Pat LaLama

Hey, Debra. Thanks for having me. I'm so excited to talk about this case.

Hey, Debra. Thanks for having me. I'm so excited to talk about this case.

And, Debra, for me to say that is big because I've covered so many trials, and yet this one touched me in ways I can't describe. Let's put it this way, Debra. I live in Hollywood, right? It's the mecca of... screenwriters looking for that Oscar-winning script that'll put their name in lights.

And, Debra, for me to say that is big because I've covered so many trials, and yet this one touched me in ways I can't describe. Let's put it this way, Debra. I live in Hollywood, right? It's the mecca of... screenwriters looking for that Oscar-winning script that'll put their name in lights.

There is nothing those screenwriters can write that, to me, equals what I'm seeing every day in this particular case. It is downright Shakespearean. It is the human condition. Greed, lust, infidelity, anger, jealousy put it all together. And this is the case that you have.

There is nothing those screenwriters can write that, to me, equals what I'm seeing every day in this particular case. It is downright Shakespearean. It is the human condition. Greed, lust, infidelity, anger, jealousy put it all together. And this is the case that you have.

That's exactly right. This man. So let me tell you just a little bit about Fabio before we go. Very, I mean, just beloved in the industry. One of the only actual stylists. And he wasn't just a stylist in the salon. He was the creative director for all the big runway shows from here to Paris and Rome and everywhere else.

That's exactly right. This man. So let me tell you just a little bit about Fabio before we go. Very, I mean, just beloved in the industry. One of the only actual stylists. And he wasn't just a stylist in the salon. He was the creative director for all the big runway shows from here to Paris and Rome and everywhere else.

And he was so beloved and so smart that they made him an executive at Wella Corporation, which was at the time owned by Procter & Gamble. So that's what brought him to L.A. from Toronto. So he came here with his wife and his two young daughters, and they made a home in an upscale part of L.A. called Woodland Hills. And on the outside, Deborah, everything was beautiful.

And he was so beloved and so smart that they made him an executive at Wella Corporation, which was at the time owned by Procter & Gamble. So that's what brought him to L.A. from Toronto. So he came here with his wife and his two young daughters, and they made a home in an upscale part of L.A. called Woodland Hills. And on the outside, Deborah, everything was beautiful.

Classic story. And what happens—now, this is according to the prosecution— Monica, his wife, decides to have this lust driven affair with her racquetball coach. Right. The guy is a convicted sex offender. He's an interesting character. But apparently so many of the women in this upscale health club in Woodland Hills were crazy about him. Go figure. Right.

Classic story. And what happens—now, this is according to the prosecution— Monica, his wife, decides to have this lust driven affair with her racquetball coach. Right. The guy is a convicted sex offender. He's an interesting character. But apparently so many of the women in this upscale health club in Woodland Hills were crazy about him. Go figure. Right.

I mean, that's that's a story for another podcast.

I mean, that's that's a story for another podcast.

You know what? I wish we had eight hours to go through every little detail, but I'll try to narrow it down for you. Here's what really makes this case so interesting. Two men were on that surveillance tape. You can't see them, but they were able to figure them out, right? One of them, it turns out, and I can say this matter-of-factly because they have confessed to the crimes, right?

You know what? I wish we had eight hours to go through every little detail, but I'll try to narrow it down for you. Here's what really makes this case so interesting. Two men were on that surveillance tape. You can't see them, but they were able to figure them out, right? One of them, it turns out, and I can say this matter-of-factly because they have confessed to the crimes, right?

Robert Baker is the racquetball coach. He's one of them. The other one is a young man he considered his nephew. They'd known each other for decades, very, very close. He turns out to be the other man. Now, in the end, what happened is the racquetball coach has fallen on the sword 100%. He was not offered any kind of a deal. He just comes forward and says, I'm just going to admit to it. I did it.

Robert Baker is the racquetball coach. He's one of them. The other one is a young man he considered his nephew. They'd known each other for decades, very, very close. He turns out to be the other man. Now, in the end, what happened is the racquetball coach has fallen on the sword 100%. He was not offered any kind of a deal. He just comes forward and says, I'm just going to admit to it. I did it.

I want nothing. I'm going to spend the rest of my life in prison. And darn it, I'm going to testify for Monica Sematilli. Who understands why he wants to die on this hill? I don't know. The other man, the younger one, He pled guilty to second-degree murder. And here's the peg. He testified for the prosecution that Monica was most definitely behind this.

I want nothing. I'm going to spend the rest of my life in prison. And darn it, I'm going to testify for Monica Sematilli. Who understands why he wants to die on this hill? I don't know. The other man, the younger one, He pled guilty to second-degree murder. And here's the peg. He testified for the prosecution that Monica was most definitely behind this.