Tag: murder

TOPANGA CANYON/WOODLAND HILLS—On Monday, July 14, it was reported that Samuel Haskell IV, the son of famed producer Hollywood producer and agent, Samuel Haskell III, killed himself while in prison over the weekend. Haskell IV was 37 years old. According to TMZ, Haskell IV used a razor to take his life.

Samuel was found dead in his cell on Saturday, July 12, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office disclosed. He was charged with three counts of murder as well as the special circumstance allegation of multiple murders. Haskell was facing life in prison without the possibility of parole for his crimes and he was scheduled to appear in court on Monday, July 14 for a preliminary hearing.

Had the case proceeded to a preliminary hearing, the District Attorney’s Office would have presented the following evidence that Haskell IV, was in prison for killing and dismembering his wife and dumping the body, in addition to murdering her parents.

On or about November 6, 2023, he murdered and dismembered his 37-year-old wife, Mei Li Haskell, killed her mother, Yanxiang Wang, 64, and her stepfather Gaoshan Li, 71, in the Tarzana home they all shared.

The following day, Haskell hired and paid $500 to several day laborers to take away heavy black plastic trash bags from his home in Tarzana. After driving away from the home, the workers opened one of the bags and saw human body parts. The workers returned the bags and money to Haskell, took pictures of the defendant, the bags and the front of the residence, then alerted police. When authorities responded to the home to conduct a welfare check, no one was there, and the bags were gone.

Later the same afternoon, he was recorded on video a short distance from his home driving into a parking lot, removing a large trash bag similar to the one returned by the day laborers from the trunk of his Tesla, and disposing of this bag into a trash dumpster in Encino before driving away.

On November 9, 2023, the Los Angeles Police Department revealed they identified and arrested Haskell IV for murder, in connection to the unidentified female torso found in the area of Ventura Boulevard and Rubio Avenue.

On November 8, 2023, around 6 a.m., an individual looking through dumpster bins found a bag containing a woman’s torso, prompting the police to be called. The investigation provided detectives with information that led them to a residence in the 4100 block of Coldstream Terrace in the West Valley area.

The home was forensically processed for evidence and detectives discovered that the location was the family residence where the suspect lived with his wife, Mei Lei Haskell, his in-laws and three children. The children were located and are being cared for by family members.

Investigators determined he rented the Airbnb in October for the time period between November 6 to November 18, 2023. A Home Depot receipt dated October 20, 2023, for the purchase of plywood, canopy, moisture barrier, coveralls and diamond-saw blades was found in his wallet.

Inside the rented vehicle, police found a .357 loaded revolver inside a holster, 32 rounds of live ammunition, a blood-encrusted military-style knife, a headlamp and firearm sight and passports for himself, his wife Mei and their three children. DNA analysis of blood on the military knife matched to all three victims, while blood stains on the firearm matched the genetic profiles of Mei Li and Gaoshan Li. A search warrant was served on the defendant’s office where detectives found $67,000 in cash.

Additionally, law enforcement learned in reviewing the defendant’s cell phone extraction that Haskell Jr. had been having an affair with a 27-year-old woman who they interviewed. He told her in October 2023 that his children would soon be living with his parents.

On November 2, the defendant asked her to accompany him on a trip to Japan. Homicide detectives recovered a one-way ticket to Japan purchased by Haskell Jr. on October 21, 2023. The following day, Haskell Jr. purchased a roundtrip ticket for his girlfriend to accompany him from November 28 to December 12, 2023. The remains of Yanxiang Wang and Gaoshan Li have never been found.

Samuel’s father has worked for high profile celebrities like Dolly Parton and Whoopi Goldberg. Haskell IV was booked for 187 (a) PC-Murder and is currently being held on $2 million dollar bail.

According to the New York Post, Haskell IV was known to have a large cache of weapons in his home. He shot many films that have been posted on his Facebook and TikTok pages that include violence and the fetishization of Asian women. Brandi Glanville, the former star of the reality series, “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” appears on a scene in one of those films.

By Danny Jones

WOODLAND HILLS—On Monday, June 23, 2025, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office announced that Monica Sementilli was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for orchestrating the 2017 murder of her husband, renowned hairdresser Fabio Sementilli.

The sentencing took place in Department 101 of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.

A jury previously found Sementilli guilty of first-degree murder with special circumstance allegations of financial gain and lying in wait, as well as conspiracy to commit murder on April 11, 2025. She sobbed in court as the verdict was read.

Evidence presented at trial showed that she conspired with her lover, Robert Louis Baker, to murder her 49-year-old husband, Fabio, in order to collect millions in life insurance benefits.

On January 23, 2017, Baker fatally stabbed Fabio as he sat on his backyard patio in Woodland Hills before fleeing the scene in Sementilli’s Porsche, which was later found abandoned. Baker previously pleaded guilty to murder and conspiracy to commit murder and was also sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole

Fabio was a well-known celebrity hairdresser. He shared three children with the defendant, Gessica, Isabella and Luigi.

The Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division led the investigation.

By Danny Jones

WOODLAND HILLS—It was announced on Friday, April 11, by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office that Monica Sementilli was convicted by a jury for murdering her husband, famed hairdresser Fabio Sementilli in 2017. She sobbed in court as the verdict was read.

After a 10-week trail, jurors found defendant Monica Sementilli guilty of one count of murder with special circumstance allegations that the killing was carried out for financial gain and by means of lying in wait. She was also found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit murder. The verdict makes her eligible for a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Prosecutors proved that Monica and her co-defendant, Robert Louis Baker, were involved in a romantic affair and conspired to kill Fabio Sementilli, 49, in his Woodland Hills home in case BA452975.

On January 23, 2017, Baker fatally stabbed Fabio as he sat on his patio, then fled the scene in the victim’s Porsche, which was later found abandoned miles away. Baker previously pleaded guilty to first-degree, special circumstances murder of Fabio, killing him with a knife, and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

Monica devised the plan to get her hands on her husband’s $1 million dollar life insurance policy.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman of the Major Crimes Division and Deputy District Attorney Heather Steggell of the Organized Crime Division. The case was investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division.

“I want to acknowledge the exceptional work of the prosecution team of Beth Silverman and Heather Steggell in presenting their case with professionalism and diligence,” said District Attorney Nathan Hochman. “These experienced prosecutors and detectives investigated and prosecuted this case over eight years, painstakingly putting together each piece of this murder puzzle to overcome the lies and deception of Monica Sementilli and her lover who thought they had made a clean getaway.”

Fabio was a well known celebrity hairdresser. He shared 3 children with Monica, Gessica, Isabella and Luigi.

Sentencing for Monica is scheduled for June 23 in Department 101 of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.

By Trevor

SANTA MONICA—On Tuesday, October 1, 2024, Lt. Erika Aklufi of the Santa Monica Police Department informed Canyon News via email that a suspect arrested for a 2022 murder has been convicted in court.

The SMPD reported that on November 2, 2022, officers responded to Lot 1 North, the beach parking lot just north of the Pier, for a suspicious circumstances call. A parking attendant noticed a male subject lying motionless in the driver seat and possibly bleeding.

Officers located the vehicle in the west end of the parking lot, facing the beach. The individual inside the vehicle was clearly grievously injured in a knife attack and was confirmed deceased by responding firefighters. Initially, the victim was listed as a John Doe.

Forensics Specialists responded to the scene, collecting hundreds of DNA swabs and latent fingerprints along with over a thousand photos. Detectives with the SMPD quickly learned the victim was a resident of Dearborn, Michigan, who recently purchased the vehicle from a private party in Southern California.

Using evidence collected from the vehicle and other investigative tools, the murder suspect was identified as Dearborn resident Mohamed Abou-Arabi, 24. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed a single count of murder with an enhancement for utilizing a knife to commit the fatal attack. A warrant was issued for Abou-Arabi’s arrest.

With assistance from the Dearborn Police Department, the SMPD was able to pinpoint Abou-Arabi’s movements from California back to Michigan following the attack. In January 2023, SMPD Detectives flew to Michigan and arrested Abou-Arabi for murder. He was booked into the Santa Monica Jail on January 18, 2023, and has been in the custody of Los Angeles County since that time.

During trial in September 2024, Abou-Arabi was found guilty of First-Degree Murder. His sentencing will be in December 2024. Abou-Arabi has no prior arrests or convictions in California. He has two prior arrests for misdemeanor weapons offenses in Michigan. Abou-Arabi refused to provide a motive during the investigation and trial.

By Trevor

WESTWOOD—The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office disclosed on Tuesday, September 10 Shawn Laval Smith, 34, was convicted in court in the guilt phase of killing 24-year-old Brianna Kupfer while she worked at a furniture store in Hancock Park in 2022.

A jury deliberated for just over an hour in case BA502518 before finding Smith guilty of one count of murder and a special-circumstance allegation of lying in wait. The jury also found that the defendant used a deadly and dangerous weapon, a knife.

The trial will now move into a non-jury sanity phase, set to start October 2. A status conference is scheduled for September 24, Dept. 126 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. Smith faces the possibility of life in prison without parole. The defendant is being held without bail.

On January 13, 2022, Smith entered Croft Furniture store in the 300 block of North La Brea Ave. where Kupfer was working alone. He acted as a customer before stabbing her and fleeing the scene.

The LAPD reported around 1:50 p.m., officers from the Wilshire Patrol responded to a radio call of an “Ambulance Assault with a Deadly Weapon” at a business, located at the 300 block of North La Brea Avenue. Officers met with the reporting party, a customer who entered the store and discovered the victim dead on the floor.

Detectives determined the suspect was not known to the victim and was a random individual who entered the establishment. The suspect attacked the victim with a knife and fled the scene through the back door. There is no known motive for the attack. Smith was captured on video surveillance traveling northbound in the alley to the rear of the crime scene.

At the time of the crime he was wearing a dark hoody, sunglasses, a white N-95 mask, dark skinny jeans, dark shoes and carrying a dark back pack. Based on evidence discovered by detectives, Smith was believed to be homeless. The owner of the nearby chiropractic office, Dr. Jennifer Bothelo informed CBS Los Angeles that the suspect came into her establishment asked a few questions and then left.

Kupfer was a resident of Pacific Palisades and a student studying architecture and design at UCLA. She previously attended the University of Miami before returning to California to pursue a graduate degree.

The case was investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department.

By Trevor

WOODLAND HILLS—On Tuesday, April 9, the Los Angeles Police Department Topanga Division announced that on April 8, around 7:35 a.m., officers responded to the 6200 block of Variel Avenue for a radio call of a homicide investigation. Operations Valley Bureau (OVB) homicide detectives were notified and responded to the scene learning of two related incidents that transpired following the homicide on Variel Avenue.

The LAPD reported that the first incident involved two young children being found on the 405 Freeway near Howard Hughes Parkway. The second incident involved a single vehicle fatal traffic collision in Redondo Beach.

Detectives worked in collaboration with the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the Redondo Beach Police Department, and the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office to determine if the incidents were related and discovered that the victim, Jaelen Chaney, 29, and the suspect, Danielle Johnson, 34, resided together with her two young children, aged eight months old and nine years old, in a residence in the 6200 block of Variel Avenue.

On April 8, around 3:40 a.m., Chaney and Johnson became involved in a verbal altercation that escalated into Johnson becoming violent, stabbing Chaney, who succumbed to his injuries at the scene. A knife with biological evidence was later recovered from the scene, where Johnson fled with her two children in a dark-colored Porsche SUV.

Around 4:30 a.m., the dark-colored SUV was spotted driving on the 405 Freeway when the two children were expelled from the vehicle while it was moving. The nine-year-old child sustained moderate injuries from the fall and was transported to a local hospital. The eight-month-old child sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at scene.

Around 5 a.m., Johnson drove her vehicle at a speed in excess of 100 miles per hour in Redondo Beach near the intersection of Vincent Street and the Pacific Coast Highway and collided with a tree. Johnson did not survive the crash and was the sole occupant of the vehicle.

These events transpired before LAPD personnel were notified of the crime. Around 7:35 a.m., neighbors on Variel Avenue spotted the front door open, which prompted them to check on the well-being of the residents. It was at that time Chaney was discovered dead inside the apartment. After a thorough investigation and collaboration with the above agencies, homicide detectives determined that the incidents were all related and no further threat to the community.

Anyone with additional details is asked to contact Operations Valley Bureau Homicide Detectives at (818) 374-9550. During non-business hours, or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247). Anyone wanting to remain anonymous should call the LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org.

By Trevor

MALIBU—Homicide Detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced on Friday, October 27 that two suspects responsible for the murder of Javonnta Marshann Murphy, have been arrested and charged. On October 3, Joshua Lee Simmons and Dennis Eugene Vance were arrested in connection with the murder of Murphy, whose body was recovered inside a barrel at Malibu Lagoon State Beach.

At approximately 10:10 a.m., on July 31, a lifeguard from Malibu Beach noticed a 55-gallon plastic barrel drum floating in the lagoon. The lifeguard retrieved the 55-gallon plastic barrel drum, opened it, and discovered a deceased Black male, unclothed.

During the investigation, it was discovered that Simmons was also responsible for an Attempted Robbery in El Monte. On October 5, both suspects were arraigned, and charges were filed against Simmons, 37, and Dennis Vance, 41.

Simmons was charged with Murder – 187 P.C., Personal use of a firearm allegation – 12022.58 P.C., and Criminal Threats – 422(a) P.C. He was also charged with Attempted Robbery – 664/211 P.C., and two counts of Criminal Threats – 422(a) P.C., with a Personal Use of Bear Spray allegation – 12022(b)(1) P.C., in connection with the Attempted Robbery that occurred in El Monte on September 2.

Vance was charged with one count of Accessory After the Fact – 32 P.C., in connection with the murder of Murphy. Both suspects in the case are known to be acquaintances of the victim.

At this time the motive of this case is unknown. There is no additional information available at this time. Anyone with details about the incident is asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

By Trevor

WOODLAND HILLS—Robert Baker, 61, who is a former porn actor, pleaded no contest on Friday, July 7, in a Los Angeles Courtroom to the stabbing death of Fabio Sementilli, 49, who was a well-known Woodland Hills hairdresser. Baker was sentenced to life without parole for the crime.

According to prosecutors, Baker and his former lover who was Sementilli’s wife, Monica Sementilli, devised a plan to kill Fabio in order to collect more than $1 million in life insurance. Sementilli’s wife is still facing a murder charge which she has plead not guilty to. Her next court hearing is scheduled for July 14.

The hair executive was at his Woodland hills home alone the night the murder occurred back in 2017. Two people in hoodies entered his property and attacked Sementilli from behind. He received a total of seven stab wounds to the neck, chest and thigh.

Shortly after the murder occurred, both suspects entered the master bedroom and ransacked it. Baker went into the kitchen to wash off the victim’s blood and destroy evidence but left his blood behind. They took the DVR from the garage which held the home’s security footage before fleeing in Sementilli’s 2008 Porsche 911. The vehicle was found abandoned about fives away two days later.

At around 5 p.m. that day Sementilli’s youngest daughter Isabelle arrived at the property and found a bloody shoe prints and blood on the floor. She found her dad dead, slumped over on his chair. An autopsy report revealed that his femoral and carotid arteries were cut.

LAPD officials first believed his death was a result of a home invasion burglary. After five months after Sementill’s murder police arrested both Baker and Monica. They were charged with murder, with the special circumstance allegations of lying-in wait and financial gain. This made them eligible that if convicted they would face life without the possibility of parole.

The two were accused of “communication via cell phones and encrypted communication applications regarding their plan to kill victim Fabio Sementilli,” according to the indictment.

“Monica fully intended for Fabio to be murdered,” Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman previously claimed before a grand jury. “She wanted him out of the way because she wants to be with Robert Baker. She’s unhappy in her marriage, even though at the same time she’s acting like the loving, adoring wife.”

According to the indictment Monia subsequently called a Los Angeles Police department detective several times asking why her husband’s life insurance policy were being withheld.

Luigi, who is the victim’s son, made a statement in court regarding the possibility of dropping the special circumstances charge. “By dropping the special circumstances, justice is threatened. I will never get to speak to my father again. I will never get to experience his warmth, his love, his confidence, or his endless generosity. None of us will. We lost the patriarch of our family,” Luigi said.

Sementilli’s niece by marriage also spoke before the court, “I will never heal from this and there will never be closure for our family. There will always be an emptiness in the shape of Fabio that can never be filled.”

Sementilli was a father of three children. He was known to post motivational videos on social media and enjoyed cigars and tequila.

Many people throughout the hairstyling industry were shocked to hear of Sementilli’s murder.

By Christianne

BRENTWOOD— On Saturday, January 9, 2021, A 37-year-old Brentwood man died from multiple stab wounds at his home on Dainty Avenue. Brian A. Bickman died in his house at 800 block on Dainty Avenue shortly around 9:43 a.m.

His son, a minor, was the suspect of the crime. An altercation between the two ultimately resulted in the death of the father. The father was transported to a local hospital where he died from his injuries. The suspect fled the scene by foot, but was detained by police a short distance away. The suspect is in juvenile hall in Martinez and charged with murder. Because of his age, his name can not be released.

The Brentwood Police Department (BPD) released a statement saying, “The son was ultimately arrested and charged with murder. The weapon used during the incident was recovered.” According to Fire Marshal Steve Aubert, Bickman suffered multiple stab wounds to the torso, resulting in excessive blood loss. Bickman was sent to the emergency department at Sutter Delta Medical Center in Antioch.

The BPD also stated, “Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends impacted by the victim’s untimely death.” Anyone with information regarding this ongoing investigation is asked to contact Detective Jordan Sares at 925-809-7733.

By janette Fu