Celebrity hair stylist Fabio Sementilli's wife found guilty in his 2017 stabbing death
A Los Angeles jury on Friday found the wife of celebrity hair stylist Fabio Sementilli guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in his 2017 stabbing death.
Sementilli, 49, was found with stab wounds to his neck, face and chest on the patio of his home in Woodland Hills, California, on Jan. 23, 2017.
Monica Sementilli's sentencing is scheduled for June 23.
A new "20/20" episode, "Sex, Knives, and Videotape", airing Friday, April 11, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC and streaming the next day on Hulu, examines the case.
You can also get more behind-the-scenes of each week's episode by listening to "20/20: The After Show" weekly series right on your 20/20 podcast feed on Mondays, hosted by "20/20" co-anchor Deborah Roberts.
Prosecutors said Monica Sementilli and her lover, Robert Baker, were having an affair and conspired to kill Fabio so the couple could be together and collect life insurance money.
As the pair awaited trial, Baker decided in 2023 to plead "no contest" to all charges relating to Fabio's murder, including the special circumstance allegations of murder for financial gain and murder while lying in wait.
Pleading no contest meant Baker did not contest the charges and accepted the facts alleged by prosecutors without admitting to being guilty. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
In October, another man -- Christopher Austin -- was arrested in connection with the case.
Testifying for the prosecution during Monica's trial in March, he told jurors that he and Baker stabbed Sementilli to death after she left the door of their home unlocked. When questioned by the defense, Austin denied that he had been offered a deal by prosecutors in exchange for his testimony.
Austin was convicted of second-degree murder and personal use of a knife in Sementelli's killing. He faces 16 years in prison when he's sentenced in April.
Friday's verdict may offer some degree of justice for the Sementilli family. In interviews prior to the jury's decision, they told "20/20" that they still feel his absence deeply. Sementelli's son Luigi, who is Monica's stepson said that he takes comfort from his father's Rolex watch.
"He wore this all the time. He wore it when he died," he told "20/20." "I wear it for special occasions when I wanna feel close to him. It's probably my most -- one of my most cherished--- possessions."
Sementelli's sister Mirella said she takes comfort in his memory.
"It's hard to dig deep for a silver lining here. No, it's -- his legacy will live on," she told "20/20." "We were blessed to have him, even for a short time."
