Man charged with conspiracy to murder Woodland Hills hairdresser Fabio Sementilli in 2017

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — A third suspect recently arrested and charged with murder in the 2017 stabbing of a prominent hairdresser at his Woodland Hills home pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a newly added count of conspiracy.

The conspiracy count alleges that Christopher Austin, 38, conspired with Monica Sementilli and Robert Louis Baker to kill Sementilli's husband, Fabio.

Austin was in court on Wednesday and is now formally charged with conspiracy in addition to a previous murder charge. He was at large for nearly seven years but was arrested in Washington state earlier this month and extradited to California.

In 2017, celebrity hairdresser and beauty industry executive Fabio Sementilli was stabbed to death on the patio of his Woodland Hills home.

Los Angeles police then arrested Sementilli's wife Monica and her lover Robert Baker. They were charged with first-degree murder.

The prosecution alleges that Austin claims he was there on the day of the murder when Baker received the call from Monica that Fabio was home alone and the coast was clear.

The prosecutor claims Austin was at the scene and was involved in the stabbing.

Austin says Baker mentioned that Monica Sementilli wanted her husband dead because of the insurance money.

All of this undermines Monica Sementilli's claim that she was not involved and knew nothing about the murder.

Baker decided to plead no contest to all charges related to the murder. After Baker was convicted, Monica Sementilli's attorney reiterated that she was not involved.

“We are confident that Robert Baker's guilty pleas and truthful testimony will conclusively prove that Monica Sementilli had nothing to do with the planning or murder of Fabio Sementilli, her husband,” said attorney Leonard Levine.

Monica Sementilli is in prison. Her trial has been delayed due to a series of legal issues but is expected to begin later this year.

Austin's next court date is December 2nd. The judge will then set a date for a preliminary hearing. He will remain in prison for the time being.

City News Service contributed to this report.