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Dateline Friday, another stunning twist! On April 11, NBC's long-standing true crime show Dateline: "The Widow of Woodland Hills" presented the cold and calculated murder of Fabio Sementilli — a respected executive in the beauty world who was found brutally stabbed behind his Los Angeles home.
From a serene family residence to a door-of-entry break-in staged, to a murder-for-hire scheme, the case unravels into a shocking story of infidelity, greed, and an illicit affair!
So, yes — the latest Dateline episode unpacks everything: the brutal murder, the suspects you’d least expect, and the hidden web of deceit that investigators would later unravel. In this 2-hour special reported by Josh Mankiewicz, viewers are taken through the timeline that led from tragedy to trial, with never-before-seen interviews, detailed crime scene visuals, and exclusive insights into what really went down behind the hedges of that Woodland Hills home.
Here's the official trailer of the episode for your reference:
Who was Fabio Sementilli in Dateline?
Fabio Sementilli, 49, was a fixture in the world of beauty — a corporate manager at Wella and a respected educator in the beauty industry. He was killed by stabbing on the patio of his residence in Woodland Hills, California, on Jan. 23, 2017. Fabio was stabbed while sitting outside, and the incident caused detectives to suspect an attempted burglary that went awry.
His wife, Monica Sementilli, and his children were left shattered. But as detectives probed further, the pieces of the tale did not quite add up. There was no indication of a break-in, nothing worthwhile was taken, and Fabio's pricey vehicle was left alone in the driveway. It wasn't long before the LAPD started to look beyond indiscriminate burglary — and into the likelihood of something more intimate.
Why did investigators suspect Monica Sementilli?
As investigators reviewed surveillance footage and digital evidence, they zeroed in on Monica Sementilli — Fabio’s wife of more than two decades. According to law enforcement, Monica had been involved in a secret relationship with another man: Robert Baker, a former boxer and fitness trainer from Pennsylvania.
Dateline revealed that Monica and Baker were in touch with each other for months before Fabio's killing. They also found life insurance policies of approximately $1.6 million, where Monica was the recipient. Prosecutors accused that the motive was clear — freedom and money. Monica and Robert were arrested and charged with murder and conspiracy in 2017.
What evidence was presented?
Dateline showed that the prosecution of Monica and Robert Baker was constructed on a combination of online tracks, phone records, and surveillance videos. Prosecutors explained how Baker allegedly traveled to California to commit the murder and then returned home as if nothing had happened. The two were accused of conspiring to carry out the murder together, with Monica allegedly helping to plan out the logistics.
In Dateline's special episode, Josh Mankiewicz goes through the actual chronology of events, aided by interviews with detectives and friends of Fabio. The evidence presented painted a picture of a premeditated and planned scheme — not a crime of passion, but one meant to masquerade as a robbery.
What's the current status of the case?
As of the Dateline broadcast on April 11, 2025, Monica Sementilli was found guilty of murder in the killing of her husband, Fabio Sementilli. Ten men and two women of the jury took two days to render a unanimous verdict. Monica, aged 53, was found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder with special circumstance of murder for financial gain and murder while lying in wait.
Jurors found all the charges against her to be true. This conviction was the result of years of inquiry and court action resulting from the January 2017 stabbing homicide of Fabio Sementilli. Monica's co-defendant and former lover, Robert Louis Baker, is also charged in the scheme but remains to be tried.
In this conviction, prosecutors have unequivocally tied Monica to plotting the crime based on a combination of an alleged affair and a $1.6 million life insurance payment.
Viewers are left with discomfort — a man well-respected by many in his profession, betrayed in the most secure location he knew.
Why The Widow of Woodland Hills resonates with viewers
What makes this episode most memorable isn't the viciousness of the crime, but the personal betrayal and meticulous planning behind it. It questions appearances, trust, and what can slip under the radar even in a close family life.
Dateline's narrative maintains a neutral yet resolute gaze on facts, aided by visuals, interviews, and archival content that serve to bring the timeline of the crime into sharp relief.
The Fabio Sementilli case is far from over emotionally — and legally, it's still ongoing. But Dateline's reporting peels back the curtain on a tale where the truth was hiding in plain sight, buried under layers of personal secrets and digital clues.
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Also read: Dateline: The Last Mile - Everything we know about the latest true crime episode
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