00:40:56what was

00:40:56going on

00:40:57when

00:40:57detectives

00:40:58saw

00:40:58Samantha

00:40:58with

00:40:59Erin

00:40:59and

00:40:59Dan

00:40:59at

00:40:59that

00:41:00hotel

00:41:00in Lake

00:41:00Tahoe?

00:41:01Friends

00:41:01just hanging

00:41:03out a little

00:41:04less than a

00:41:05month after

00:41:05the shooting?

00:41:07Detectives

00:41:08watched from a

00:41:09distance, saw

00:41:10them walking

00:41:10around the

00:41:11property.

00:41:12It started

00:41:12to raise a

00:41:13lot of

00:41:13questions of

00:41:14how deeply

00:41:15are they all

00:41:16connected, and

00:41:16who's connected

00:41:17to who, and

00:41:18what are they

00:41:19doing up here?

00:41:20So, they

00:41:21asked Dan to

00:41:22come in for

00:41:22another round

00:41:23of questions.

00:41:24This time, he

00:41:25brought his

00:41:25attorney.

00:41:27Detective

00:41:27Meyer confronted

00:41:28Dan about

00:41:28being with

00:41:29Samantha the

00:41:29night before

00:41:30the murder.

00:41:31We went to

00:41:31the Red

00:41:31Lion, and

00:41:33you were

00:41:33there with

00:41:33Sam.

00:41:34I know, I

00:41:34was.

00:41:35But you

00:41:35didn't tell

00:41:35us that

00:41:36that night.

00:41:36You said

00:41:36you're off

00:41:37with co-workers,

00:41:37you were

00:41:38doing your

00:41:38thing.

00:41:38But that's

00:41:39not a

00:41:39lie, that's

00:41:39my personal

00:41:40life.

00:41:40He was

00:41:42indignant,

00:41:44didn't feel

00:41:44like it was

00:41:45a big issue,

00:41:46kind of like

00:41:46it was my

00:41:47business, you

00:41:47don't need

00:41:48to know about

00:41:48it.

00:41:49Okay, I'm

00:41:49not saying

00:41:49it's a

00:41:50lie, but

00:41:51it's when

00:41:53you kind

00:41:53of sell it

00:41:53one way, and

00:41:55then we

00:41:56find out it's

00:41:56another.

00:41:56And like I

00:41:57told you that

00:41:58day, I am

00:41:58not the

00:41:58marriage police.

00:42:00You couldn't

00:42:00ask me any

00:42:01questions at

00:42:02all, and I

00:42:02would have

00:42:03told you

00:42:03more if

00:42:04you asked

00:42:04more.

00:42:05Well, we

00:42:05didn't know

00:42:06it at that

00:42:06point.

00:42:07Sure, but

00:42:07my personal

00:42:07life is my

00:42:08personal life.

00:42:09Just so I

00:42:09know, are

00:42:09you and

00:42:10Sam in a

00:42:10relationship?

00:42:11Absolutely

00:42:11not.

00:42:12Was that

00:42:13an affair

00:42:14that was up

00:42:15that night?

00:42:15What was it

00:42:16that was up

00:42:16there?

00:42:17Sam and I

00:42:17are not

00:42:18having an

00:42:18affair at

00:42:19all.

00:42:19Okay.

00:42:20Just like

00:42:21Samantha said,

00:42:22they were going

00:42:23to buy a

00:42:23truck for

00:42:24Aaron, and

00:42:25that was

00:42:25it.

00:42:26And the

00:42:26day of the

00:42:27shooting, he

00:42:27insisted, he

00:42:28was long

00:42:28gone, miles

00:42:30and miles

00:42:30away in his

00:42:31trailer in

00:42:32Crescent

00:42:32Valley.

00:42:33I laid

00:42:33in bed,

00:42:35passed out

00:42:35pretty much

00:42:35the whole

00:42:38life.

00:42:38Okay.

00:42:39And I'll

00:42:40tell you

00:42:40what I

00:42:41took.

00:42:41I took

00:42:41two Vicodin,

00:42:43a shot

00:42:43of NyQuil

00:42:44Z, and

00:42:44two Tylenol

00:42:45PMs.

00:42:47And then

00:42:48laid him

00:42:48benched out

00:42:49on my

00:42:49bed.

00:42:50And of

00:42:50course, that

00:42:51phone of

00:42:51his backed

00:42:52him up, put

00:42:53him a

00:42:53four and a

00:42:53half hour

00:42:54drive away

00:42:54from where

00:42:55his in-laws

00:42:55were murdered.

00:42:56So, that

00:42:58was that.

00:42:58They let

00:42:59him leave.

00:43:01And months

00:43:02went by,

00:43:04until, in

00:43:05the fall of

00:43:062021, Samantha's

00:43:08phone records

00:43:09came back.

00:43:09and, our

00:43:12phones can

00:43:13reveal a

00:43:13thing or

00:43:14two, which

00:43:15is why

00:43:15detectives

00:43:16invited

00:43:16Samantha for

00:43:18another talk.

00:43:19I'm happy to

00:43:19answer your

00:43:20questions.

00:43:20There's a lot

00:43:21of details that

00:43:22we would like

00:43:22to know,

00:43:23things that

00:43:23only the

00:43:25people in

00:43:25that inner

00:43:26circle will

00:43:26know.

00:43:27Like, for

00:43:27example, her

00:43:28actual

00:43:29relationship with

00:43:30Dan.

00:43:31I'm very

00:43:32close with

00:43:32Aaron, and

00:43:33I'm very

00:43:34close with

00:43:34Dan.

00:43:38We didn't,

00:43:40well, there's

00:43:41a recent

00:43:41flirtation going

00:43:43on, I'm sure

00:43:43you'll see

00:43:44my phone.

00:43:45With Dan?

00:43:46Mm-hmm.

00:43:46Okay, not

00:43:47Aaron?

00:43:47No, not

00:43:48with Aaron.

00:43:49And we always

00:43:50joke around

00:43:51that we're

00:43:52like a

00:43:52thruple,

00:43:52because he

00:43:53always complains

00:43:54that he has

00:43:54two wives.

00:43:55By now,

00:43:56detectives had

00:43:57told Samantha

00:43:58they had her

00:43:59phone records,

00:43:59and maybe

00:44:00that's why

00:44:01her story

00:44:02about the

00:44:02day of the

00:44:03murder was

00:44:04about to

00:44:04change.

00:44:05I left

00:44:05the Red

00:44:06Lion, I

00:44:07went to

00:44:07Crescent

00:44:08Valley.

00:44:09Well, well,

00:44:10she didn't

00:44:10spend the

00:44:11day at the

00:44:11hotel after

00:44:12all.

00:44:13And what

00:44:13did you do

00:44:14there?

00:44:15In

00:44:15Crescent

00:44:15Valley.

00:44:16I was just

00:44:17there momentarily,

00:44:18and then I

00:44:19left and went

00:44:19to Tahoe.

00:44:20Okay, and

00:44:20you were by

00:44:21yourself?

00:44:22No, I

00:44:22went with

00:44:23Dan.

00:44:24Dan, you

00:44:25went with

00:44:25you to

00:44:26Tahoe?

00:44:27There it

00:44:28was.

00:44:29She

00:44:29confirmed what

00:44:30her phone

00:44:31record showed,

00:44:32that her

00:44:32cell phone

00:44:33traveled from

00:44:33Dan's trailer

00:44:34to Lake Tahoe,

00:44:35and Dan was

00:44:37with her.

00:44:38Okay, so you

00:44:38guys drove

00:44:39together?

00:44:39Correct.

00:44:40Was he ever

00:44:40out of your

00:44:41sight?

00:44:42Yes.

00:44:43Samantha said

00:44:44she dropped off

00:44:45Dan in the

00:44:45afternoon, near the

00:44:46shops in Tahoe

00:44:48City, about four

00:44:49miles away from

00:44:50Gary and Wendy's

00:44:51house.

00:44:51And she waited

00:44:52for hours until

00:44:54Dan returned.

00:44:55He just

00:44:56said to

00:44:56wait, he

00:44:57had to pick

00:44:57up his

00:44:57package, and

00:44:58he said

00:44:58okay.

00:44:59She believed,

00:45:00she said,

00:45:00that he was

00:45:01there to pick

00:45:02up cocaine.

00:45:03So the

00:45:04digital evidence

00:45:05doesn't support

00:45:06what you're

00:45:06saying,

00:45:06unfortunately.

00:45:07Her phone put

00:45:08her much closer

00:45:09to the crime

00:45:10scene.

00:45:11Did you see

00:45:11him with a

00:45:11gun?

00:45:12I did not.

00:45:13Samantha said

00:45:14she didn't

00:45:14believe Dan

00:45:15had anything to

00:45:16do with the

00:45:16shooting.

00:45:17To which the

00:45:18detective replied,

00:45:19I don't buy

00:45:20that story

00:45:21whatsoever.

00:45:21You are in a

00:45:23lot of trouble.

00:45:23This does not

00:45:24make sense.

00:45:25And something

00:45:26else that didn't

00:45:27make sense.

00:45:27Did he tell you

00:45:28to turn your

00:45:29phone off?

00:45:29No, yes.

00:45:31He did tell me

00:45:32to turn my

00:45:32phone off.

00:45:32Okay, okay.

00:45:33Samantha?

00:45:34I'm sorry, I

00:45:35know it's...

00:45:35Hold on, we're

00:45:36not judging you.

00:45:37This is scary, but

00:45:38you have to be

00:45:39honest.

00:45:39Samantha said

00:45:40Dan told her

00:45:41to turn off

00:45:42her phone hours

00:45:43before they made

00:45:44it into Tahoe,

00:45:45and she did.

00:45:47Or thought

00:45:48she did.

00:45:48She made

00:45:50the mistake

00:45:50of presumably

00:45:52just killing

00:45:53off the screen

00:45:53on the phone

00:45:54and did not

00:45:56turn off the

00:45:56power off

00:45:57the entire

00:45:57phone, and

00:45:58it left a

00:46:00digital breadcrumb

00:46:02trail from

00:46:03beginning to

00:46:04end.

00:46:05Detective

00:46:06Meyer and his

00:46:06team watched

00:46:07the interview

00:46:08on FaceTime

00:46:09while they stood

00:46:10by with a

00:46:10search warrant

00:46:11near Dan's

00:46:12trailer in

00:46:12Crescent

00:46:13Valley.

00:46:13We were

00:46:14hopefully going

00:46:15to switch from

00:46:16just doing a

00:46:17search warrant

00:46:17out there

00:46:18to maybe

00:46:20we're going

00:46:20to be able

00:46:21to make

00:46:21the arrest.

00:46:21But Samantha

00:46:22didn't give

00:46:23up anything

00:46:24more.

00:46:24How did

00:46:25that change

00:46:26your thinking

00:46:27about the

00:46:28case?

00:46:29We knew

00:46:29at that

00:46:29point we

00:46:30were on

00:46:31the right

00:46:31track,

00:46:31that we

00:46:31had him.

00:46:32We knew

00:46:33that she

00:46:33had just

00:46:34put him

00:46:34there,

00:46:34she had

00:46:35just put

00:46:35Danny

00:46:35there,

00:46:36but now

00:46:36we had

00:46:37the finish

00:46:37line in

00:46:37sight.

00:46:38We were

00:46:38ready to

00:46:38finish it.

00:46:39That

00:46:40finish line

00:46:40was further

00:46:41than it

00:46:42seemed.

00:46:57while

00:46:58investigators

00:46:58worked on

00:46:59building a

00:46:59stronger case

00:47:00against Dan

00:47:01and Samantha,

00:47:02Wendy was

00:47:03trying to

00:47:03rebuild her

00:47:04life.

00:47:04She had

00:47:05survived

00:47:05multiple gunshots

00:47:06to the head

00:47:07and now she

00:47:08was doing

00:47:09all she could

00:47:09to regain

00:47:10her strength

00:47:11and her

00:47:12memory.

00:47:12Did it seem

00:47:13idea as if

00:47:14she would

00:47:14make a full

00:47:15recovery

00:47:15physically

00:47:16and mentally?

00:47:17I was

00:47:17very hopeful.

00:47:19It had that

00:47:20feeling that

00:47:20she was

00:47:21getting better

00:47:22by the day.

00:47:23Wendy's

00:47:24rehabilitation

00:47:24was long

00:47:25and strenuous.

00:47:27There's a

00:47:27miracle,

00:47:28Wendy.

00:47:28Her daughter

00:47:29Adrian released

00:47:29video of her

00:47:30progress.

00:47:31Reporter

00:47:32Michelle Bendur.

00:47:33Video of her

00:47:34riding a bike,

00:47:35learning how to

00:47:36walk again,

00:47:37learning how to

00:47:37speak again.

00:47:38Like she

00:47:39had this fight

00:47:40to live.

00:47:41Amazing she

00:47:42survived it,

00:47:43really.

00:47:43Amazing.

00:47:44And she

00:47:45kept up with

00:47:45the investigation.

00:47:47I spoke to

00:47:47her almost

00:47:48every day.

00:47:49Oh really,

00:47:49okay.

00:47:50Me and

00:47:50Wendy,

00:47:51we developed

00:47:52kind of a

00:47:52friendship.

00:47:53Wendy told

00:47:54Detective Meyer

00:47:55quite a bit

00:47:56about Adrian's

00:47:57sister,

00:47:57Erin,

00:47:58and brother-in-law,

00:47:59Dan,

00:48:00and their

00:48:00financial issues.

00:48:02They were

00:48:02taking more

00:48:03from Gary and

00:48:03Wendy than

00:48:04Adrian ever

00:48:05had.

00:48:06During a

00:48:07recorded phone

00:48:08call with

00:48:08detectives,

00:48:09Wendy described

00:48:10her frustration.

00:48:12They were

00:48:12very needy for

00:48:13money and

00:48:15all the time.

00:48:16There was

00:48:17always something

00:48:18and then,

00:48:18you know,

00:48:19we would

00:48:20help them out.

00:48:22In fact,

00:48:23on the day of

00:48:23the shooting,

00:48:24Gary and

00:48:24Wendy forked

00:48:25over a rather

00:48:26hefty song.

00:48:27I believe it was

00:48:27a $90,000 check

00:48:29that Aaron was

00:48:30given prior to

00:48:31leaving the

00:48:32residence.

00:48:32So the money

00:48:33was absolutely

00:48:34flowing in.

00:48:36Detectives learned

00:48:36that sometimes the

00:48:38money was a gift

00:48:38and other times

00:48:40alone.

00:48:41Either way,

00:48:42it was a lifeline

00:48:43for the couple.

00:48:44At one point,

00:48:45Danny had one

00:48:46failed business

00:48:46venture,

00:48:47a bar in the

00:48:49Reno Sparks

00:48:49area that fell

00:48:51through.

00:48:52By the time of

00:48:53the shooting,

00:48:54Dan and Aaron

00:48:54owed hundreds of

00:48:55thousands of

00:48:56dollars to her

00:48:57parents.

00:48:57There had been

00:48:58intense fights

00:48:59and sometimes

00:49:01estrangement.

00:49:02Her mother

00:49:02cut her off

00:49:03so many times

00:49:04throughout her life.

00:49:05You know,

00:49:05would cut her off

00:49:05and then bring

00:49:06her back.

00:49:07Did those heated

00:49:08arguments lead

00:49:09to murder?

00:49:10Wendy started to

00:49:12believe they did.

00:49:13She began to

00:49:14remember things,

00:49:15right?

00:49:15Gradually?

00:49:16She was trying

00:49:17to.

00:49:18Like maybe she

00:49:18saw Danny.

00:49:21Yes.

00:49:22This is Wendy

00:49:23almost a year

00:49:25after the shooting

00:49:25on the phone

00:49:26with a detective.

00:49:27I had the

00:49:28memory come back.

00:49:30I had felt

00:49:30that someone

00:49:31was in the

00:49:31house.

00:49:33And I looked

00:49:34up and saw

00:49:34Danny with a

00:49:35hoodie on.

00:49:36How clear

00:49:37do you remember

00:49:37it?

00:49:38Very clear.

00:49:40I remember

00:49:40him walking

00:49:41over and

00:49:43seeing him

00:49:44shooting Gary

00:49:45and then pointing

00:49:46the gun at me.

00:49:47It sounded

00:49:48credible,

00:49:49but given

00:49:50her brain injury,

00:49:52were her statements

00:49:52actual memories?

00:49:54Or a mixture

00:49:55of things she

00:49:56had heard from

00:49:57friends and family?

00:49:58Wendy herself

00:49:59wasn't sure,

00:50:00but she was

00:50:01suspicious enough

00:50:02of Dan and her

00:50:03daughter that she

00:50:04revised her will

00:50:05and disinherited

00:50:07Aaron.

00:50:07The more lucid

00:50:08she had become,

00:50:09the more involved

00:50:10she had become,

00:50:11the more engaging,

00:50:12also the more

00:50:13frustrated she had

00:50:13become.

00:50:14Equally frustrated

00:50:15was her daughter,

00:50:16Adrienne, who'd also

00:50:17become suspicious of

00:50:19Dan and her sister.

00:50:21Sergeant Tyler Neer,

00:50:22a new supervisor of

00:50:23investigations assigned

00:50:24to work with

00:50:25Detective Meyer,

00:50:26spoke with her.

00:50:27She wanted

00:50:28something done,

00:50:29and she wanted

00:50:30justice for her

00:50:31parents.

00:50:32And life was

00:50:33not easy.

00:50:35Wendy had

00:50:36improved physically,

00:50:38but mentally,

00:50:39she was struggling.

00:50:41And nearly two

00:50:42years after the

00:50:43shooting,

00:50:44Detective Meyer

00:50:44received a call

00:50:45from Adrienne.

00:50:47She said,

00:50:49my mom

00:50:50killed herself,

00:50:52and I blame

00:50:52you for it.

00:50:54To be accused

00:50:55of being responsible.

00:50:57She's dead,

00:50:58she killed herself,

00:50:59it's your fault.

00:50:59It was my fault

00:51:00because we didn't

00:51:01solve the crime

00:51:03and she felt

00:51:03that it was

00:51:03never going to be

00:51:04done.

00:51:06What was that like

00:51:07physically,

00:51:07emotionally,

00:51:08to get that call?

00:51:09It hurt.

00:51:14It made me angry.

00:51:16I was sad

00:51:17because I'd gotten

00:51:18to know Wendy

00:51:18and to know

00:51:20that she had

00:51:20taken her life,

00:51:22that hurt.

00:51:23Took it pretty

00:51:23hard, huh?

00:51:24It hit,

00:51:28yeah,

00:51:29it hit really

00:51:30hard.

00:51:31A few months

00:51:32later on the

00:51:32second anniversary

00:51:33of Gary's murder,

00:51:34Adrienne filed

00:51:35a wrongful death

00:51:36lawsuit alleging

00:51:37what she had

00:51:38come to believe,

00:51:39that both Dan

00:51:40and Aaron

00:51:41were responsible

00:51:42for the shooting.

00:51:44Placer County

00:51:45District Attorney

00:51:45Morgan Geyer.

00:51:47Did you believe

00:51:48that Aaron was

00:51:49involved in this

00:51:49in a substantial

00:51:51way?

00:51:51I do.

00:51:52What things

00:51:53stand out for you?

00:51:54Well, the most

00:51:55obvious being

00:51:56the timing of

00:51:57the murder

00:51:57of Gary Spore

00:52:00and the shooting

00:52:00of Wendy Wood.

00:52:02Aaron was there

00:52:02that day.

00:52:03Aaron went out

00:52:04on the boat

00:52:05with her children

00:52:06and her parents.

00:52:07Almost a two-hour

00:52:08window,

00:52:09the shooter used

00:52:09to slip into Gary

00:52:10and Wendy's home

00:52:11and wait.

00:52:13Aaron responded

00:52:14with her own

00:52:15lawsuit,

00:52:16denying any

00:52:17involvement with

00:52:18the attack

00:52:18against her parents.

00:52:20She alleged

00:52:20that was a lie

00:52:22Adrian used

00:52:23to turn Wendy

00:52:24against her.

00:52:25Aaron is accusing

00:52:26Adrian of cutting

00:52:27them out of the will

00:52:29and of taking

00:52:29advantage of her mother.

00:52:30The allegation

00:52:31was essentially

00:52:32that she had

00:52:32manipulated her mother

00:52:33into disinheriting

00:52:34and she filed a lawsuit

00:52:36to get to the bottom

00:52:37of it.

00:52:38How did all this

00:52:38complicate your investigation?

00:52:40For me,

00:52:41I treated it a lot

00:52:42as kind of noise,

00:52:42but I wasn't

00:52:44allowing it really

00:52:44to influence

00:52:46the investigation

00:52:47or influence

00:52:47any direction.

00:52:48By then,

00:52:50they'd found

00:52:50a key piece

00:52:51of evidence.

00:52:52It was video

00:52:53of Samantha

00:52:54on the day

00:52:55of the shooting,

00:52:55walking to her

00:52:57parked Subaru

00:52:57at 8 p.m.,

00:52:59a mile and a half

00:53:00from Gary and Wendy's

00:53:01home.

00:53:01She waited there

00:53:03until dark.

00:53:04And then,

00:53:0424 minutes after

00:53:06the shooter left

00:53:06the crime scene,

00:53:07headed in her direction,

00:53:09We could see

00:53:10the dome light

00:53:11turn on

00:53:12and presumably

00:53:13that's when

00:53:14he had gotten

00:53:15in the vehicle

00:53:16and they drove away.

00:53:18the last piece

00:53:19of the timeline puzzle.

00:53:22But before detectives

00:53:24could make an arrest,

00:53:25there was still

00:53:25something they needed

00:53:26to do.

00:53:27Really closing

00:53:28those doors

00:53:28on other people

00:53:29that could have

00:53:30been suspects

00:53:31or named

00:53:31as potential suspects

00:53:32to really paint

00:53:33the picture

00:53:34beyond a reasonable

00:53:34doubt that it

00:53:35couldn't be anybody

00:53:36else responsible

00:53:37for this.

00:53:38Seven months

00:53:39after Wendy's death,

00:53:40they believed

00:53:41they had done

00:53:42just that.

00:53:42today we arrested

00:53:4339-year-old

00:53:44Danny Serafini

00:53:45and 33-year-old

00:53:46Samantha Scott.

00:53:47The case was

00:53:48finally ready

00:53:49to prosecute.

00:53:52Detectives called

00:53:53Adrian to share

00:53:54the news.

00:53:55And we called her

00:53:57and told her,

00:53:57it's done.

00:53:58We got him.

00:53:58And she just screamed.

00:54:01She screamed

00:54:02in excitement

00:54:03and told her boyfriend

00:54:05that was with her,

00:54:06that it was done,

00:54:07that they finally got him.

00:54:09Why did you never

00:54:10arrest Aaron

00:54:11or charge her?

00:54:13There was no evidence

00:54:14that pointed at Aaron

00:54:16or showed Aaron

00:54:16had any culpability.

00:54:18After the arraignments,

00:54:20Adrian talked to reporters

00:54:21about her brother-in-law.

00:54:23I think he is violent.

00:54:26I think he is greedy.

00:54:28And I am just so thankful

00:54:31that Placer County

00:54:32has taken him into custody

00:54:33because that's where

00:54:34he should be.

00:54:35The former Major League

00:54:37Baseball player

00:54:38was about to face a jury

00:54:39and an unexpected star witness

00:54:42would take center stage.

00:54:59Dan Serafini and Samantha Scott

00:55:02were in jail,

00:55:03accused of murder

00:55:04and attempted murder.

00:55:05By January 2025,

00:55:07they'd been there 15 months.

00:55:09And Samantha,

00:55:11she'd had a change of heart

00:55:12and sat down with investigators

00:55:14to tell them everything.

00:55:17What did she say

00:55:18that was different

00:55:18than what she'd said before?

00:55:20Most importantly,

00:55:21she told us

00:55:22what instructions

00:55:23she had received from him

00:55:24to keep her phone off,

00:55:25to keep her mouth shut.

00:55:26And she indicated

00:55:27that he had a gun with him

00:55:28and had even test-fired

00:55:30that gun and silencer

00:55:31on their drive

00:55:32from Nevada

00:55:33to Lake Tahoe.

00:55:35And then,

00:55:36after Dan shot Gary and Wendy,

00:55:38said Samantha,

00:55:39as they were driving back

00:55:41to Dan's trailer,

00:55:42she saw him

00:55:43throw the gun,

00:55:44the silencer,

00:55:45the backpack

00:55:45and some shoes

00:55:46out of the car.

00:55:48By the time investigators

00:55:50looked for that evidence,

00:55:51it was gone,

00:55:52but Samantha's sworn statement

00:55:54would be enough.

00:55:55We were already preparing

00:55:57to try him

00:55:58without that testimony

00:55:59because the evidence

00:56:00showed that he did it.

00:56:02But this provided corroboration

00:56:05to a lot of other pieces

00:56:06of evidence.

00:56:07Samantha agreed

00:56:08to plead guilty

00:56:09to being an accessory

00:56:10after the fact

00:56:11and she got to go home.

00:56:13Well,

00:56:13with a new accessory

00:56:14of her own,

00:56:15an ankle monitor.

00:56:17Four months later,

00:56:19May 2025,

00:56:21Dan Serafini

00:56:21went on trial

00:56:22and prosecutor Rick Miller

00:56:24opened with something

00:56:25Dan told his brother.

00:56:27I'll pay $20,000

00:56:28to have them killed.

00:56:31That is how

00:56:31the trial started.

00:56:32Well,

00:56:33he certainly didn't

00:56:33bury the headline,

00:56:34did he?

00:56:36No,

00:56:37he did not.

00:56:37He got everyone's attention.

00:56:39The prosecutor said

00:56:40Dan's hatred

00:56:41toward his in-laws

00:56:42started years earlier.

00:56:44There were these

00:56:44very contentious emails

00:56:46that the jury heard.

00:56:48One exchange

00:56:49was from 2016

00:56:50when they were arguing

00:56:51over a multi-million dollar ranch

00:56:53they'd helped purchase

00:56:54for Aaron and Dan.

00:56:56The prosecutor quoted

00:56:57from Dan's email

00:56:58to Wendy.

00:56:59Take the f***ing house.

00:57:01But if Gary ever says

00:57:02f*** you to me again,

00:57:03I will knock him

00:57:04the f*** out.

00:57:05Three months

00:57:06before the shooting,

00:57:07there were more.

00:57:08This one,

00:57:09after a disagreement

00:57:10over the couple's kids.

00:57:12Wendy wrote to Aaron,

00:57:13Danny's disdain for us

00:57:15is right at the surface

00:57:16so he enjoyed

00:57:17berating us.

00:57:18They fought a lot.

00:57:20They fought a lot.

00:57:21They did.

00:57:22A lot of fighting.

00:57:23This was way more

00:57:25than just keyboard warriors.

00:57:28Dan said he wanted

00:57:29them killed

00:57:29and then set out

00:57:30to do that very thing,

00:57:32said the prosecutor.

00:57:33He would have stood

00:57:34to inherit

00:57:34quite a bit of money

00:57:36with his wife,

00:57:37but he didn't want

00:57:38to wait.

00:57:39He wanted it now

00:57:40and he didn't want

00:57:41any strings attached.

00:57:42And it all came

00:57:44to a head

00:57:44on June 5th, 2021,

00:57:46the day Wendy and Gary

00:57:47went boating

00:57:48with Aaron and her boys.

00:57:49The prosecutor

00:57:50showed that video

00:57:51of a figure

00:57:52walking toward the house

00:57:54and told the jurors

00:57:55to focus on

00:57:56the person's gait.

00:57:57What was it

00:57:58about the walk?

00:57:59Well, it was described

00:58:00as a sort of swagger

00:58:01with maybe a little bit

00:58:03of a limp.

00:58:03Sure.

00:58:05And then they had

00:58:06another video

00:58:06of Dan Serafini

00:58:08in the lobby

00:58:09of the Red Lion

00:58:10in Elko, Nevada

00:58:11the day before

00:58:12the shootings.

00:58:13Was the walk

00:58:14the same?

00:58:15Well, you'd have

00:58:16to look for yourself,

00:58:17but the prosecution

00:58:18said the walk

00:58:18was the same.

00:58:20Had to be Dan,

00:58:21the prosecutor said,

00:58:22because anybody else

00:58:23would have seen

00:58:24the SUV in the driveway

00:58:25and would have thought

00:58:26somebody was home.

00:58:28No one was home,

00:58:29of course.

00:58:30So Dan entered

00:58:31the garage code

00:58:32and walked right in.

00:58:34Then, just over

00:58:35an hour after

00:58:36Aaron drove off

00:58:37with the kids,

00:58:38the jurors heard

00:58:39the five gunshots.

00:58:44Before leaving,

00:58:45Dan put a bag

00:58:46of dog food out

00:58:47because he thought

00:58:47the bodies

00:58:48wouldn't be discovered

00:58:49for days,

00:58:49said the prosecutor.

00:58:51It was all

00:58:52carefully planned,

00:58:53he told the jury.

00:58:54Dan purposely

00:58:55left his phone

00:58:56in his trailer

00:58:57300 plus miles away

00:58:59so there wouldn't

00:59:00be a digital trail.

00:59:01His phone has a really

00:59:03good rock-solid alibi.

00:59:06That phone never moved.

00:59:08Zero steps,

00:59:10zero outgoing communication,

00:59:12everything goes

00:59:13to voicemail.

00:59:14Then the prosecutor

00:59:15called his star witness,

00:59:17Samantha Scott.

00:59:19She described

00:59:20what she saw

00:59:20on that drive

00:59:21to Lake Tahoe,

00:59:22the gun,

00:59:23the silencer,

00:59:24the backpack,

00:59:25and something Dan

00:59:26later revealed

00:59:28about that day.

00:59:29He allegedly confessed

00:59:31to Samantha

00:59:32that he shot Wendy.

00:59:34She also told the jury

00:59:35that Dan threatened

00:59:36to shoot her family

00:59:37if she said anything

00:59:39to anyone.

00:59:41By the fall of 2021,

00:59:43months after the murder,

00:59:44Samantha said,

00:59:46they were having

00:59:46an affair

00:59:47that continued

00:59:48even after

00:59:49they were both arrested.

00:59:51He told her

00:59:52he was in love

00:59:52with her

00:59:53while they were in jail

00:59:54and sent her

00:59:55what they call

00:59:56kites in jail.

00:59:57This is a slang term

00:59:59for sending messages

01:00:00between inmates.

01:00:02And that,

01:00:03said the prosecutor,

01:00:04was part of the plan.

01:00:06He knows

01:00:07she's loyal.

01:00:09He knows

01:00:10she's in love

01:00:11with him.

01:00:12Everything he's,

01:00:13that she has done

01:00:15indicates that.

01:00:17And yeah,

01:00:19even as I'm talking

01:00:20right now,

01:00:21the flame

01:00:22on that candle

01:00:23has not even

01:00:24begun to flicker.

01:00:25She still admitted

01:00:27she was feeling

01:00:28guilty for testifying

01:00:29because she was

01:00:29still had feelings

01:00:30for him.

01:00:31Then the prosecutor

01:00:33called Aaron

01:00:33and asked her

01:00:35about Dan's

01:00:35relationship

01:00:36with Samantha.

01:00:37Aaron said she knew

01:00:38of the sexual

01:00:40relationship.

01:00:41That didn't make

01:00:42her upset,

01:00:42but she was more

01:00:43upset that there

01:00:44were emotional

01:00:44feelings that she

01:00:45was finding out

01:00:46about.

01:00:46That's what upset

01:00:47her.

01:00:48She had once

01:00:49considered Samantha

01:00:50a friend,

01:00:51but now,

01:00:52she said,

01:00:52she no longer

01:00:53trusted her.

01:00:54And unlike

01:00:55Samantha,

01:00:56Aaron had not

01:00:57turned on Dan.

01:00:59She testified

01:00:59for the prosecution

01:01:00and defended Dan.

01:01:02Correct.

01:01:02She defended

01:01:03her husband

01:01:03at the trial

01:01:04saying,

01:01:06there's no way

01:01:08that was her

01:01:09husband in that

01:01:10video.

01:01:11Samantha and Aaron

01:01:12on the stand,

01:01:13the two of them.

01:01:14I'm interested in

01:01:15knowing from your

01:01:16observation of them

01:01:17how they came

01:01:17across.

01:01:18They painted

01:01:18two separate

01:01:19pictures.

01:01:20Samantha had

01:01:21accepted defeat

01:01:22both legally

01:01:23and existentially

01:01:24and understood

01:01:25that her job

01:01:26now was to

01:01:27connect the dots.

01:01:28Aaron was still

01:01:29in defense mode.

01:01:31She was still

01:01:32actively trying

01:01:33to thwart the

01:01:34truth,

01:01:34so you couldn't

01:01:35have two

01:01:35different perspectives

01:01:37in one courtroom.

01:01:39Or maybe

01:01:40three perspectives?

01:01:42Dan's defense

01:01:43attorney was about

01:01:44to paint an

01:01:45entirely different

01:01:46picture,

01:01:47and Dan Serafini

01:01:48wasn't in it.

01:01:50The person

01:01:51in the video

01:01:52is built

01:01:53differently

01:01:53than Danny

01:01:54because the

01:01:55person in that

01:01:56video is not

01:01:57Danny Serafini.

01:02:11The state

01:02:13had called

01:02:13Dan Serafini

01:02:14a killer.

01:02:15That,

01:02:16his attorney

01:02:17David Ratman

01:02:18said,

01:02:18was flat

01:02:19out wrong.

01:02:21Danny Serafini

01:02:22did not

01:02:22shoot Gary

01:02:23Spore.

01:02:25Danny Serafini

01:02:26did not

01:02:26shoot Wendy

01:02:27Wood.

01:02:28That masked

01:02:29man in the

01:02:30video?

01:02:30That wasn't

01:02:31him,

01:02:32said the defense.

01:02:33The stature

01:02:34is different,

01:02:35and the person

01:02:36in the video

01:02:36is built

01:02:37differently

01:02:38than Danny

01:02:39because the

01:02:40person in that

01:02:40video is not

01:02:41Danny Serafini.

01:02:42The height

01:02:43was wrong,

01:02:44the weight

01:02:45was wrong,

01:02:46the walk

01:02:46was wrong,

01:02:47not the same

01:02:48at all.

01:02:49And anyway,

01:02:49remember those

01:02:50phone records?

01:02:51He was many

01:02:51miles away

01:02:52in Nevada

01:02:52when that masked

01:02:53man shot

01:02:54Gary and Wendy.

01:02:55The defense

01:02:56suggested he could

01:02:57have been

01:02:57binge-watching

01:02:58something on

01:02:59his phone,

01:03:00shopping,

01:03:01sitting in his

01:03:01trailer in Crescent

01:03:02Valley.

01:03:02And remember,

01:03:04counsel the defense

01:03:04attorney,

01:03:05there was no

01:03:06physical evidence,

01:03:07not a scrap,

01:03:08tying Dan to the

01:03:09Tahoe house on the

01:03:10day of the shooting.

01:03:11Besides,

01:03:12his wife Erin

01:03:12testified that Dan

01:03:14had no financial

01:03:15motive to kill

01:03:16her parents.

01:03:17These people

01:03:17were quite generous

01:03:18with Danny Serafini

01:03:20and his wife,

01:03:22their daughter,

01:03:23Erin.

01:03:24And if Dan

01:03:25killed them,

01:03:26he'd get nothing,

01:03:27not a cent.

01:03:29The evidence

01:03:29will also show

01:03:30that Danny

01:03:32Serafini

01:03:34was not a

01:03:35beneficiary

01:03:36of their will.

01:03:37he was not

01:03:39someone that

01:03:40was going

01:03:40to inherit.

01:03:41As for

01:03:42Samantha's

01:03:43testimony,

01:03:44she lied,

01:03:45said the defense,

01:03:46to save herself.

01:03:48That story

01:03:49is fantastic.

01:03:51That story

01:03:52is a story.

01:03:54It is

01:03:55a really

01:03:56great leap

01:03:57of faith

01:03:58here

01:04:00that the

01:04:01prosecution

01:04:01is asking

01:04:03you to

01:04:04believe.

01:04:05It's like,

01:04:06why would you

01:04:07kill the

01:04:07golden goose?

01:04:09Before jurors

01:04:10got the case,

01:04:11prosecutor Rick

01:04:12Miller left

01:04:12them with this

01:04:13message.

01:04:14You know why

01:04:14he did it.

01:04:16You know how

01:04:16he did it.

01:04:18You know his

01:04:19motive.

01:04:19You know his

01:04:20opportunity.

01:04:21You know his

01:04:22ability.

01:04:23There's a murderer

01:04:24in this room.

01:04:26He's sitting

01:04:26right there.

01:04:29And then

01:04:30they were sent

01:04:30away to

01:04:31deliberate.

01:04:33I've never

01:04:34experienced

01:04:35or been through

01:04:35anything like

01:04:36this before.

01:04:37Karen Schroeder,

01:04:38the jury

01:04:39foreperson,

01:04:39and two

01:04:40other jurors,

01:04:41Allie McKibben

01:04:42and Gracie

01:04:43Buttrick,

01:04:43took page

01:04:44after page

01:04:44of notes

01:04:45as they

01:04:46listened to

01:04:46the testimony

01:04:47and watched

01:04:48Dan.

01:04:49I spent

01:04:49the majority

01:04:50of the trial

01:04:52just watching

01:04:53him to try

01:04:54to see how

01:04:55he reacted to

01:04:56each and every

01:04:56witness and

01:04:58the evidence

01:04:59and just try

01:04:59to get a read

01:05:00on him,

01:05:00but he seemed

01:05:01very stoic

01:05:02and disconnected.

01:05:03They paid

01:05:04attention to

01:05:04every word

01:05:05from Samantha

01:05:06Scott.

01:05:06Her recollection

01:05:08on the stand

01:05:08and compare

01:05:09that to what

01:05:10she had already

01:05:11told law

01:05:11enforcement,

01:05:12really trying

01:05:13to pick

01:05:13through,

01:05:15is she telling

01:05:15the truth?

01:05:16What is she

01:05:17lying about?

01:05:19And found

01:05:20Dan's wife

01:05:20Erin to be,

01:05:22well...

01:05:23For lack

01:05:24of a better

01:05:25word,

01:05:25frustrating.

01:05:26It was clear

01:05:27the second

01:05:28she got on

01:05:29that witness

01:05:30stand that

01:05:30her loyalties

01:05:32lied with

01:05:33her husband.

01:05:34And you have

01:05:34to think,

01:05:35he's up there

01:05:36accused of

01:05:37murdering

01:05:38your parents.

01:05:40That first

01:05:41day,

01:05:41the jurors

01:05:42talked.

01:05:43No verdict.

01:05:44We didn't

01:05:45take a vote

01:05:46until the end

01:05:48of our second

01:05:49full day

01:05:49of deliberations.

01:05:51The vote

01:05:51was not

01:05:52unanimous.

01:05:53Were you surprised?

01:05:54They kept

01:05:55going on and on

01:05:56and on.

01:05:56I really thought

01:05:57it was going

01:05:57to be a very

01:05:58quick verdict

01:05:58and had to

01:05:59keep reminding

01:06:00myself the

01:06:00amount of

01:06:01evidence that

01:06:01they had to

01:06:02go through

01:06:02and the

01:06:02complexity of

01:06:03the case.

01:06:04So it kind

01:06:04of gave me

01:06:05that moment

01:06:05of peace to

01:06:06know we're

01:06:06going to get

01:06:07there, it's

01:06:07just going to

01:06:08take a little

01:06:08while to get

01:06:09to where we

01:06:09need to.

01:06:10You hope?

01:06:11I hoped.

01:06:12The jurors took

01:06:13a closer look

01:06:14at the surveillance

01:06:14videos from the

01:06:15Red Lion and

01:06:16the Tahoe House

01:06:18and they took

01:06:19screenshots.

01:06:20There was parts

01:06:21where you could

01:06:21zoom in and so

01:06:22then we did

01:06:23side by side

01:06:24and looked,

01:06:24could it be

01:06:25the same person?

01:06:26They looked

01:06:27at the shoes,

01:06:28the pants,

01:06:28the walk.

01:06:30We were like

01:06:31investigators.

01:06:32And finally,

01:06:33on day four.

01:06:35I understand the

01:06:36jury has reached a

01:06:37verdict.

01:06:38And years of

01:06:39grief and anger

01:06:40and tension

01:06:41gathered in the

01:06:42courtroom that

01:06:43moment.

01:06:44We, the jury,

01:06:45in the above

01:06:45entitled action,

01:06:47find the defendant,

01:06:47Daniel Joseph

01:06:48Serafini, guilty.

01:06:50Guilty of first

01:06:52degree murder and

01:06:53attempted murder.

01:06:54The jurors were

01:06:56certain the

01:06:57figure in the

01:06:57video could only

01:06:59have been Dan

01:07:00Serafini.

01:07:01I felt 100%

01:07:04that's him.

01:07:05No one was able

01:07:05to convince me it

01:07:06wasn't.

01:07:07And nothing in the

01:07:09evidence could tell

01:07:10me that it wasn't.

01:07:11Today, I wore my

01:07:13mom's engagement

01:07:14ring and my dad's

01:07:16ashes are around

01:07:18my neck.

01:07:19And I knew they

01:07:20were here with us

01:07:21today.

01:07:21Outside the

01:07:22courtroom, Adrian

01:07:23Spohr was grateful.

01:07:25The Placer County

01:07:26District Attorney's

01:07:28Office and

01:07:28Sheriff's Office

01:07:29never gave up.

01:07:32And today, finally,

01:07:33justice was served.

01:07:36Oh, my gosh.

01:07:38Excitement.

01:07:40Tears.

01:07:41A full, kind of

01:07:44like, four years

01:07:47just finally ended.

01:07:48Have you ever

01:07:49been this deeply,

01:07:50emotionally connected

01:07:51with a case before?

01:07:53No.

01:07:54I've never had any

01:07:55case that just

01:07:58exhausted us mentally

01:08:00and emotionally to

01:08:02this degree.

01:08:03And it was, when it

01:08:04was done, that relief

01:08:05was pretty awesome.

01:08:08Except it wasn't

01:08:10done.

01:08:10It wasn't.

01:08:12Because Dan

01:08:14Serafini simply

01:08:15refused to accept it.

01:08:17and he found

01:08:18a new attorney

01:08:19who revealed

01:08:20a new piece

01:08:22of evidence.

01:08:23Danny, it's

01:08:23Wendy.

01:08:24I didn't get

01:08:25to tell you

01:08:26that I've been

01:08:27doing this

01:08:28electric therapy

01:08:29and I have a

01:08:31vision of the

01:08:31shooter.

01:08:32The DA said,

01:08:33where'd you get

01:08:33that?

01:08:34Watch out.

01:08:50You know how it

01:08:51is.

01:08:51The jury

01:08:52pronounces

01:08:53guilty

01:08:53and it's done.

01:08:55Cooked.

01:08:56Finished.

01:08:58We begin with

01:08:59breaking news.

01:08:59A jury has found

01:09:00former MLB pitcher

01:09:01Dan Serafini

01:09:02guilty of murder.

01:09:03Except this

01:09:04time, it

01:09:05wasn't.

01:09:06Dan Serafini,

01:09:07one-time Major

01:09:08League Baseball

01:09:09pitcher, now

01:09:10convicted murderer,

01:09:11simply refused

01:09:12to accept the

01:09:13verdict.

01:09:14What the hell

01:09:15happened?

01:09:16I think what

01:09:17happened,

01:09:18unfortunately,

01:09:19for everyone,

01:09:20is that due

01:09:21process never

01:09:22happened.

01:09:23Or you could

01:09:24say, this guy

01:09:25is what

01:09:26happened.

01:09:26Dan swapped

01:09:27out his old

01:09:28lawyers for

01:09:29Barry Zimmerman.

01:09:30And Zimmerman had

01:09:32a whole new

01:09:32play in mind.

01:09:34Throw out

01:09:35his conviction

01:09:35and get Dan

01:09:37a new trial.

01:09:39Why?

01:09:40Two reasons,

01:09:41he said.

01:09:42Reason one,

01:09:44jury misconduct.

01:09:45What did the jury

01:09:46do that was so

01:09:47terrible?

01:09:48They decided

01:09:49on their own

01:09:50dime to go

01:09:52through the

01:09:53video of the

01:09:54surveillance at

01:09:55the house and

01:09:56the video at

01:09:57the Red Lion

01:09:58and make

01:09:59screenshots and

01:10:01then compare

01:10:02screenshots to

01:10:03screenshots to

01:10:05see if they

01:10:05could match who

01:10:06they knew to be

01:10:07Danny Serafini at

01:10:08the Red Lion with

01:10:09the perpetrator.

01:10:11That,

01:10:12Zimmerman said,

01:10:13was outside the

01:10:14scope of the

01:10:15jury's role.

01:10:15I was shocked.

01:10:17I thought,

01:10:17this is absolutely

01:10:19misconduct.

01:10:21And reason two?

01:10:22Zimmerman argued

01:10:23that Dan's trial

01:10:24attorneys had failed

01:10:25him, given him a

01:10:26poor defense.

01:10:27For example,

01:10:29Dan was pushing

01:10:29to go to trial,

01:10:30but Zimmerman said

01:10:31his lawyers should

01:10:32have taken a pause

01:10:33and regrouped,

01:10:34especially after

01:10:35learning that

01:10:36Samantha Scott

01:10:37had flipped.

01:10:38The responsible

01:10:39thing for his

01:10:40trial lawyers to

01:10:41have done at that

01:10:42moment was to say,

01:10:44break's on,

01:10:45we're not ready.

01:10:46The cards have

01:10:48changed.

01:10:48The table is now

01:10:49different.

01:10:50We have Samantha

01:10:51Scott to deal

01:10:51with.

01:10:52Was Samantha

01:10:53Scott the key to

01:10:54it all?

01:10:54Yes, absolutely.

01:10:56Zimmerman claimed

01:10:58Samantha was more

01:10:59involved than she

01:10:59let on.

01:11:00I don't view her

01:11:02as being some

01:11:03naive person who

01:11:04just happened to

01:11:05say, I'll do

01:11:06whatever Danny

01:11:07Serafini tells me

01:11:08to do and I won't

01:11:09ask any questions.

01:11:10I don't buy that

01:11:11for a second.

01:11:12Also, said

01:11:13Zimmerman, Dan's

01:11:14attorneys should

01:11:15have let him

01:11:16testify.

01:11:17He's not a fool.

01:11:18He knew he had

01:11:19to testify,

01:11:20especially when

01:11:22Samantha was going

01:11:23to testify against

01:11:25him.

01:11:25Come on, he's

01:11:26his own agent.

01:11:27He could testify

01:11:28if he really

01:11:28wanted to,

01:11:29couldn't he?

01:11:29He could, but

01:11:30when the pressure's

01:11:31on, let me just

01:11:32kind of put you

01:11:32into this.

01:11:33You're facing life

01:11:34without the

01:11:35possibility of parole.

01:11:36You have two

01:11:37lawyers you've

01:11:37paid $400,000 to.

01:11:39They're both

01:11:40telling you, you

01:11:41can't testify,

01:11:42it's a mistake,

01:11:43you're going to

01:11:43lose.

01:11:44And Zimmerman

01:11:45argued the

01:11:45defense didn't

01:11:46call a single

01:11:47witness, but

01:11:48should have

01:11:48called a neighbor

01:11:49who told

01:11:50investigators she

01:11:51saw Dan in

01:11:52Crescent Valley

01:11:53the day of the

01:11:53murder, and a

01:11:55secret lover who

01:11:56told detectives she

01:11:58spent the day with

01:11:58Dan.

01:11:59I was with them

01:12:00all day Saturday

01:12:01and then went to

01:12:02work.

01:12:03Okay, what did

01:12:03you guys do on

01:12:04Saturday?

01:12:06Um, drank a

01:12:08bunch of

01:12:09disgusting wine.

01:12:11So, Zimmerman

01:12:13got a hearing,

01:12:14and they all

01:12:15assembled in the

01:12:15courtroom, and

01:12:16Dan Serafini

01:12:17shuffled in his

01:12:19garish jail

01:12:19jumpsuit

01:12:20punctuation, for

01:12:22a very unusual

01:12:23proceeding.

01:12:24For several

01:12:24days he testified

01:12:25about Samantha

01:12:26Scott and his

01:12:27complaints about

01:12:28his attorneys, and

01:12:30with Dan on the

01:12:30stand, Zimmerman

01:12:32revealed evidence

01:12:33the jury never

01:12:34heard.

01:12:35Danny, it's

01:12:36Wendy.

01:12:36I didn't get to

01:12:38tell you that I've

01:12:39been doing this

01:12:40electric therapy that

01:12:42allows me to

01:12:43recall visions, and

01:12:44I have a vision of

01:12:46the shooter, and it's

01:12:47not you.

01:12:48This was Wendy

01:12:49saying Dan was

01:12:51not the killer.

01:12:52That was powerful

01:12:53stuff.

01:12:54The DA said,

01:12:55where'd you get

01:12:55that?

01:12:56Dramatic, or

01:12:58maybe not.

01:13:00During his cross

01:13:01examination, the

01:13:02prosecutor played

01:13:03that other Wendy

01:13:04tape.

01:13:05Someone was in

01:13:06the house, and I

01:13:08looked up and saw

01:13:09Danny with a

01:13:10hoodie on.

01:13:11He was able to

01:13:12show that Wendy

01:13:13knew exactly what

01:13:15Danny had done, and

01:13:16at some points

01:13:17were keeping them

01:13:18close and making

01:13:19them believe that

01:13:20she didn't think

01:13:21that, so that she

01:13:22could remain safe.

01:13:23She still remained

01:13:23fearful for her

01:13:24life up until the

01:13:26end.

01:13:26As for Dan's

01:13:28alibi witnesses, the

01:13:29prosecutor said his

01:13:30neighbor had the

01:13:31date wrong, and Dan

01:13:33told his lover to

01:13:34lie.

01:13:35The alibi witnesses

01:13:36would have

01:13:36ultimately provided

01:13:37more incriminating

01:13:39evidence against Mr.

01:13:40Serafini, and

01:13:40arguably would have

01:13:41sped up that guilty

01:13:42verdict that he so

01:13:43justly deserved.

01:13:44So his original

01:13:45defense attorneys were

01:13:46right in withholding

01:13:47those people.

01:13:48They were absolutely

01:13:49right in withholding

01:13:50any evidence of

01:13:50the alibi.

01:13:51The prosecution

01:13:52argued Dan was

01:13:53simply having

01:13:53buyers' remorse, and

01:13:55the jury did

01:13:56nothing wrong.

01:13:58Dan watched it

01:13:59all unfold.

01:14:00One more shot

01:14:01had another chance,

01:14:03and he had a lot

01:14:04to say about it.

01:14:05I think you need

01:14:06to stop with those

01:14:07questions, because

01:14:07you keep implicating

01:14:08me, and it's not

01:14:09me.

01:14:23from pitcher's mound

01:14:25to jail cell, Dan

01:14:27Serafini's fall was

01:14:28as steep as they

01:14:29come.

01:14:30I thought about

01:14:30this case a lot.

01:14:31I wondered how

01:14:32somebody with all

01:14:33the talent and the

01:14:34advantages that you've

01:14:35got in life has wound

01:14:36up here.

01:14:37I'd love to understand

01:14:38it.

01:14:39Do you understand

01:14:39it?

01:14:40No, I don't

01:14:41understand it at all.

01:14:42I believed in the

01:14:43justice system, and

01:14:45the justice system

01:14:45failed.

01:14:46Well, the justice

01:14:47system would say it

01:14:48didn't fail at all,

01:14:49that it was a good

01:14:49circumstantial case, and

01:14:50when they laid it

01:14:51out, there was a lot

01:14:52of circumstantial

01:14:53stuff there.

01:14:54Some prosecutors

01:14:55say that's the best

01:14:56kind of case.

01:14:58Circumstantial case,

01:14:58and I believe the

01:14:59circumstantial stuff

01:15:00that they had was

01:15:01just making up a

01:15:02story.

01:15:02They had no proof,

01:15:03no anything.

01:15:04This, Dan decided,

01:15:06would be his only

01:15:07network interview.

01:15:08There was a time

01:15:09limit, and jail

01:15:10rules required this

01:15:12somewhat awkward

01:15:13arrangement through a

01:15:14thick layer of glass.

01:15:15Dan told us he's

01:15:16behind bars because

01:15:17his trial attorneys

01:15:19did not mount a

01:15:20strong defense, and

01:15:22the jury...

01:15:23They just didn't

01:15:23like me.

01:15:24They didn't like my

01:15:25lifestyle.

01:15:25They didn't like the

01:15:27way I acted in court,

01:15:29which I didn't act

01:15:30anyway.

01:15:31I sat there like I

01:15:32was supposed to,

01:15:33because my lawyers

01:15:34told me to.

01:15:34Don't react.

01:15:36Don't respond.

01:15:36Sit there like

01:15:38nothing's bothering

01:15:38you.

01:15:39And I did.

01:15:40And I got

01:15:40crucified for it.

01:15:42And then there

01:15:43was the woman who

01:15:44turned against him.

01:15:45Tell me about your

01:15:46relationship with

01:15:47Samantha.

01:15:48Samantha was a

01:15:49very close family

01:15:51friend.

01:15:52We ended up kind

01:15:54of falling into a

01:15:55fling with each

01:15:55other.

01:15:56My wife and I live

01:15:57a certain lifestyle

01:15:58to where, you know,

01:16:00we do our own

01:16:01things when we're

01:16:02apart.

01:16:02Our rule was not

01:16:05to bring any drama

01:16:06home.

01:16:06I left town a lot

01:16:08for work.

01:16:09I was allowed to do

01:16:10what I wanted to do.

01:16:12I screwed up.

01:16:13I made a horrible

01:16:14decision by being

01:16:16with Sam because I

01:16:18broke the rules and

01:16:19brought the drama

01:16:19home.

01:16:20She was too close to

01:16:21home to have that

01:16:22kind of relationship.

01:16:23She told detectives

01:16:25that you would shoot

01:16:27her family, you told

01:16:28her, if she spoke

01:16:29up.

01:16:30Of course not.

01:16:32I would not do

01:16:33that.

01:16:33Sam was a big part

01:16:34of my life.

01:16:36Sam was never in

01:16:37danger.

01:16:37It all makes for a

01:16:38really good story.

01:16:40Dan's story was

01:16:42this.

01:16:43He partied with

01:16:44Samantha the night

01:16:45before the murder

01:16:46and then went back

01:16:47to his trailer the

01:16:48next morning.

01:16:49And Samantha came

01:16:50over later that day

01:16:51to pick up $25,000

01:16:52as arranged for what

01:16:54he called an

01:16:56investment.

01:16:57Samantha left with

01:16:58the money, but he

01:16:59didn't go with her

01:17:00and he didn't shoot

01:17:01anybody.

01:17:02Why would Samantha

01:17:04say you did it, that

01:17:05you committed the

01:17:06murder?

01:17:07Well, because they

01:17:08scared her with 120

01:17:09years in prison.

01:17:11I think anybody in

01:17:12this room would do

01:17:12the same thing.

01:17:13So you're saying

01:17:13she's lying down?

01:17:15You're saying that

01:17:16the authorities

01:17:17encouraged her to lie

01:17:19to get a case against

01:17:20you because they

01:17:21didn't know who else

01:17:22to charge?

01:17:22I mean, who else

01:17:23would it be?

01:17:24I have no idea, but

01:17:25that's not my job.

01:17:26My job isn't to prove

01:17:28who did it.

01:17:28My job was to prove

01:17:30that I didn't do it

01:17:30and there's nothing

01:17:31there to prove that I

01:17:32did it.

01:17:33The state argued it

01:17:34was Dan who was lying.

01:17:36The prosecutors would

01:17:37say, you knew the way

01:17:37into the garage.

01:17:39And you did.

01:17:39I mean, you'd been

01:17:40there before.

01:17:41You knew the way

01:17:42into the house.

01:17:43You knew where you

01:17:43could hide while they

01:17:44were out doing whatever

01:17:45they were doing before

01:17:46they came back and it

01:17:46was time to act.

01:17:48You knew a lot of

01:17:49these things that nobody

01:17:50else would know.

01:17:51What do you say to

01:17:51those allegations?

01:17:53I'd say again

01:17:54that they're just

01:17:55guessing.

01:17:56I mean, how hard is it

01:17:57to walk through a

01:17:57garage door?

01:17:59I mean, they're saying

01:18:00that I knew how to

01:18:01get into the house.

01:18:01Of course, everybody

01:18:02knows how to get

01:18:03into a house.

01:18:04No one can even prove

01:18:05that the garage door

01:18:06was open or closed.

01:18:08Understand?

01:18:09And then there was

01:18:10the man in that

01:18:11surveillance video.

01:18:12They can't say it's me.

01:18:14There's no way

01:18:14they can say it's me.

01:18:15They can't prove it's

01:18:16you, but they've got

01:18:17this guy who looks

01:18:17kind of like you

01:18:18with your sort of

01:18:19walk, walking on

01:18:20a surveillance camera.

01:18:21And then they've

01:18:21got somebody who

01:18:22knows how to get

01:18:23into the house.

01:18:24You're already

01:18:24implicating it's me.

01:18:25I've got to be

01:18:26challenging because

01:18:27we don't have much

01:18:27time, I have to tell

01:18:28you.

01:18:29I think you need to

01:18:30stop with those

01:18:30questions.

01:18:31Why?

01:18:32Because you keep

01:18:33implicating me and

01:18:34it's not me.

01:18:35As for telling his

01:18:36brother he'd pay

01:18:37someone 20 grand to

01:18:38kill his in-laws,

01:18:40that brother testified,

01:18:41said Dan made the

01:18:43offer in jest.

01:18:44Not with me,

01:18:45not.

01:18:46My brother was

01:18:47throwing daggers

01:18:48at me because

01:18:49Tim and I had a

01:18:50falling out after

01:18:50my mom passed away.

01:18:52I never mentioned

01:18:52that once to him.

01:18:54And that's on my

01:18:54kid, that's on my

01:18:55wife.

01:18:56And speaking of

01:18:57Erin, Dan said

01:18:58any suggestion that

01:18:59she was involved in

01:19:00some plot to have

01:19:01her parents killed

01:19:02was ridiculous.

01:19:04Erin didn't hate

01:19:05her parents.

01:19:06Erin didn't want

01:19:07her parents dead.

01:19:08I didn't want her

01:19:08parents dead.

01:19:09None of us did.

01:19:11And I think for

01:19:12people to believe

01:19:12that, that's the

01:19:13kind of society

01:19:14we're in.

01:19:15People want to think

01:19:16that I was broke.

01:19:17People wanted to

01:19:18think that I was a

01:19:18washed up baseball

01:19:19player that didn't

01:19:20have any money.

01:19:21I didn't need

01:19:22anybody's money.

01:19:23I paid my own

01:19:24bills.

01:19:24I did my own

01:19:25things.

01:19:26And I'm proud of

01:19:28the person that I

01:19:28am and that I

01:19:29became.

01:19:30I didn't have a

01:19:31superstar baseball

01:19:32career.

01:19:33I've been very

01:19:34successful.

01:19:35And I'm proud of

01:19:36that.

01:19:36And I won't hide

01:19:37from it.

01:19:38That was it.

01:19:40Our allotted time

01:19:41was up.

01:19:41And Dan Serafini

01:19:43went back to his

01:19:44cell where he

01:19:44will remain in

01:19:45one cell or

01:19:46another for the

01:19:47rest of his

01:19:48life because the

01:19:50judge denied his

01:19:52motion for a new

01:19:53trial.

01:19:54At his sentencing,

01:19:56Adrian called Dan

01:19:57evil and a

01:19:59monster.

01:20:00For 10 years,

01:20:01Dan Serafini and

01:20:02Erin Spore treated

01:20:03my parents like a

01:20:04bottomless ATM.

01:20:06Between loans and

01:20:07gifts, my parents

01:20:09provided them with

01:20:10well over two

01:20:11million dollars.

01:20:12But it was never

01:20:13enough.

01:20:15At one point, Dan's

01:20:17attorney asked,

01:20:18why kill the

01:20:19golden goose?

01:20:20And the answer was

01:20:21simple.

01:20:22They got tired of

01:20:23asking.

01:20:24Detective Meyer

01:20:25was in the courtroom

01:20:26watching Adrian

01:20:27deliver the words

01:20:28she had waited so

01:20:29long to say.

01:20:30Adrian gave you a

01:20:31hug of the

01:20:32sentencing, didn't

01:20:33she?

01:20:33She did.

01:20:39Um, I'm sorry.

01:20:41That's okay.

01:20:42She did with, she

01:20:44actually did with me

01:20:46and my wife and kids

01:20:47were there and she

01:20:50ran over to them and

01:20:51gave them the, gave them

01:20:53a hug as well.

01:20:54She got to meet my

01:20:55family that sacrificed

01:20:57all their time while I

01:20:59tried to bring conclusion

01:21:00for her family.

01:21:01family.

01:21:01So it was kind of almost

01:21:03like we came full circle.

01:21:04Sure.

01:21:06And maybe that went some

01:21:07way toward repairing the

01:21:09terrible pain you felt

01:21:10about what she said.

01:21:12It absolutely did.

01:21:14One person, not in

01:21:16attendance, Erin Spohr, she

01:21:19filed for divorce, though

01:21:21she still stands by Dan.

01:21:23Dan's attorney read a

01:21:24statement Erin wrote on

01:21:26Dan's behalf.

01:21:27He may be imperfect, but

01:21:29he is one of the most

01:21:31caring and generous people

01:21:32I have ever met in this

01:21:34world.

01:21:34The civil suits between

01:21:36Erin and her sister have

01:21:37been privately resolved.

01:21:39Adrian's lawsuit against

01:21:40Dan is ongoing.

01:21:43As for Samantha Scott.

01:21:45I am deeply sorry to the

01:21:47families affected by this

01:21:48case and to the

01:21:49investigators who are

01:21:50trying to find the truth.

01:21:51She was sentenced to two

01:21:53years probation for aiding

01:21:55Dan.

01:21:58And 6,000 feet up in the

01:22:00Sierra Mountains, Lake Tahoe

01:22:02glimmers as it always has,

01:22:04deep and clear, and unmoved

01:22:07by the dramas that grip

01:22:09mere humans.

01:22:10Round its sylvan shores.

01:22:16And that's all for this

01:22:18edition of Dateline.

01:22:19Don't forget to check out

01:22:20our Talking Dateline

01:22:21podcast, which will go

01:22:23behind the scenes of

01:22:24tonight's episode.

01:22:26Available Wednesday in the

01:22:27Dateline feed, wherever you

01:22:29get your podcasts.

01:22:30We'll see you again next

01:22:31Friday at 9, 8 central.

01:22:34I'm Lester Holt.

01:22:35For all of us at NBC News,

01:22:37good night.

01:22:39Bye.

01:22:40Bye.

01:22:41Bye.

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