meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Dateline NBC

Talking Dateline: The Widow of Woodland Hills

Dateline NBC

NBC News

True Crime, Culture, Social, Society & Culture, News

4.438K Ratings

🗓️ 16 April 2025

⏱️ 25 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Josh Mankiewicz and Blayne Alexander sit down to talk about Josh’s episode "The Widow of Woodland Hills.” In 2017, celebrity hairstylist Fabio Sementilli was stabbed to death in what appeared to be a home robbery. Blood left inside the victim’s beloved Porsche led detectives to uncover a killer and a torrid affair. Josh shares a podcast-exclusive clip from his interview with Fabio’s sister and tells Blayne what he learned about the special team of investigators who followed the two lovers suspected of the murder. Plus, they discuss Josh’s iconic accessory as they answer your questions from social media. Learn more about the SIS tactical surveillance unit: https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/video/learn-more-about-the-lapd-s-special-investigation-section-237160005724. If you have a question for Talking Dateline, send us an audio message on social @datelinenbc or leave us a voicemail at (212) 413-5252. Listen to the full episode of “The Widow of Woodland Hills” on Apple: https://apple.co/43PyvAR Listen to the full episode on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2fWnwT6AQdvi0msB3JUp4i

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hi, everyone. It's Blaine Alexander, and today we are talking Dateline. I am so happy to be joined by the one, the only Josh Mancowicz. Hi, Josh. Hi. Hello. How you doing? I am great. So we're talking about your episode, The Widow of Woodland Hills. If you haven't seen it, it's the episode right below this one on your Dateline podcast feed.

0:24.0

So go there, listen to it, or stream it on Peacock, of course, and then come right back here.

0:29.2

Quick recap, when Hollywood hairstylist Fabio Cimentelie was stabbed in his own backyard,

0:34.8

investigators wondered if it was a burglary gone wrong. What they uncovered

0:38.8

instead was an affair that turned deadly. For this talking Dateline, we've got an extra clip from

0:44.5

Josh's interview with Fabio's sister and more about how the murderer has torn this family apart.

0:50.6

Okay, let's talk Dateline. Let's talk Dateline.

1:04.5

You know, I think that this story is kind of what talking Dateline is made for because as we sit here recording, it's 3.36 p.m. Eastern Time on a Friday.

1:07.7

We just got the verdict two out, three hours ago?

1:08.8

Something like that, yeah.

1:10.9

This was kind of a breaking news bit for us.

1:13.9

And it's great when that kind of thing can happen.

1:18.9

When we can go on the air at 9 o'clock on a Friday night and say, this happened today.

1:21.2

That doesn't always happen that way.

1:28.1

A lot of times we do stories that, you know, were adjudicated more than a couple of years before we went on the air. But when we're covering a trial right down to the minute, it's great to be able to say, this is the latest news on this,

1:33.7

the actual verdict. And I think it's a testament to just the dexterity of our producing team,

1:40.4

of everyone who puts these shows on the air, because I mean, yes, to scramble and get that together and fill the holes that need to be filled, yeah, it takes a team. It takes an effort.

1:48.8

No, no. I mean, Chet Najoshi, Jessica DeVera, Michelle Madigan, the producers who worked on

1:57.9

as Allison O'R, the senior producer, like these are the people whose names you don't know at Dateline, the people you don't see on TV are the big stars here.

2:05.6

And as a result of the incredible organization of this team, we were completely ready.

2:12.8

Well, I love it. It's amazing to see. It's amazing to watch it. And, you know, at least from the

2:17.4

podcast side, be part of it for today. So let's jump into this episode, Josh. I think the first thing that if you watch Dateline, you work on Dateline, you always know, okay, they're going to look at the partner first, right? This one, you had me fooled for a minute because I'm listening to, you know, them talk about the marriage and the things she posted. And I'm like, no, this marriage is solid. So I was actually surprised when I heard about the affair. I actually did not see that coming. No, I mean, I think nobody did. You know, I have friends who lived in that part of Woodland Hills. and they knew the Semantilly family, not very

...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 13 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from NBC News, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of NBC News and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.