Convicted killer says his lover had no part in murder of her husband

8 hours ago 9

It's an awkward infinitesimal sitting down with a murderer particularly erstwhile you get unannounced.

Robert Baker, 61, who pleaded nary contest past summertime to the 2017 Los Angeles execution of famed hairstylist and quality manufacture enforcement Fabio Sementilli, 49, approached the solid that separated america with a "who are you?" look connected his face.

Monica Sementilli and Robert Baker mugshots

As a shaper for "48 Hours" who has followed the lawsuit since 2017, I made the travel to Los Angeles' North County Correctional Facility connected March 2 to spot if Baker would beryllium consenting to stock accusation astir the brutal transgression and, perhaps, his alleged accomplice Monica Sementilli, 52. Monica was the woman of victim Fabio Sementilli, and she was Baker's person earlier they some landed successful jail, astir 5 months aft the crime, accused of conspiracy to perpetrate murder. Their lawsuit is profiled by "48 Hours" contributor Michelle Miller in "The Monica Sementilli Affair," now streaming connected Paramount+.

Baker seemed steadfast and younger looking than the bedraggled fig I remembered from court. He had the acceptable and muscular quality 1 mightiness expect from a racquetball manager astatine the LA Fitness wherever helium met Monica Sementilli, a parent of 2 teenage daughters surviving successful a nearby, upscale L.A. neighborhood.

Once I introduced myself, it was Baker who offered the archetypal icebreaker to our conversation, expressing astonishment astatine the effort I had taken to find him successful that distant jailhouse successful the upland municipality of Castaic. Getting determination tin beryllium a one-hour thrust from L.A., and visitors are lone permitted connected Saturdays and Sundays. There are 2 abstracted intake areas to walk through, which involves a autobus thrust – not to notation security, wherever a newsman indispensable permission pens, recorders and phones behind.

So, the effort had paid off, it got the speech started, and earned maine credibility for uncovering him. These meetings tin beryllium difficult. The main contented is we are being recorded and the cops and prosecutors who enactment Baker distant and person plans to enactment his erstwhile person distant listen, and presumably tin and volition usage thing helium says against him – oregon her – if possible.

Nevertheless, our speech moved along. Baker had an casual wide grin with a spread betwixt his beforehand teeth. The telephone receivers we each utilized had abbreviated cords truthful that kept america look to face, staring consecutive into each other's eyes, from astir 20 inches isolated done information glass.

Despite his reluctance to code astir issues, deferring answers to "when this is each over" (meaning the extremity of Monica's upcoming proceedings which starts April 2), helium was resolute astir 1 point: Monica was not progressive successful the murder, arsenic she is charged.

"Monica did not know. She didn't cognize s***. If she did find out, I would person been successful present (jail) a batch sooner," helium said. His assertion was a bombshell. Monica, who has already spent astir six years successful jail, did not conspire with him to termination her hubby Fabio, helium said.

Despite what the authoritative characterizes arsenic overwhelming circumstantial grounds against Monica, determination is nary smoking weapon connecting her to the conspiracy. A information her attorneys are banking connected for a not blameworthy verdict astatine trial.

Why did Robert Baker plead blameworthy without a deal?

I asked astir his determination to plead nary contention contempt not getting a woody and accepting the condemnation of beingness without parole. With his humor and DNA astatine the transgression scene, having chopped his digit stabbing Fabio to death, Baker had small accidental to bushed the charges. But adjacent if his chances astatine proceedings were 1 successful a million, astir radical instrumentality that shot. "Why not you?" I asked him.

He seemed resigned to his destiny but explained "due process" was the reason. Much of our speech shifted to facial expressions, arsenic helium was intelligibly reluctant to beryllium recorded saying definite things. I recovered myself unconsciously pursuing his pb — and astatine that moment, I gave him an exaggerated "What does that mean?" face.

"You deliberation there's owed process?" helium responded to my look, arsenic if I was the naivest idiosyncratic connected world to person religion successful the transgression justness strategy that snared him. The operation owed process would service arsenic his unsatisfying default reply for galore substantive questions.

I asked if his plea was "a gift" for Monica, which helium instantly scoffed at, seemingly taking offense, arsenic if going down for beingness could beryllium a gift.

I pointed out, what helium knew well, that for much than 5 years Monica's attorneys had tried galore times to sever the cases against the lovebirds into abstracted trials, but the justice denied them astatine each turn. So, I noted erstwhile Baker pleaded nary contest, voilà, acknowledgment to his decision, Monica got what she had been asking for, to basal proceedings alone. He remained dismissive.

I asked if helium had met Monica successful a Target parking batch 2 miles from the Sementilli location successful the hours earlier the murder, arsenic the authoritative alleged, presumably to get the 'coast is clear' connection from Monica to onslaught and termination Fabio.

That allegation prompted an eyes wide open, lips pursed, "no way" look arsenic helium shook his caput backmost and forth. It ne'er happened, according to him.

He complained astir that and different prosecution evidence. The information that helium and Monica utilized the encrypted apps WhatsApp and Viber to pass betwixt themselves, oregon that Monica shared her family's location information system's backstage log-in credentials with him. So what? helium asked.

I pointed retired that portion millions of Americans did usage encrypted apps and accessed location information systems remotely, an nonsubjective person, say, a juror, mightiness good find it suspicious that the lovers shared those anterior to Fabio's murder. Baker remained indignant that those facts could beryllium utilized against him oregon Monica.

What astir his Facebook messages with a person wherever Baker said, "No not yet surviving with her [Monica] but it's coming soon." Once again, Baker shrugged that off, "just a speech betwixt friends." That mentation enactment the incredulous "Huh?" look connected my face.

"Just a speech betwixt friends," helium repeated with a motion and a "that's all" expression. He conscionable did not look to get the prosecutor's constituent that a speech betwixt friends is precisely what was truthful revealing, and perchance incriminating particularly due to the fact that helium murdered Fabio soon after.

Robert Baker's sentence: Life without parole

I turned the speech to his sentencing proceeding wherever galore household members assailed him for taking distant Fabio, a antheral truthful loved by 2 daughters, a son, 2 sisters and an immense household and ellipse of friends.

"Heartbreaking," helium repeated a fewer times, "heartbreaking." Baker had cried during the hearing, possibly erstwhile Monica's daughters testified. What they whitethorn person seen arsenic crocodile tears decidedly did not marque an content connected the devastated household members and friends.

I asked if that emotion astatine the proceeding meant helium wanted to apologize to Fabio's family. He offered thing successful reply conscionable repeating, "heartbreaking." "I'm not the monster," helium said, his dependable trailing disconnected earlier I could perceive a finished thought.

At that point, I had to interject, explaining that I had seen the autopsy report. Fabio had been viciously stabbed 7 times, 3 abstracted wounds each deemed fatal arsenic captious arteries were targeted. A beloved father, brother, son, friend, ambushed and slaughtered without a accidental to support himself.

"I know, I know," helium said, dropping his caput without gathering my eyes. He said lone precise precocious had helium seen the transgression country photos of Fabio – the gore and unit of the execution juxtaposed with the backdrop: Fabio's chair, wherever his household remembers him smoking cigars, "Big Daddy" shot headdress connected his head, conducting business, and enjoying beingness successful his favourite domain - the backmost patio.

It was Fabio's past 16-year-old girl who would find his assemblage – excessively dense arsenic deadweight for her to adjacent crook him over.

Will Robert Baker testify?

Earlier successful our conversation, Baker conceded that helium had precocious been gathering with Monica's defence attorneys. Ostensibly, they are sizing Baker up for the anticipation that helium mightiness attest astatine Monica's proceedings and driblet that aforementioned bombshell connected the jurors: that Monica was not involved, that she had nary knowledge, that she ne'er suspected her person arsenic the killer.

Baker told maine helium does not cognize whether helium volition attest oregon not.

I asked if helium wanted to attest "for her?" For the 2nd time, helium took offense. "I would not bash it for her," helium said. "It would beryllium to archer the truth."

The thought that helium mightiness attest was heralded by her defence lawyers arsenic a lawsuit closer.

"We are assured that Robert Baker's blameworthy plea and his truthful grounds volition yet found erstwhile and for each that Monica Sementilli had thing to bash with the readying oregon the execution of Fabio Sementilli, her husband," said seasoned L.A. transgression defence lawyer Leonard Levine aft Baker's sentencing.

Legal experts that "48 Hours" spoke to were much circumspect. They acknowledged the powerfulness of that imaginable testimony. They besides pointed retired a assemblage mightiness beryllium skeptical aft a withering cross-examination and an exploration of Baker's background. Baker's grounds represented a risky proposition, they reasoned — apt excessively risky.

Background was a question Baker raised. I responded that I was alert of his acting acquisition successful the manufacture — the porn industry. Baker nodded his support astatine my research. It seemed odd, arsenic if — similar truthful galore radical that reporters woody with successful Hollywood — Baker was asserting, 'I was an histrion you know,' rather than displaying unease with the courtroom optics of pornography.

Our clip was limited, truthful I chose not to rise his transgression background, a condemnation for having enactment with a minor, his teenage stepdaughter, who would wed him aft his merchandise from situation successful the 1990s and participate the pornography world, doing movies with Baker. It seemed to beryllium a tangent.

Rather, I wanted to sermon the prosecution's assertion that Monica was starring a treble beingness aft Fabio's murder. Prosecutors alleged she was expressing an outward quality done societal media that she was profoundly successful grief implicit the nonaccomplishment of her husband, portion constabulary simultaneously, surreptitiously documented a secretive, fun-filled romance with Baker — the killer.

Baker chose not to motion disconnected this accusation, insisting that Monica's grief implicit Fabio's execution was aggravated and sincere. As validation, helium offered that the 2 were nary longer successful interaction and that she cursed him with her parting words, "Murderer motherf*****," yelled crossed a hallway successful fastener up. He was alleging that erstwhile Monica learned Baker was the killer, she dropped him, but helium did not accidental when.

Another bombshell, the assertion that their narration was present over, arsenic tribunal documents had revealed 2017 emotion letters signed "your wifey… Monica Baker 'til death," sent successful jail. When a sheriff's lawman abruptly appeared, Baker turned and left, ending our interrogation abruptly.

Outside I waited for my autobus adjacent to a motion that work "Beware of Mountain Lions, Do Not Leave Children Unattended." Relishing the fresh, crisp, upland air, I reflected connected a lively, yet guarded, speech that yielded glimpses of candor whether intentional oregon inadvertent from a murderer.

On April 11, 2025, a assemblage recovered Monica Sementilli, 53, guilty of execution and conspiracy for masterminding the execution of her hubby Fabio, with peculiar circumstances of execution for fiscal summation and execution portion lying successful wait. On June 23, 2025, Monica Sementilli was sentenced to beingness successful situation without the anticipation of parole. She plans to appeal.