In January 2017, Fabio Sementilli’s body was found in his Woodland Hills home. He was a well-known and respected person in the beauty business. It turned out to be a planned attack on a house that at first looked like a raid. Robert Baker, his wife Monica Sementilli’s boyfriend, planned the crime. Their plan was to get money from a life insurance claim worth $1.6 million. After a long hearing, Monica was found guilty of killing someone in the first degree.
Who Was Fabio Sementilli?
As Vice President of Education at Wella, Fabio Sementilli was a recognized figure in the beauty business. He began his work in Toronto and became famous for teaching young stylists how to do their jobs and making shows like Hairdressers at Heart. Because he was so friendly and helpful, his friends and coworkers called him “Big Daddy.” Many people looked up to him because of his drive, guidance, and commitment to helping others grow. Because of scholarships and training programs named after him, his work goes on even after he is gone.
The Events of January 23, 2017
A Canadian hair executive named Fabio Sementilli, 49, was found dead on the porch of his Woodland Hills home on January 23, 2017. He had been stabbed several times. Around 5 p.m., paramedics responded to a call for help and found Sementilli with multiple stab wounds to his neck and upper body. He was declared dead at the scene. He wasn’t seen in his black 2008 Porsche 911 Carrera, which was later found abandoned about five miles away.
At first, police thought the event might have been a home invasion robbery. But more research showed that his wife, Monica Sementilli, and her lover, Robert Baker, were planning a smart scheme to get his $1.6 million life insurance policy.
Was It a Home Invasion Gone Wrong?
At the start of the investigation into Fabio Sementilli’s death, police thought that a home invasion robbery might have been the cause. This idea came from the fact that the victim’s master bedroom had been broken into and his valuable Rolex watch was missing, which suggested that the thieves may have been caught. The missing video DVR and the stolen Porsche 911 Carrera were also signs of a planned break-in.
But more research showed problems with this idea, which made police rethink it. The targeted nature of the crime and the fact that the watch wasn’t there after the house seemed to have been robbed made people think it was a fake.
The Hidden Relationships and Motives
When detectives found blood at the crime scene that did not belong to Fabio Sementilli, they started to think that there was more going on than just a theft. This helped them figure out that Robert Baker, a convicted sex criminal and former porn star, might be involved. After more research, it was found that Baker had been having an affair with Fabio Sementilli’s wife, Monica Sementilli, for about a year before the death.
The day of the murder, Baker was seen on surveillance video entering the Sementilli home, and Monica had been on the phone with him around the time of the crime. Because of these results, the police arrested Monica and Baker and charged them with first-degree murder and planning to kill someone.
Monica Sementilli and Robert Baker Taken into Custody
In June 2017, almost five months after Fabio Sementilli was killed, his wife Monica and her lover Robert Baker were both arrested and charged with murder. At first, police thought it might have been a home invasion robbery, but soon, physical evidence pointed to a planned crime. Baker was caught because DNA from the crime scene and the stolen Porsche led police to him.
Baker was a known sex offender with a previous criminal record. After more research, it was found that Monica and Baker had been seeing each other for more than a year and were planning to kill Fabio Sementilli to get his $1.6 million life insurance payout. Monica is said to have given Baker direct access to the home’s security system and planned when the murder would happen.
Encrypted Messages and Surveillance Footage
Investigators found a web of their conversations and security footage that showed Monica Sementilli was actively planning the murder of her husband. Her boyfriend, Robert Baker, had access to her home security system details, which let him keep an eye on it from afar.
Surveillance video from the day of the murder showed Baker entering the house while Monica was at a nearby Target store making her alibi. Phone records showed that Monica was streaming live video from her home during the crime, which suggests that she was planning when to attack. Also, Monica and Baker talked about the murder plan in private texts, which added to her involvement in the plot.
Claiming Innocence Amidst Damning Evidence
The lawyers for Monica Sementilli said she wasn’t involved in killing her husband because her relationship with Robert Baker didn’t mean she planned to kill Fabio Sementilli. They said she didn’t have a financial reason because she wasn’t the only person who would get the money from the life insurance policy.
The defense said that Monica was heartbroken over Fabio Sementilli’s death and that Baker did what he did by himself. They also called into question the quality of camera footage and the usefulness of some proof. Monica’s defense team tried to make the prosecution’s case weaker and make her look like she was not guilty.
The murder of Monica Sementilli’s husband Fabio Sementilli in 2017 was found to be her fault on April 11, 2025. She was found guilty of murder with special conditions, such as lying in wait and doing it for money. Monica’s tears were one of the emotional expressions in court, and her children continued to support her.
