In Los Angeles, the woman found guilty of orchestrating the death of her husband, an esteemed hairdresser and executive in the beauty industry, was sentenced to life imprisonment without any chance of parole. This judgment was delivered eight years after the tragic incident at their Los Angeles residence.
Monica Sementilli, 53, received her conviction in April, being charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy related to the 2017 fatal stabbing of Fabio Sementilli. The crime took place in their backyard within the affluent Woodland Hills neighborhood. The unfortunate discovery was made by their daughter, finding her father in a pool of blood with severe injuries across multiple parts of his body, including his face, jaw, neck, chest, and thigh.
The prosecution revealed that Monica Sementilli colluded with Robert Baker, her former racquetball coach and lover, to execute the murder of her 49-year-old spouse to claim a $1.6 million life insurance policy.
In July 2023, Robert Baker, now 63, accepted a plea of no contest regarding the murder and conspiracy charges. He is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
During the trial, Baker asserted that Monica was uninvolved in her husband’s murder plan. “I murdered him because I wanted her,” Baker conveyed to the court, attempting to shift responsibility.
However, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Ronald S. Coen refused the defense’s request to impose a sentence of 25 years to life. He declared Monica Sementilli the “mastermind” behind the meticulously planned crime, as reported. Judge Coen noted Baker’s lack of the necessary intelligence to independently devise such a “brutal, well-thought-out slaughter.”
Fabio Sementilli, originally from Canada, had a prominent career as a pioneering hairstylist. He held a noteworthy position as vice president of education for Coty Inc., a significant name in the global beauty product industry.