Dateline NBC
Emotional testimony from a killer. A murder defendant's unusual defense. And travel scam safety tips.
Thu, 6 Mar 2025
Listen to this week's episode of the Dateline: True Crime Weekly podcast with Andrea Canning. A California jury hears chilling details about the murder of hairstylist Fabio Sementilli from the man who admits he helped kill him. In Kansas, the lead detective on a double murder case is called to the witness stand by the woman charged with the murders. She's representing herself. We've got the latest on the investigation into the death of Hollywood actor Gene Hackman. Plus, NBC News' Vicky Nguyen is back with tips on how to avoid travel scams. Find out more about the cases covered each week here:www.datelinetruecrimeweekly.com
Chapter 1: What are the key stories in this week's Dateline episode?
Welcome to Dateline True Crime Weekly. I'm Andrea Canning. It's March 6th, and here's what's on our docket. Fireworks in a Kansas courtroom as Dana Chandler, the woman representing herself at her third trial on charges she murdered her ex-husband and his girlfriend, calls the lead detective as a defense witness.
Were there my fingerprints in the house?
No.
Were there any of my hair in the house?
No. In Dateline Roundup, what we know about the investigation into the mysterious death of Hollywood legend Gene Hackman.
They're combing through hours of body camera footage from the deputies who responded to the scene. They may soon release some of that footage.
Plus, NBC News chief consumer investigative correspondent Vicky Nguyen is back to share her tips on how to avoid being scammed while booking your next vacation.
If the price is too good to be true and you are not using your credit card, which has a lot of fraud protection, be very, very careful.
But before all that, we're heading back to Los Angeles and the latest bombshell testimony in the trial of a woman accused of plotting with her lover to murder her hairstylist husband.
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Chapter 2: What is Dana Chandler's defense strategy in her murder trial?
Chapter 3: What are the latest developments in Gene Hackman's mysterious death?
No. In Dateline Roundup, what we know about the investigation into the mysterious death of Hollywood legend Gene Hackman.
They're combing through hours of body camera footage from the deputies who responded to the scene. They may soon release some of that footage.
Chapter 4: How can you protect yourself from travel scams?
Plus, NBC News chief consumer investigative correspondent Vicky Nguyen is back to share her tips on how to avoid being scammed while booking your next vacation.
If the price is too good to be true and you are not using your credit card, which has a lot of fraud protection, be very, very careful.
Chapter 5: What was Christopher Austin's role in Fabio Sementilli's murder?
But before all that, we're heading back to Los Angeles and the latest bombshell testimony in the trial of a woman accused of plotting with her lover to murder her hairstylist husband.
Six weeks into the prosecution's case against Monica Sementilli, the state has called an array of witnesses, from the paramedic who responded to the murder scene to a host of LAPD detectives to Monica's own daughter, Jessica. On Tuesday morning, they called one of their star witnesses.
You may call your witness.
Thank you. Do people call Christopher Austin? No.
Prosecutors say Christopher Austin helped Monica's lover, Robert Baker, kill her husband, Fabio. In January, Austin pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for his role in the crime and agreed to testify against Monica, who he says knew about the plot. This week, we finally heard his emotional testimony in court. Dateline producer Chetna Joshi is back to tell us what Christopher Austin had to say.
Chetna, thanks for joining us again. Yeah, thanks for having me. So, Chetna, the prosecution started by talking a bit about Christopher Austin's relationship with Robert Baker, which had been a bit of a mystery to you, Chetna, your team, Dateline, until now. So what did we find out about their connection?
Yeah, so we learned that Christopher Austin was about in middle school when he met Robert Baker and that his dad and Robert Baker were very good friends.
Did you have a term that you referred to him as?
Yes.
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Chapter 6: How is Dana Chandler representing herself in court?
What did Baker tell you about it?
Baker told me she's loaded, she wants him gone, she's going to get paid.
Did the agent say to you, to me it sounded like it's the bitch who planned everything? Do you remember him saying that to you?
Yeah.
What did you say?
She knew about it. She did.
Christopher Austin, he was extremely emotional at times on the stand. One of those times in particular, he's describing what happened the day Fabio was killed.
Yeah, when he got emotional, and it usually happened during times when there was direct questioning about the murder itself, and he would kind of hang his head low and get quiet and emotional. And regarding the day of the murder, he testified that they were at Baker's apartment, and Baker gets a text. And Baker says the text is from Monica.
And that she is telling him that there is basically a small window. And so Baker's like, okay, this is the time. We got to go now. Does he talk about the actual murder and how it was carried out? Yeah, I would say that this was probably one of the most... Chalking things. I mean, it's not very often that we get to hear from a killer directly from his own mouth how a murder went down.
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