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Crime House 24/7
First Watch: An Ex-MLB Player’s Greed & the Death of a Serial Killer’s Daughter
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Foreign hey everyone, it's Katie. If you're loving Crime House Daily, you need to check out Crimes of, the newest show from Crime House. Crimes of is a weekly series that explores a new theme each season from Crimes of the paranormal, unsolved murders, mysterious disappearances and more. Their first season is Crimes of Infamy, the true stories behind Hollywood's most iconic horror villains. Crimes of is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or find them on YouTube at Crime House Studios. New episodes out every Tuesday. This is Crime House. Former Major League baseball player Daniel Serafini has been found guilty of murder and attempted murder of his in laws. The case happened back in 2021 at a Tahoe area home. It's been four years since my mom and dad were shot. It's been four years of just hell. And the Placer County District Attorney's Office and Sheriff's office never gave up. And today, finally, justice was served. Dan Serafini was supposed to find out if he was going to spend the rest of his in prison. Instead, he's now fighting for a new trial. He murdered his father in law and tried to kill his mother in law. Now, instead of facing his sentence, ex Major League Baseball pitcher Daniel Serafini is demanding a new trial. With shocking claims of jury misconduct and a family desperate for justice, the fight over his fate has only just begun. Hi, I'm Katie Ring, a true crime analyst, self defense instructor and fierce advocate for victims. And this is Crime House Daily, your essential true crime companion. Every weekday morning and night here at Crime House Daily, we dig into the true crime stories making headlines right now, where justice is unfolding, arrests are happening, and new evidence is emerging. Every morning, First Watch gets you up to speed on the biggest cases. Every night, Nightwatch takes you deeper. If you want to follow a case from the first 911 call to the final verdict, this is the place for you. Follow Crime House Daily Wherever you get your podcasts, leave a review and for ad free listening, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. For video, check out our YouTube channel Rimehouse Daily. This episode discusses active criminal cases and breaking. The information we share is based on what's publicly available at the time of recording and may change as new evidence comes to light. We aim to inform, not to decide guilt or innocence. So everyone mentioned is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Today we're covering two major cases in the news. The first case follows former MLB pitcher Daniel Serafini. He was convicted this summer of murdering his father in law and attempting to kill his mother in law. But instead of heading to sentencing, he's fighting for a new trial with a hearing set for next month. The question now is whether his conviction will stand. Our next case takes us nearly three decades back when Melissa Wolfenbarger was murdered. Her husband finally went on trial this year, but despite new DNA evidence, he was still acquitted this summer. With Melissa's own family history tied to a convicted sex serial killer, this story remains clouded in mystery to this day. So good, so good, so good. New fall arrivals are at Nordstrom Rack stores. Now. Get ready to save big with up to 60% off Vince, Kurt, Geiger, London and more. How did I not know rack has Adidas? Cause there's always something new. Join the Norty Club at Nordstrom Rack to unlock exclusive exclusive discounts on your favorite brands. Shop new arrivals first and more. Plus get an extra 5% off every rack purchase with a Nordstrom credit card. Great brands, great prices. That's why you rack. Ahead of our two main stories of the day, I want to give an update on something the Crime House team has been watching closely. In early September, a body was found in the car of a musician named David. He's known for a few popular TikTok songs like Romantic Homicide. The Los Angeles county medical examiner has recently identified the body as 15 year old Celeste Rivas. Her body was wrapped in a bag in David's Tesla which was at a towed car impound lot. Celeste was reported missing last year from Lake Elsinore, California. This is an ongoing investigation so we'll make sure to keep you posted at crime house24.7 foreign. For today's first story, we're covering former major league baseball pitcher and accused murderer Daniel Serafini. He is facing the possibility of a new trial. On July 14th of this year, Serafini was found guilty of murdering his father in law, Gary Spore and attempted murder of his mother in law, Wendy Wood. Daniel was supposed to be sentenced on August 18, but instead the judge agreed to delay his decision until he can hear Daniel's argument for a new trial. As of this recording, that hearing is scheduled for October 28th. So why would a baseball star allegedly want to murder his in laws? And why does Daniel think he deserves a new trial? Let's get into starts in the summer of 2021 in Lake Tahoe, California. Gary Spore and Wendy Wood are a true power couple. They work together investing in real estate and have made a lot of money from it. They met back in 1972, when Gary was giving a speech at Chico State University, Wendy was sitting in the front row, and sparks flew from the moment they made eye contact. The second Gary finished his speech, Wendy. Wendy asked him out on a date. They went on to have two daughters, Erin and Adrian, and raised them in a loving home. When Aaron grew up, she found love as well, marrying Major League Baseball pitcher Daniel Serafini in 2011. Between 1996 and 2007, Daniel played for six different MLB teams. Along the way, he did pretty well for himself and making $14 million in salary throughout his career. But he wasn't good with his money. Daniel made a lot of bad investments, and by 2021, he'd allegedly lost everything. Which brings us back to June 5, 2021, when someone breaks into Greg and Wendy's home in Lake Tahoe. The intruder has a gun, and he uses it to kill Greg and also shoots Wendy twice in the head before leaving. Miraculously, Wendy survives the shooting. However, the attack leaves her with brain damage, and she can't remember what happened. But the police are determined to help her find out. They review the home's security footage and find out that a hooded man wearing a face mask and carrying a backpack snuck in several hours before the murder. This didn't seem like a random killing or burglary, which makes investigators think that the shooter knew Gary and Wendy. And they think Daniel might have done it. To get access to their sizable estate. Daniel and his wife Aaron, relied on Gary and Wendy for money, which is something they butted heads over a lot. But Daniel was happy to take their checks. Prosecutors alleged that just weeks before Gary and Wendy were murdered, they gave Daniel and Aaron $70,000. But the authorities think Daniel wanted even more. Specifically the share he and Erin would get from her parents $23 million estate. And they think Daniel was willing to kill his in laws to get it. But they have a hard time proving it since his phone was off that day and they can't trace his movement. So they turn to his known associates, including Aaron's best friend and the family's former nanny, Samantha Scott. And it turns out that she was very close to Daniel, too. When detectives dig into Samantha's relationships with the couple, they discover that Daniel is actually having an affair with Samantha. And things become even more suspicious when investigators see that Samantha was close to Gary and Wendy's house the day of the murder. After learning this, they get a search warrant for her house in November 2021, about five months after the shooting. After the police search her house, Samantha tells Daniel, what happened? She's worried because she had been near the house that day. Allegedly, Daniel asked her to drive him to Tahoe that day to buy cocaine. But now he admits that's not true. According to Samantha, Daniel tells her the real reason he'd gone to Tahoe was to kill Gary and Wendy. This is enough to get the ball rolling. It takes a while to put all the pieces together, but Daniel and Samantha are both arrested. In October 2023, Daniel is charged with first degree murder, attempted murder, burglary, and child endangerment because his two kids were in the house during the attack on their grandparents. As for Samantha, she's charged with murder and first degree residential burglary. But she's not ready to go down for her boyfriend. In exchange for lesser charges, she agrees to plead guilty and testify against Daniel when his trial begins in May 2025. Samantha tells the jury that she drove Daniel to and from his in laws home on the day of the crime, and she saw him test the gun beforehand. Samantha also says that on the way home, she witnessed Daniel dispose of a backpack, clothing, and a handgun. In addition to her testimony, prosecutors present the surveillance footage that shows a hooded figure entering Gary and Wendy's home, which corroborates a lot of Samantha's details. They also have text messages from Daniel that reveal the extent of his financial feud with his in laws. In one of them, he said, quote, I'm gonna kill them one day. All of this evidence swayed the jury, and on July 14th of this year, Daniel Serafini was convicted of murder, attempted murder, and burglary. And he was scheduled to be sentenced one month later, on August 18th. Sadly, Wendy Wood died by suicide in 2023. So she was not there to see her husband's alleged killer get justice. Her family believes that the trauma from the attack led to her death, but at least it appeared that Daniel would be truly held accountable for what he'd done. However, what happened next was completely unexpected. When did making plans get this complicated? It's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the secure messaging app that brings the whole group together. Use polls to settle dinner plans, send event invites and pin messages so no one forgets mom's 60th. And never miss a meme or milestone. All protected with end to end encryption. It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone. Learn more@WhatsApp.com Mint is still $15 a month for premium wireless. And if you haven't made the switch yet, here are 15 reasons why you should. 1. It's $15 a month 2 6. Seriously, it's $15 a month 3. No big contracts 4. I use it 5. My mom uses it. Are you. Are you playing me off? That's what's happening, right? Okay, give it a try@mintmobile.com Switch upfront payment of $45 per 3 month plan $15 per month equivalent required New customer offer first 3 months only, then full price plan options available Taxes and fees extra. See mintmobile.com After Daniel Serafini was convicted this summer, his sentencing was set for August 18, 2025. But in a shocking turn of events, he was given a second chance to walk free at the sentencing hearing. Judge Garon J. Horst agreed to postpone his decision in light of a retrial motion from Daniel's lawyers. Two of the request's key points are that he did not receive adequate representation in the trial and that the verdict was tainted by jury misconduct. Daniel has already addressed this first point by bringing on a new lawyer, Barry Zimmerman, who will be arguing when the petition is heard in October regarding the claim of jury misconduct. It stems from an interview a few jurors gave with a local TV station after the initial verdict. Daniel's lawyers claim that those jurors revealed that they'd considered factors outside of the evidence presented. Some of them stated that they'd partially based their decision on watching Daniel's reaction to testimony and evidence. This sort of scanning for micro expressions might make for a compelling crime drama, but in the real world, it's a contested legal issue. On top of that, other jurors use their own devices to take pictures of the security footage shown at trial and use the images to compare Daniel's shoes, but with those worn by the suspect in the videotape. And finally, one witness who has been friends with Daniel since 2016, says one juror fell asleep during the defense's closing statement. Regardless of your thoughts about Daniel and his guilt or innocence, these are valid arguments in the court of law that the judge needs to consider to make sure the defendant gets a fair trial. Judge Horst was convinced enough that he agreed to let Daniel's lawyers argue their case on October 28th. This decision is painful for Greg Spore and Wendy Wood's daughter, Adrian. She has called Daniel's petition, quote, a baseless attempt to delay justice. As for Daniel's wife, Erin, her thought process at this moment is a little less clear. At the trial, she testified that she didn't believe her husband was the killer. However, after his initial conviction, she filed for divorce. As of this recording, she has not been charged with any crimes relating to her parents murders. However, her sister Adrian has brought a civil suit for wrongful death against both Aaron and Daniel. So although justice may be delayed, the victim's loved ones can remain hopeful that it will still come with how fast things are moving with this case. New details could emerge any day. And we'll be here to bring you the major updates. For today's second story, we're getting into the murder trial of Christopher Wolfenbarger, a man who was arrested for his wife Melissa's murder 26 years after she was killed in 2024, new DNA evidence emerged that pointed towards Christopher's guilt. But even with this evidence, the jury wasn't convinced. Late this summer, they found him not guilty. But that's not even the most surprising aspect of this case which involves a serial killer, a nearly 30 year old cold case and an ongoing quest for justice. Let's get into it. On Thanksgiving, 1998, 21 year old Melissa Wolfenbarger, a devoted mother of two, called her mom to make plans for Christmas. But the holiday arrives and Melissa never shows up. Norma is concerned, but Melissa is a grown woman with a family of her own. And life can sometimes get in the way of plans. A couple months go by, but Norma still doesn't hear from her daughter. Melissa doesn't even call on Norma's birthday. And that's when Norma gets really worried. The winter holidays of 1998 should have been a time for the Wolfenbarger family to enjoy each other's company like so many others do. Around that time, she's so concerned, she drives to Melissa's house in Locust Grove, Georgia. Not only is there no sign of Melissa, her entire family is gone. Neighbors say the Wolfenbargers had moved, but they didn't know where. Norma's not sure what to think, so she reports her daughter missing. The authorities manage to track down Melissa's husband, Christopher. He says that Melissa abandoned their family to start a new life in California. This may sound suspicious now, but the truth is Melissa and Christopher hadn't exactly been happy. They were often seen fighting. And in the final months of her life, Melissa was having an affair. But there may be a darker reason why no one really questioned Christopher's lack of concern for his missing wife. Throughout their relationship, there had always been clear signs of abuse. Melissa would often have visible bruises and abrasions on her body. Melissa also filed a temporary protective order against her husband in July 1998, just a few months before she disappeared. So if Melissa did run away. She'd have good reason to. But the possibility that Melissa had escaped her husband's abuse evaporated in April of 1999 when a man walked past Christopher's workplace and made a grisly discovery. It was a severed human head lying in the road. The witness moved the head out of the road with a stick and called 911. Police weren't immediately able to identify the remains due to advanced decomposition and damage from animals. But two months later, in June of 1999, they found severed hands, feet, and a human thigh in black garbage cans behind a nearby auto shop. Although they now had more to work with, police were still unable to identify the victim. The body parts had been there for a while and were all badly decomposed. Police did note, however, that the bones had visible saw marks, meaning whoever this was, they had been intentionally dismembered. The remains were logged as a person or persons unknown, and they stayed that way for another four years until a DNA database search pinged on the body parts. The police finally had a name for their victim, Melissa Wolfenbarger. Her disappearance was now officially classified as a homicide. Here's the thing, though. When investigators ran that DNA search, they weren't actually looking for her. And the fact that it led to the identification of Melissa's body was just a coincidence. The reason a DNA search popped up with her name was because police were actually investigating Melissa's father, who they had just learned was a serial killer. 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And it seems like Melissa's mom actually knew about her husband's activities, because she tells the police that she'll tell them everything in exchange for a plea deal. She discloses to police that her husband hadn't just killed one person, he had killed five, which was enough to put him in prison for life. From 1973 to 1977, Carl Patton killed for money as well as to cover up his other crimes. The victim who Carl's DNA was found on was actually his accomplice in his first two murders. And it turns out someone else had helped him. Norma. She admits to police that she'd helped Carl clean up the crime scene, wrap the body in a sleeping bag, and dump it in the river. Which led to Carl Patton's nickname, the Flint River Killer. When Patton is arrested for his crimes in 2003, an investigation into his daughter Melissa's killing begins as well. Naturally, he's one of the first suspects. But there's no evidence tying him to Melissa's murder, and the trail ends up going cold again until it leads to someone else in Melissa's family. In 2024, new DNA evidence finally yields a viable suspect. Melissa's husband, Christopher Wolfenbarger. And in August of that year, police arrested Christopher and charged him with Melissa's murder. Christopher's trial took place a year later, in August 2025, almost 27 years after Melissa disappeared. Prosecutors allege that Christopher was an abusive husband who had means, motive, and opportunity to murder and dismember his wife. He had bragged once that he knew how to get rid of a body, and when Melissa's remains were found, they were across the street from where Christopher had worked. Witnesses described seeing wounds and bruises on Melissa, and more than one family member came forward to testify that her marriage to Christopher was a cause of grave concern. Meanwhile, the defense argues that no direct evidence actually ties Christopher to the murder. Because even though some kind of DNA evidence led to his arrest, hairs that were found on Melissa's remains are not a match for him. His attorneys admit that, yes, Christopher was a bad husband, and yes, they had a tumultuous relationship. But they say his abuse doesn't make him a murderer. During Christopher's trial, Melissa's mom, Norma, returned to testify about her daughter's relationship with Chris. She described an often troubled relationship, one which she never trusted because she saw, quote, meanness in his eyes. The trial concluded after seven days of testimony, and on August 22, 2025, after the jury deliberated for a little over two hours, they found him not guilty. For now, that means Melissa Wolfenbarger's murder remains officially unsolved. So we are still left with a few questions. Did her serial killer father have something to do with it? And what was the DNA evidence that led to Christopher's arrest? We can only hope that these questions will be answered someday and that her killer will face justice. So what did you think of today's case? Drop your theories in the comments and follow us at crimehouse247 on TikTok and Instagram and subscribe on YouTube at crimehouse daily for ad free listening. Join crime house plus on Apple podcasts. You stay curious and I'll stay on the case. See you next time.