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CBS News
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Monica Sementilli says she did not help plan the murder of her L.A. beauty exec husband. Will a jury believe her?
This story previously aired on March 9, 20204. It was updated on July 5, 2025. In 2017, Monica Sementilli had an enviable life — a luxurious house with a pool and a Porsche in the driveway — in a posh area of Los Angeles. But after spending almost eight years behind bars waiting through legal delays and COVID, in January 2025, Monica Sementilli went on trial for the murder of her husband — celebrity hairdresser and beauty executive Fabio Sementilli. As "48 Hours" contributor Michelle Miller reports, it's a tangled story. Her defenders say Monica Sementilli is an innocent victim. But if you believe prosecutors, she's a criminal. Authorities describe a case of lust, greed, and murder. Whichever it is, the drama unfolded on Jan. 23, 2017. Fabio and Monica Sementilli Instagram Elyse Bleuel: There were fire trucks outside of her house…and I was like, oh gosh … there was no police yet. It was just the first responders. Elyse Bleuel was a friend of Monica Simental's. "48 Hours" spoke with her in 2018. She says Monica texted her to come over the night Fabio was killed. Elyse Bleuel: it was her and her daughters … She just kept saying that "he's gone, that I'm not a wife anymore" … I just held her. I just held her. Elyse Bleuel: It was so painful, just the weeping…the not being able to breathe…she was beyond devastated… beyond devastated. Monica's husband, Fabio, was slumped over his chair by the pool. Michelle Miller: Had you seen the body? Had you seen? Elyse Bleuel: Didn't … Elyse Bleuel: I just wanted to be the best possible comfort. … I didn't know how to comfort that. … she couldn't speak in complete sentences until like the fourth day. Detectives quickly learned the victim, Fabio Sementilli, had been a superstar in the beauty business. Mirella Rota and her brother, Fabio Sementilli Mirella Rota "48 Hours" spoke with those who knew him best in 2017. Fabio's sister, Mirella Rota Mirella Rota: He was a happy man. And he wanted everybody around him happy. Luigi Sementilli: The best way to describe my dad, really, is like a cup of coffee in the morning. Luigi Sementilli is Fabio's son from an earlier marriage. Luigi Sementilli: He gets you going … he lifts your spirits … he gets you determined to charge the mountain of life. Michelle Miller: Did your friends say, "Hey Luigi, is that your dad?" Luigi Sementilli: Absolutely, yeah. It was kind of a fun thing, you know. … It's hard to avoid him when you type in Sementilli on Google, it's very hard … in fact when you type in my name, Luigi Sementilli, the first thing that comes up is his profile! (laughs) Fabio and his sister Mirella began cutting hair in Toronto, Canada. That's where Fabio met Monica, a customer and makeup artist he married in 1997. Joe Mercurio: The wedding was incredible. Restauranteur Joe Mercurio grew up with Fabio. He was best man at Fabio's wedding to Monica. Joe Mercurio: We were dancing right to the very end. Mirella Rota: We saw their relationship as a love story. Fabio was also in love with his career — he and his sister Mirella were getting famous. In 2008, Fabio was promoted to an executive job at the beauty giant Wella and moved his family to L.A. Pete Castellano was Fabio's colleague. Pete Castellano: What happened was was the opportunity … to really allow the things that he wanted for his family to come to life by taking on a bigger role. He and Monica settled into a life most of us can only dream about. Michelle Miller: He drove a Porsche. Mirella Rota: Yeah. Michelle Miller: What man doesn't want a Porsche in Los Angeles? Mirella Rota: You're absolutely right. They were living the life and raising their two teenage daughters, Gessica and Isabella. FABIO SEMENTILLI (video): My own family unit is the most most dear to me. Then came that January day. It was late afternoon as he sat by the pool. Fabio was stabbed to death. His then-16-year-old daughter Isabella discovered his body. To investigators, the Sementilli case started out a mystery. But from early on, they had at least one intriguing clue. A neighbor's security camera captured two hooded figures (upper right) jogging near Fabio's house right around the time of the murder. From a neighbor's security camera, they could see two figures in hoodies running close to the Sementilli's house at the time of the murder. A little while later, Fabio's Porsche was being driven away. Back then, Investigators didn't suspect Monica had anything to do with Fabio's death. She wasn't even home at the time he was killed. Instead, they looked at those two hooded figures. At the time of Fabio's murder in 2017, L.A was plagued with break-ins from notorious teams of criminals. Michelle Miller (watching video of a knock-knock burglary): What do you call these guys? Det. William Dunn: Well, we call them the knock-knock burglars. Michelle Miller: So, this is LAPD footage? Det. William Dunn: Yeah. They know what they're doing, and they know what they want. Michelle Miller: I mean... they're running wild! They were hitting homes of celebrities all over Los Angeles. CRIME SCENE EVIDENCE LEADS TO A SUSPECT It was 2017, and, for years, the homes of L.A. celebrities were targeted. LOCAL NEWS REPORT: At least seven celebrities had hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of jewelry taken. LOCAL NEWS REPORT: High-profile victims include $300,000 from former Lakers star Derek Fisher, $175,000 for Nikki Minaj…and $2 million from Alanis Morrissette's Brentwood home. Det. William Dunn | LAPD (watching surveillance video of a knock-knock burglary): They're moving just as quick as they can. Det. William Dunn: In and out in about three minutes ... they ransack a bedroom, find some jewelry and get out. William Dunn, a Los Angeles Police Department detective at the time, had hours of videotape of the knock-knock burglars in action all over wealthy Los Angeles neighborhoods, including one from a home just a few miles from Fabio's, months after his murder. Michelle Miller (watching surveillance video of a knock-knock burglary): They seem to know what to look for. Det. William Dunn: Right, they're looking for jewelry. They're looking for cash. Michelle Miller: Look at him! Det. William Dunn: Yeah, see he's checking clothes, he's feelin the clothes to see if somebody's put jewelry or cash in some of the pockets. Det. William Dunn: See? Now he's seeing that safe. Michelle Miller: Ah! Det. William Dunn: See, and now he gets – he tells his buddy. Hey, look at what we've found. Now look at how many seconds, and this is a real heavy safe. … but they're very determined … they put a lot of effort into it and it's so heavy he can't – he can't lift the thing. But look at how he's just gonna slide that thing out. Michelle Miller: So they got the safe, that's pay dirt, and off they go. Det. William Dunn: They're gone. Yup! You see? They're gone. To detectives, those two hooded figures recorded on a neighbor's surveillance camera near Fabio's house right around the time of his murder looked a lot like the knock-knock burglars. And the Sementilli home had its own cameras. Detectives hoped they would find even more video of those hooded figures on those tapes. There were four cameras outside the Sementilli house, but when police came to look for the video, it was gone! A DVR was in the garage, it stored all the surveillance. Whoever broke in must have taken it. Strangely, besides taking Fabio's Porsche, that black box was one of the only things stolen from the house, say investigators. Monica told them she thought some inexpensive jewelry and $11,000 in cash was possibly missing, but she wasn't sure. Detectives say the home safe hadn't been touched. Luigi Sementilli: The only thing I thought that was unusual was why didn't they take more? Why didn't they take his watch? The suspected burglars left behind an $8,000 Rolex on Fabio's wrist. But within months, the knock-knock burglars began to fade as police suspects because the police were hanging on to a big secret. Nobody except investigators knew it at the time, but they discovered blood at the crime scene that did not belong to Fabio Sementilli. That meant detectives had DNA to work with. DNA that eventually led to a suspect. Capt. William Hayes | LAPD: We were able to develop forensic evidence … some of that was DNA, which identified Robert Baker. As detectives began investigating Fabio Sementilli's murder, they said they discovered DNA at the crime scene that belonged to Robert Baker. Baker's DNA was in the database because he was a registered sex offender. Randy Lam Robert Baker had been a racquetball league director at a Los Angeles gym, not far from Fabio's house. And Monica's friend, Elyse Bleuel, knew him. "48 Hours" spoke to her about him in 2018. Michelle Miller: How would you describe Rob Baker? Elyse Bleuel: He was cool. We all really liked him. Elyse Bleuel: He was one of those gym guys — you know, grrr! Bleuel played in his league. Elyse Bleuel: He was very alpha. He was a very alpha male. There was also kind of a sexual-ly thing about him. Michelle Miller: There was something sexual about him. What do you mean? Elyse Bleuel: You know how some guys just have just have this sexual kind of, I don't know, he was very manly … he was in shape, and he was kind of, you know, kept everything — he was in charge. He was also tangled up in the porn industry, even doing some acting. Bleuel didn't know much about Baker's background, but she did hear about his movie career from a friend who happened to spot him in an adult film. Elyse Bleuel: That's like the kind of gossip that … you just need to tell someone. Michelle Miller: Who did you tell? Elyse Bleuel: I told Monica. Monica was also in Robert Baker's racquetball league. Michelle Miller: What was her reaction? Elyse Bleuel: Well, it was pretty anticlimactic, I'll tell ya. Michelle Miller: Really? Elyse Bleuel: Yeah. 'cause a lotta times when we would have girl talk she'd get a little prude-y. Like a little prude. What Bleuel didn't know was that Baker was also a registered sex offender. Capt. William Hayes: Robert Baker has a 1993 conviction out of a Long Beach case. It's for lewd and lascivious acts with a minor. Police say Baker served time for that offense against a teenage girl. For months, police watched Baker and they discovered two things. First, he was definitely not one of the knock-knock burglars, and second, he made thousands of calls and texts to of all people, Monica Sementilli. In fact, just days after Fabio's death, Monica held a wake in her backyard and Baker actually showed up. Michelle Miller: You did meet him? Mirella Rota: I did. Rota says she saw Monica hanging out with Baker. Rob Baker and Monica Sementilli were photographed together at Fabio's wake. 48 Hours Mirella Rota: I saw her back … outside again, with a drink, smoking, and talking to this guy. … I found out that that was his name, Rob. And she introduced me to him. Luigi noticed him, too. Luigi Sementilli: Robert and Monica were in the corner talking to each other, sort of away from the party. And there was something else Luigi noticed about Baker. Luigi Sementilli: He had bandages on his hands. Rob Baker was photographed at the wake held for Fabio Sementilli at the hairdresser's home. A bandage can be seen on the index finger of Baker's left hand [inset]. 48 Hours One guest even snapped pictures of Monica and Robert Baker together. If you look closely, you can just make out a bandage on Baker's finger. Police would later conclude Baker cut that finger when he killed Fabio. And that's how his blood was at the scene. Detectives visited Monica at home using what they called a "ruse" — telling her they were investigating the knock-knock burglars, when in fact they were investigating her and secretly following Monica and Baker. And according to authorities, it paid off. They say they found evidence that Monica and Baker were having an affair and conspired to kill Fabio. JUSTIN EISENBERG | LAPD Chief of Detectives [to reporters in June 2017]: Over the past several months, investigators have developed information and identified Robert Baker, 55 years old of Canoga Park and Monica Sementilli, 45 years old, of Woodland Hills, who is the wife of our homicide victim, as responsible for his murder. Mirella Rota: He said, "We arrested Monica for the murder of your brother, and Robert Baker for the murder of your brother." And I was in shock. I'm like, "They're — you sure?" You know? I — I was in shock. Mary Fulginiti: According to the prosecution … these two were plotting and planning to kill Fabio so they could live their life together. Mary Fulginiti is a former federal prosecutor and a "48 Hours" consultant. Mary Fulginiti: It was a very complicated investigation. Monica Sementilli and Robert Baker LAPD As authorities hustled Robert Baker and Monica Sementilli into court, they each pleaded "not guilty." But almost six years later, Baker changed everything. Mary Fulginiti: When he came to court that day, people were stunned. ROBERT BAKER PLEADS NO CONTEST TO MURDER OF FABIO SEMENTILLI Monica Sementilli was being accused of cheating on Fabio with that racquetball coach Robert Baker and then—along with Baker— planning Fabio's murder. Elyse Bleuel: My instant and thorough and complete reaction was there's no effing way … I was there. She was decimated. After months of crying and grieving alongside Monica, Fabio's family couldn't believe it either. Mirella Rota: Twenty-some years of my life she was like a sister. She was a cool aunt to my kids … she was loveable … my whole family felt that way about her (crying). Then, in 2023, Baker skipped trial altogether and pleaded no contest. Mary Fulginiti: Robert Baker pleads no contest. And that's in essence accepting responsibility for the murder. He's ultimately sentenced to life without parole. Robert Baker was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on July 7, 2023. KCBS/Pool JUDGE RONALD COEN (in court): The maximum sentence in this case is life imprisonment without the possibility of parole plus one year. … You understand this? ROBERT BAKER: Yes, sir. But while Baker was accepting responsibility for Fabio's death, Monica wasn't. MIRELLA ROTA (in court) : What he and Monica did to my brother, Fabio, is unforgivable. But Monica's own daughters, Isabella and Gessica, supported their mom. GESSICA SEMENTILLI (in court): We will continue to stand by our mother as we have done for the last six years, and we will fight for her innocence. As Monica prepared to go to trial, her defense attorney Leonard Levine made a statement. LEONARD LEVINE: We are confident that Robert Baker's guilty pleas and his truthful testimony will finally establish once and for all that Monica Sementilli had nothing to do with the planning or the murder of Fabio Sementilli, her husband. Monica's defense team wasn't answering questions before trial, so "48 Hours" asked New York-based defense attorney Julie Rendelman to review Monica's defense team's pre-trial motions. Julie Rendelman: The prosecution is so focused on the affair and wants, potentially a jury to say, because she had an affair, because she lied about an affair that you can take the leap to say that she conspired to kill her husband. Monica Sementilli Monica Sementilli/Instagram She says Monica's relationship with Baker doesn't prove anything. But the prosecution says the affair is key to establishing a conspiracy between Monica and Robert Baker — an alleged conspiracy detectives spent months tracking. Michelle Miller: How long was that investigation? Mary Fulginiti: Five months. Five to six months. While the DA also declined an interview before going to trial, former prosecutor Mary Fulginiti reviewed the case against Monica. Michelle Miller (outside the Sementilli's home): So, this is the scene of the crime? Mary Fulginiti: Yeah … You know, this is where the two joggers, you know, came according to the video from a neighbor, uh, running up here toward the house. The murder suspects are seen on a neighbor's security camera running towards the Sementilli home on Jan. 27, 2017 at 4:18 p.m. Police say Robert Bakee is in the green hoodie. Prosecutors say that first hooded figure — in the green sweatshirt— is Robert Baker. The second man was eventually identified as Christopher Austin – a close friend of Baker's. Michelle Miller: What does this indictment say about Monica Sementilli? Mary Fulginiti: This indictment is a very detailed outline and timeline of the plot to kill Fabio Sementilli. Mary Fulginiti: Motive here is simple. I mean, this is love and money. This is one of the oldest crimes in the book where, you know, two lovers desperately wanting to be together, and they try to get rid of one of the spouses so they can be together for what? For financial benefit. … And that would mean the three quarters of a million life insurance policy, the house, 401ks. Police say the plan was to stage the scene to make it look like the work of the knock-knock burglars and throw police off their trail. And they believe Monica was deeply involved. Mary Fulginiti: They believe … she was the one that coordinated everything, the one that showed him, you know, where the house was, where the DVR was, so that he knew where to go to rip it out of the walls. How to get into the house. And that's not all. The prosecutor says six months before the murder, Monica forwarded an email sharing details of her home security system with Baker. Mary Fulginiti: She provided the password, the username, the log in credentials, as well as the user manual to Robert Baker, the same day that she received it from the surveillance company. And then there's the day of the murder. Prosecutors say Monica's behavior that day is a key element of her role in the conspiracy to kill Fabio. According to prosecutors, surveillance video shows Monica left home at 3:26 p.m. driving the family's black Ford F-150 pickup. Michelle Miller (standing in a Target parking lot): This is where she came, according to prosecutors, to establish her alibi? Mary Fulginiti: So, a lot happens in this parking lot. … she pulls in here in her Ford-150 pickup truck right in front of this store … stops for just a few minutes. Prosecutors say they have video where it appears an individual gets into Monica's truck. They say that person was Robert Baker. Monica then goes alone into the Target store and begins shopping. But as she leaves, prosecutors say this surveillance photo shows her fixated on her phone. They would tell a grand jury it appears she was streaming video from her home — a lot of it. THE EVIDENCE AGAINST MONICA SEMENTILLI So what was Monica Sementilli watching on her phone that afternoon at about the time her husband was being murdered? Mary Fulginiti. The phone records and data show that she's connecting to a unique IP address. … It happens to be the IP address of the house. And there's a large amount of data that's being consumed. And that large amount of data is consistent with video streaming, i.e, the surveillance video of the house. Surveillance video? According to the DA, it might have been video from her home security cameras. But could Monica have been watching the actual murder? Mary Fulginiti: No… The surveillance cameras in the house are — are facing outside, but they're not facing in the pool area, which was where Fabio was located at the time. So, they didn't actually capture the murder, but they would capture obviously who was coming and going. Monica Sementilli is seen on store security video checking her phone at Target. Los Angeles County Superior Court Monica could have been watching everything else, prosecutors say. Mary Fulginiti (with Miller in the Target parking lot): They're going to argue … she's watching the scene, the scene of the crime to see the comings and goings of when Baker and the accomplice are going into the house, when are they leaving the house so that she knows when she can leave here and go home. Prosecutors say while she is watching the feed, Baker and his accomplice were on the Sementilli property stalking Fabio. Mary Fulginiti: According to the prosecution, "it was a very targeted attack that was done with the intent to kill." They also go on to say that "he was stabbed in the neck, it cut his jugular vein, cut the carotid artery." And there's more evidence of the plot to kill Fabio. Prosecutors say Baker was planning a future with Monica. Mary Fulginiti: The DA says that about two months before the murder, Baker told a friend that he had been dating this woman for about a year, and that he sent a picture of that woman, and that woman was Monica. Mary Fulginiti: And then two months later Fabio was killed. Authorities also say Monica's behavior after the murder is suspect. She didn't move her teenage daughters out of the house or have her security system repaired. Mary Fulginiti: And the prosecutors argued that the reason why she had no concern, because she knew who the killer was, and she was with him. Mary Fulginiti: This is a woman who is pretending to be a grieving widow and making all these posts on social media. Mary Fulginiti: Who at the same time is carrying on a torrid love affair with the man who actually killed her husband. Prosecutors made explicit photos public in court filings. Some we can't show you. They say its evidence the secretive romance continued after Fabio's death. Monica Sementilli and Robert Baker photographed together in Las Vegas in March 2017. Los Angeles County Superior Court Mary Fulginiti: I mean, that's a double life. … The D.A. presented a photograph of Monica and — and Baker to the grand jury. And it was a photograph of Monica actually grabbing his crotch. … And this was one, uh, that was taken in Vegas. Michelle Miller: There was also this — this photo of a mirror. Mary Fulginiti: Right. … it was a photo of the back of Monica … with Mrs. Baker, uh, written lipstick on the mirror. Michelle Miller: The … lipstick and the mirror … What — what does that tell them? Mary Fulginiti: Again, this all goes to motive. I mean, Mrs. Baker … she wanted to be Mrs. Baker. But when detectives asked Monica about Robert Baker, prosecutors say she told them she wasn't even sure of his last name. They say she also told them she wasn't sure how to work the home security cameras. Mary Fulginiti: To quote the prosecution here, they say, "She's a liar, she's a manipulator, she's a cheater. And everything that comes out of her mouth has to be taken with a large grain of salt large enough so that you could choke on it." Mary Fulginiti: If they can show that Monica lied about her lifestyle, about the affair, about a variety of other things, that they'll convince the jury that she's also lying about her involvement in this conspiracy to kill Fabio. And they say when she was later confronted about why Baker's blood was found in her house, she continued to lie. Mary Fulginiti: She comes up with some cockamamie story about, you know, playing racquetball with Baker and hitting him in the finger and that it was bleeding and there was a bloody towel and she had to bring it home and — and that's why his blood was at the house. But Fulginiti says one of the biggest pieces of evidence against Monica is what happened when police came up with a plan to secretly record the couple. It began when they pulled them over as they were driving. Mary Fulginiti: It's a ruse by the police. … They say that they think the car that they're in is stolen and they wanted to, you know, just check it out and you know, probably isn't and they handcuff them per protocol, put them into the police vehicle. But what they don't know is that vehicle's wired and that there's a van up the street with police in it listening to their every word. And it's at that point, Monica says, and I'm gonna quote here: "Somebody must have talked. Somebody is doing this to us." And then she said, "They must have something. They must have something." Mary Fulginiti: That's pretty damning evidence. … as a former prosecutor that is close to an admission to being involved in this conspiracy. According to detectives, Monica was also recorded telling her cellmate, "He's not just my lover … he's my confidante … he's my everything." Detectives also intercepted letters Monica wrote to Baker from behind bars saying, "I'm always amazed how we both know what the other is thinking. DESTINED!" And "I miss you so much my love!" Mary Fulginiti: When you look at these pieces in the totality, it's going to put together a pretty perfect puzzle here. And the puzzle will paint this picture that Monica conspired with Baker, that he did not do it alone, that they did it together. But Monica's defenders say the case against her is flimsy, and they say Baker did it without her. Julie Rendelman: Robert Baker may have killed him because he wanted him out of the way. Maybe he did it because he hoped that by killing him, he would get Monica to himself. … That in and of itself does not establish that Monica was in on the murder. DEFENDING MONICA SEMENTILLI Monica Sementilli's defense is adamant she had absolutely nothing to do with Fabio's murder. Julie Rendelman: The defense's position is that there is no evidence that establishes Monica Sementilli participated in conspiracy. Monica and Fabio Sementilli Fabio Sementilli/Facebook And if you can't prove a conspiracy, you can't prove Monica's guilt says Rendelman. Michelle Miller: The sheer number of circumstances that seem to weave together— the parking lot meeting … the walking into the store and watching video that has streamed live from the home … the password being given to the killer … all of those things, the sum of them, wouldn't a jury believe is just too much of a coincidence? Julie Rendelman: Obviously, I can't answer for what the jury is gonna say. Um, the defense, I could promise you, is going to attempt to poke holes — holes in every single piece of evidence you just spoke about. Michelle Miller: So, let's go step-by-step … the sharing of that password for the surveillance video. Julie Rendelman: So, there is no question that she shared the password. But Rendelman says there's no connection between sharing that password and a murder plot. Julie Rendelman: There's absolutely no evidence between the six months that she shared it and the day he was killed, that establishes there was any plan in place between them whatsoever to have her husband killed, not a text, not an email, not a conversation with her best friend saying she's over her relationship. Julie Rendelman: The second issue is, there's absolutely no evidence that Robert Baker downloaded the app or ever even used the app. Michelle Miller: Let's talk about the actions in the parking lot the day of the murder. … someone appears to be getting into the car. Julie Rendelman: Keep a couple things in mind. One is from the defense's perspective … the video footage is so grainy that you can't make out who if anybody is getting into Monica Sementilli's car. And what about the allegation that she was watching video of the house as the murder took place? Michelle Miller: Once she went inside the Target — there was a point in time where she seemed fascinated, fixated on her phone. Julie Rendelman: Well, I'll tell you one thing. The prosecution doesn't know what she was watching on her phone. They cannot articulate nor will they ever be able to articulate what was going on in that phone. Michelle Miller: But it was being streamed from her home. Julie Rendelman: She could be watching a show, just like any one of us watched your show while we're walking along. Michelle Miller: The prosecution really digs in on Monica's character, the fact that she's having an affair. Julie Rendelman: Well, let me quote what the defense says in —in regards to that. "The prosecutor's evidence of Ms. Sementilli's affair and specifically the sexist and lurid manner in which it was presented … was irrelevant, improper and unfairly prejudicial to Ms. Sementilli." Julie Rendelman: They go on and say, "the sexual and romantic details of their affair were simply irrelevant to the question, whether they conspired to murder Fabio Sementilli." But then why lie to investigators — allegedly saying she was unsure of Robert Baker's last name? Julie Rendelman: The question becomes, why is she lying? Is she lying because she committed a murder or is she lying because she has been in a tryst with someone for quite a while and doesn't want the world to know particularly, law enforcement? Prosecutors did find it suspicious that on the night Fabio died, Monica was already inquiring about his life insurance. But Rendelman says it's not odd. Julie Rendelman: I understand, um, how it could look insensitive to start asking about a life insurance policy so soon after. But if you're, uh, an individual that is not financially sound, you have two girls at home, you have potentially a mortgage to pay, you have bills to pay, you are going to be worried about the financial security of your family. Monica Sementilli's trial is scheduled for April 2, 2024. Gessica and Isabella, the daughters she shared with Fabio, are standing by their mother. CBS News In January 2025, Monica went on trial for the murder of her husband. And prosecutor Beth Silverman's star witness? That second hooded figure in the surveillance video, Christopher Austin. Austin cut a deal. He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder which potentially means a lighter prison sentence and, in exchange, agreed to testify truthfully at Monica's trial. Austin told the jury, that prior to the murder, he knew Monica wanted Fabio dead. CHRISTOPHER AUSTIN (in court): Baker told me ... she wants him gone. On the day of Fabio's murder, Austin testified that it was Monica who was directing Robert Baker via text messages to kill her husband. He even explained how he and Baker got into the Sementilli house. CHRISTOPHER AUSTIN (in court): He told me, he said, "She — she's gonna leave the door unlocked." And he also said that Monica alerted Baker to let him know Fabio was home alone. But Monica's defense claims Austin only brought up Monica's name to get that deal. And Austin admits he never personally spoke to Monica or heard Baker speaking with her. Still he insisted Monica was in charge. CHRISTOPHER AUSTIN (in court): … he was talking to her via text message. ... everything that happened in sequence was after he talked to her. But Robert Baker would tell a very different story. Baker took the stand and said it was him, not Monica, who wanted Fabio dead. Monica, he claims, had no knowledge he planned to kill Fabio. ROB BAKER (in court): I murdered him because I wanted her. ... I wanted her to be around me and with me more like all the time. Another factor that could help Monica, says Rendelman — the daughters she shared with Fabio supported their mother and testified. Julie Rendelman: And so, there's an argument to be made that the jury is looking at the daughter saying, "if they believe her after all this, shouldn't we?" Fabio Sementilli Instagram In closing arguments, Monica's defense attorney Leonard Levine would tell the jury the only thing Monica is guilty of was having an affair. LEONARD LEVINE (in court): Adultery is not murder. ... She was obsessed with her family not finding out — with anybody not finding out ... Not because she was part of the murder, but because she was having an affair. The jury deliberated for over three days before they came to a verdict: guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit murder. After eight long years, it was the verdict Fabio's sister Mirella was waiting for. Mirella Rota: Justice was served today. It is the most beautiful day for our family. Our spirits are lifted. My brother can now rest in peace. And the murderers that have deceived him are exactly where they belong today. Christopher Austin was sentenced to 16 years-to-life for his role in Fabio Sementilli's murder. On June 23, 2025, Monica Sementilli was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. She plans to appeal. Produced by Chuck Stevenson. Greg Fisher is the development producer. Gabriella Demirdjian and Hannah Vair are the field producers. Michael Baluzy, Grayce Arlotta-Berner, Wini Dini and Chris Crater are the editors. Patti Aronofsky is the senior producer. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Judy Tygard is the executive producer.
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- Daily Mirror
Little girl vanishes after school concert - then sick truth unfolds
When a young teenage girl vanished into thin air on a snowy winter's evening after a Christmas concert, it sparked a huge police search, but for years, what happened remained a mystery It was just a few days before Christmas when 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews vanished from her Colorado home after being dropped back after a school concert. Jonelle had been performing in a Christmas concert while her dad was at a basketball game and her mum was away from home caring for a family member. After getting a lift home with a friend she spoke to her father on the phone, but when he returned to the family home shortly after, he found the garage door open and an empty house. For over 30 years, Jonelle Matthews' disappearance on December 20, 1984, remained a mystery. It wasn't until some 35 years later that her remains were discovered during a pipe installation in 2019. A year later in 2020, Steven Pankey — a local man with ties to her church who later ran twice for the governor of Idaho — was arrested. After two trials, he was convicted of felony murder and kidnapping and sentenced to life in prison. "During those decades, generations of Greeley police officers have never forgotten Jonelle, many living in torment over the possibilities of what may have occurred that grim evening in 1984, and what could be done to solve this mystery," the Greeley Police Department said in a statement following Pankey's arrest. Pankey had continuously involved himself in the investigation and displayed odd behaviour regarding Jonelle's disappearance. Even his ex-wife, Angela Hicks, said in Oxygen's 2024 docuseries The Girl on the Milk Carton that she started collecting evidence against him years before his arrest. So what happened to Jonelle Matthews? Jonelle was a 12-year-old student living in Greeley with her parents who loved to sing and cross-stitch gifts for her friends. According to The Denver Post, she had been adopted from Los Angeles when she was one month old because her birth mother was only 13 when she gave birth. 'You could tell Jonelle had been there,' her dad, Jim Matthews, said in a November 2024 episode of 48 Hours. 'I yelled out 'Hi Jonelle,' 'Jonelle, are you there?' No answer.' After her dad called the police, investigators found footprints in the snow near the family's home. Her dad told 48 Hours that it looked like someone had tried to mess the prints up with a garden rake. Jonelle's case caught national attention after she became one of the first kids featured in the Missing Children Milk Carton Program and president Ronald Reagan discussed her disappearance during a 1985 meeting with the National Newspaper Association. But on the tenth anniversary of her disappearance in 1994, her family had Jonelle declared legally dead, The Denver Post reported. Her case went cold until July 2019, when a group of oil and gas workers discovered her remains while digging a pipeline less than 20 miles from the Matthews' home in Greeley. It was only then that Jonelle's death was ruled as murder and her autopsy report revealed she had been shot in the head. Pankey was a fellow Greeley resident, living just two miles away from the Matthews' home who served as a former youth minister at the same church. After Jonelle went missing, his former wife said her ex-husband began acting 'suspiciously' spending hours digging a hole in their yard, becoming fixated on news coverage around her case and making them leave town. She started collecting evidence against Pankey in 1999. Pankey also involved himself in the police's search for Jonelle and repeatedly hinted to investigators that he knew what happened. When his son was shot and killed by his girlfriend in 2008, Hicks claimed that she heard him say, 'I hope God didn't allow this to happen because of Jonelle Matthews.' Pankey was indicted by a grand jury in October 2020 on charges of murder, kidnapping and crimes of violence. According to 48 Hours, he allegedly took Jonelle from her family home and shot her some time 'during the course of the kidnapping.' The document also claimed that Pankey was aware of the rake used to blur the footprints. He was first tried in October 2021, but it ended in a mistrial after the jury failed to reach a verdict on the murder and kidnapping charges. However, he was found guilty of false reporting. Two years later, he was tried again and found guilty of felony murder and second-degree kidnapping. Pankey was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, reports the Greeley Tribune.
Scottish Sun
03-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Who are the P.I. Moms and where are they now? Private investigators hired by Chris Butler
Plus everything you need to know about the Netflix true crime doc examining the unbelievable case MOM'S THE WORD Who are the P.I. Moms and where are they now? Private investigators hired by Chris Butler Who were the members of the P.I. Moms? THE P.I. Moms were a unique group of college-educated "soccer moms" Chris Butler recruited and trained as private investigators for his company, Butler & Associates. They were based in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, specifically in the East Bay area, which included the Diablo Valley. Advertisement Meet the four P.I. Moms Michelle Allen : Background in acting, she directed operations while working undercover. : Background in acting, she directed operations while working undercover. Charmagne Peters : With a B.A. in rhetoric and communications, she carried out undercover decoy work and supervised sting operations. : With a B.A. in rhetoric and communications, she carried out undercover decoy work and supervised sting operations. Denise Antoon : Holding a B.A. and J.D. in criminal justice, as well as teaching the subject, she carried out fraud investigations and surveillance. : Holding a B.A. and J.D. in criminal justice, as well as teaching the subject, she carried out fraud investigations and surveillance. Ami Wiltz: A former cop who featured on shows including 48 Hours and Dr. Phil, where she described what it was like to juggle P.I. Moms investigations and family life. What was Chris Butler's vision? The disgraced former cop's idea was to use mothers' inherent skills and inconspicuousness for the following purposes: Undercover surveillance Sting operations Decoy work in infidelity and domestic cases General private investigations Assisting with his "Dirty DUIs scheme" What did Chris Butler's Dirty DUIs scheme involve? His female helpers would encourage men (often those going through tough divorce cases) to excessively drink alcohol. Once the men were drunk, the helpers would get them to drive. Corrupt police officers who worked with Butler, would pull these men over and arrest them for drink driving. These were planned traps meant to get people in trouble. Many of the arrests and charges from these tricks were later canceled and removed from people's records. Where are the PI Moms are now? Most of the original P.I Moms have quietly withdrew from the spotlight returned to private life and no longer work as high-profile investigators. Have the P.I. Moms reunited? The foursome have not appeared in any follow-up projects since the initial media storm, when Ami Wiltz was on 48 Hours and Dr. Phil. What did the P.I Moms say about the show? Ami talked about the excitement of the show's initial premise and the shock and disappointment as the truth about Butler's operations was exposed. The Canceled P.I. Moms TV Show Which channel was it supposed to air on? The P.I. Moms were supposed to get their own reality show on Lifetime. Why was the show canceled? The television programme never aired because a scandal broke out. Therefore, the network quickly dropped the show and there is no indication of a reboot or a revival. Advertisement Was the P.I. Moms show scripted or reality-based? It was portrayed as reality but later revealed to be largely staged and fabricated for the cameras. Were there any legal issues involving the P.I. Moms? Michelle Allen, Charmagne Peters, Denise Antoon and Ami Wiltz were not directly involved in any criminal activity. Their boss, Chris Butler, pleaded guilty to the following: Robbery Extortion Illegal wiretapping Selling police-confiscated drugs including crystal meth, anabolic steroids, and marijuana Profiting from and receiving protection for an illegal massage parlor (brothel) Conspiring to stage illegal search-and-seizure operations against sex workers His associate, Norman Wielsch, pleaded guilty to: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and meth Theft from programs receiving federal funds. Two counts of civil rights conspiracy Stealing drugs from evidence facilities. Participating in phony "sting" operations, including false detentions and warrantless searches. How to watch Netflix's Trainwreck: P.I. Moms When does Trainwreck: P.I. Moms premiere? This new true crime documentary premieres on Netflix on July 22, 2025. What is Trainwreck: P.I. Moms about?
The Irish Sun
03-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Who are the P.I. Moms and where are they now? Private investigators hired by Chris Butler
Who were the members of the P.I. Moms? THE P.I. Moms were a unique group of college-educated "soccer moms" Chris Butler recruited and trained as private investigators for his company, Butler & Associates. They were based in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, specifically in the East Bay area, which included the Diablo Valley. Advertisement Meet the four P.I. Moms Michelle Allen : Background in acting, she directed operations while working undercover. Charmagne Peters : With a B.A. in rhetoric and communications, she carried out undercover decoy work and supervised sting operations. Denise Antoon : Holding a B.A. and J.D. in criminal justice, as well as teaching the subject, she carried out fraud investigations and surveillance. Ami Wiltz : A former cop who featured on shows including 48 Hours and Dr. Phil, where she described what it was like to juggle P.I. Moms investigations and family life. What was Chris Butler's vision? Undercover surveillance Sting operations Decoy work in infidelity and domestic cases General private investigations Assisting with his "Dirty DUIs scheme" What did Chris Butler's Dirty DUIs scheme involve? His female helpers would encourage men (often those going through tough divorce cases) to excessively drink alcohol. Once the men were drunk, the helpers would get them to drive. Corrupt police officers who worked with Butler, would pull these men over and arrest them for drink driving. These were planned traps meant to get people in trouble. Many of the arrests and charges from these tricks were later canceled and removed from people's records. Where are the PI Moms are now? Most of the original P.I Moms have quietly withdrew from the spotlight returned to private life and no longer work as high-profile investigators. Have the P.I. Moms reunited? The foursome have not appeared in any follow-up projects since the initial media storm, when Ami Wiltz was on 48 Hours and What did the P.I Moms say about the show? Ami talked about the excitement of the show's initial premise and the shock and disappointment as the truth about Butler's operations was exposed. The Canceled P.I. Moms TV Show Which channel was it supposed to air on? The P.I. Moms were supposed to get their own reality show on Lifetime. Why was the show canceled? The television programme never aired because a scandal broke out. Therefore, the network quickly dropped the show and there is no indication of a reboot or a revival. Advertisement Was the P.I. Moms show scripted or reality-based? It was portrayed as reality but later revealed to be largely staged and fabricated for the cameras. Were there any legal issues involving the P.I. Moms? Michelle Allen, Charmagne Peters, Denise Antoon and Ami Wiltz were not directly involved in any criminal activity. Their boss, Chris Butler, pleaded guilty to the following: Robbery Extortion Illegal wiretapping Selling police-confiscated drugs including crystal meth, anabolic steroids, and marijuana Profiting from and receiving protection for an illegal massage parlor (brothel) Conspiring to stage illegal search-and-seizure operations against sex workers His associate, Norman Wielsch, pleaded guilty to: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and meth Theft from programs receiving federal funds. Two counts of civil rights conspiracy Stealing drugs from evidence facilities. Participating in phony "sting" operations, including false detentions and warrantless searches. How to watch Netflix's Trainwreck: P.I. Moms When does Trainwreck: P.I. Moms premiere? This new true crime documentary premieres on Netflix on July 22, 2025. What is Trainwreck: P.I. Moms about? The doc revisits the 2010 reality show P.I. Moms and the scandal that followed. It explores how the show unraveled when journalists and producers began to suspect that not everything was as it seemed. The documentary details the true story behind the show's collapse, the criminal allegations, and the broader impact on reality TV and law enforcement.
Scottish Sun
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Nepo baby with HUGE 80s movie star dad looks incredible in black swimsuit – but can you guess who her famous father is?
She has forged a successful career in a completely different industry beach babe Nepo baby with HUGE 80s movie star dad looks incredible in black swimsuit – but can you guess who her famous father is? Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A NEPO-BABY with a huge Hollywood star father was branded body "goals" as she stripped to a black swimsuit. The sports star, 36, opted for a figure hugging black one-piece as she hit the sands at Florida's Palm Beach. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 6 A Hollywood nepo baby with a mega famous father took to the sea in Florida as she enjoyed her downtime Credit: Frida / Boonestudios 6 Hannah Selleck, 37, has carved out a completely different career to her famous dad Credit: Getty 6 She is the only child of actor Tom Selleck and his wife Jillie Mack Credit: Alamy Hannah Selleck is the daughter of Three Men and a Baby and Quigley Down Under actor Tom Selleck, 80 - and is often spotted hanging out with her famous pop. She is the screen star's sole child with his wife Jillie Mack, 67, and - despite her dad's famous career - swerved film fame to become an equestrian competitor. In her down time away from her horses, Hannah captured herself chilling out on the beach. She uploaded a snap to her Instagram page, taken by Boone Studios, which saw her emerging from the waves and sweeping her wet locks over her shoulders. She had pulled on a pair of sunglasses and looked completely relaxed as she strode on the sands. In a thought-provoking caption she wrote: "Some waves aren't meant to be caught." This prompted one fan to post: "You are GOALS!!!!!" A second put: "Super cute babe. I'm here for this." A third then gushed: "Stunning! Miss you!" Her wider Instagram account captures the international show jumper's achievements in the sporting world, as well as a series of selfies and shots with her pals. Who is Tom Selleck's wife, Jillie Mack? Her love for horses came after actor Tom and Jillie raised her on a California ranch, named Rancho de Descanso, and her mum gushed to People in 2012: "We both thought it was the best environment for her to grow up." In 2010, this proved to be correct and spurred her to launch her own training and breeding operation on-site. Eight years later, she suffered a serious riding injury during which she shattered her fibula and tibia - yet had worked hard to get her passion back on track. Her battles came after she was then diagnosed with a rare nerve disease which sparked PTSD, and Hannah had previously told how meditation and yoga have helped in her recovery. CBS Fall Premiere Dates CBS has announced its fall premiere lineup. The network has decided to push most of its premieres back to mid-October, while one highly-anticipated show is still slated to air in September. Here's a look at all the shows premiering on CBS this fall: Wednesday, September 18: Survivor - 8pm ET Saturday, September 21: 48 Hours - 9pm ET Sunday, September 22: 60 Minutes - 7pm ET Matlock (Sneak Peek) 9pm ET Sunday, September 29: Continuation of NFL on CBS - 7pm ET 60 Minutes - 7:30pm ET The Summit (Sneak peek) - 9pm ET Big Brother - 10:30pm ET Sunday, October 6: Continuation of NFL on CBS - 7pm ET American Music Awards - 8pm ET Big Brother - 10pm ET Wednesday, October 9: Survivor - 8pm ET The Summit - 9:30pm ET Thursday, October 10: Big Brother - 8pm ET Matlock - 9pm ET Elsbeth - 10pm ET Sunday, October 13: 60 Minutes - 7pm ET Big Brother - 8:30pm ET Monday, October 14: NCIS - 8pm ET NCIS: Origins - 9pm ET Tuesday, October 15: FBI - 8pm ET FBI: International - 9pm ET FBI: Most Wanted - 10pm ET Wednesday, October 16: Survivor - 8pm ET The Summit - 9:30pm ET Thursday, October 17: George & Mandy's First Marriage - 8pm ET Ghosts - 8:30pm ET Matlock - 9pm ET Elsbeth - 10pm ET Firday, October 18: SWAT - 8pm ET Fire Country - 9pm ET Blue Bloods - 10pm ET Monday, October 21: The Neighborhood - 8pm ET Poppa's House - 8:30pm ET NCIS - 9pm ET NCIS: Origins - 10pm ET Sunday, October 27: Continuation of NFL on CBS - 7pm ET 60 Minutes - 7:30pm ET Tracker - 8:30pm ET The Equalizer - 9:30pm ET PROUD PAPA Meanwhile, her connection with her father has remained strong. He previously spoke out about being a parent to Parade and said: "You never stop being a dad even though your kids are grown. "There aren't a lot of good, strong, examples of patriarchs trying to do the right thing on television. "So, I think that performs a certain function; fathers are important." He then added to People: "I've always treasured the balance between work and time with my family. It's always about them." DOUBLE TAKE Last year, film fans were left stunned after Tom looked unrecognizable when running errands. The iconic actor switched up his look months after CBS announced that Blue Bloods was canceled - and Tom had been clear about his unhappiness with the decision. He was spotted eating a McDonald's burger before strolling across a parking lot. Typically, Tom is clean-shaven with a large mustache and carefully styled hair. Before the network announced that the police drama, which was beloved by fans, had been canceled, the Magnum PI star discussed its renewal chances with CBS Sunday Morning. "Well, that's a good question," he said at the time. "I will continue to think that CBS will come to their senses. "We're the third-highest show in all of broadcast." Tom continued, "We're winning the night. All the cast wants to come back. "I can tell you this: We aren't sliding off a cliff; we're doing good shows." "And still holding out place. So I dunno. You tell me," the actor went on. 6 Hannah has carved out a career as an international show jumper Credit: Getty 6 Tom has carved out a hugely successful movie and TV career Credit: Rex
