Arrests Made in 2021 Homewood Murder Case After Two-Year Investigation
Photo: Image of suspect Danny Serafini and Samantha Scott | Placer County Sheriff’s Office
In a significant breakthrough following a two-year-long investigation, law enforcement authorities have arrested two suspects in connection with the 2021 Homewood murder of 70-year-old Robert Gary Spohr and the attempted murder of 68-year-old Wendy Wood. Placer County Sheriff’s detectives, in collaboration with the District Attorney’s Office, successfully apprehended the suspects in Nevada.
On June 5, 2021, Placer County deputies received a 911 call from a residence in Homewood, a picturesque neighborhood in North Lake Tahoe. Upon arriving at the scene, they discovered Robert Gary Spohr, 70, deceased due to a single gunshot wound. Wendy Wood, his wife, had also sustained gunshot injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital. Tragically, Wendy passed away a year later.
The early stages of the investigation were marked by the acquisition of crucial video surveillance footage from the Spohr residence and along West Lake Boulevard. The footage revealed the presence of an unknown individual, a hooded male with a face covering and a backpack, who had been seen walking to the residence several hours before the fatal incident.
Over the past two years, Placer County Sheriff’s Office detectives and the District Attorney’s Office worked to piece together the puzzle, conducting countless hours of follow-up investigations. The information and evidence gathered during this extensive effort led to the identification of the two suspects: 49-year-old Danny Serafini and 33-year-old Samantha Scott. Notably, both suspects were known to each other and to the victims.
Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo recently announced the successful arrests of Serafini and Scott in Nevada. Serafini was apprehended in Winnemucca, NV, while Scott was captured in Las Vegas, NV. The U.S. Marshal Service Reno Office, U.S. Marshal’s Nevada Violent Offender Task Force (Las Vegas), Winnemucca Police Department, and the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office played crucial roles in the apprehension of the suspects, highlighting the collaborative efforts of various law enforcement agencies.
Sheriff Wayne Woo expressed his appreciation for the dedication and relentless work of the detectives and the District Attorney’s Office, stating, “Today, justice was served. The apprehension of those responsible for the tragic events that unfolded in Homewood, North Lake Tahoe in 2021 stands as a testament to the unwavering dedication of our detectives, law enforcement partners, and the persistence of our pursuit of truth. Understand that my team’s commitment to unraveling the most complex of cases prevails, and those who inflict harm upon our community will be held accountable every time.”
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office is now awaiting the extradition of Serafini and Scott from Nevada into Placer County, CA.
