Monica Olsen, from a small Canadian town, made her name as a fashion model in New York before moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting. In the summer of 2003, she met millionaire Dino Guglielmelli.

Despite having a master's degree in international finance, Monica was captivated by Dino's charm and wealth.

Dino, one of many children from a farming family, dropped out of college and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of becoming a rock star, but found little success. However, recognizing the local demand for health products, he started producing and distributing vitamins and supplements. This led to the creation of his highly successful skincare and supplement company, Creations Garden.

A young, successful, and wealthy man, Dino quickly won Monica over. Six months after their first encounter, he flew her to Italy and proposed. They held a lavish wedding just three months later.

Monica Olsen and Dino Guglielmelli in happier times. Photo: CBS

Monica Olsen and Dino Guglielmelli in happier times. Photo: CBS

The unraveling of the marriage

Monica left her career to become a homemaker and care for their two daughters. However, by 2008, she wanted to return to work.

She asked Dino for help in creating a skincare line called "Skin by Monica," but he maintained complete control. Her attempts to revive her modeling career only fueled Dino's anger and led to increased control and aggression towards her.

As their relationship deteriorated, Dino openly flaunted his affairs with other women.

After about seven years of marriage, Dino filed for divorce in late 2011. He refused to move out and secretly plotted to eliminate Monica, enlisting the help of his friend, Rick Fuhrmann.

Rick and Dino had been business partners since 2011, supplying vitamins and supplements to the military. Rick's military background and connections earned Dino's trust.

Dino confided in Rick, portraying Monica as a terrible mother who slept around, abused alcohol, and used drugs. According to Rick, Dino was obsessed with the idea of losing half his assets and custody of his children in the divorce. When ordered to pay $55,000 a month in alimony, Dino even considered having his Canadian-born wife arrested and deported.

The young millionaire proposed that Rick plant drugs in Monica's car, follow her, and call the police to have her stopped. He provided Rick with house keys, car keys, and credit card statements to track her every move.

Dino filed paperwork claiming financial hardship, reducing his alimony payments to $25,000, but he still felt it was too much. The final straw was an email from his lawyer suggesting he accept the $25,000 monthly payment and drop the fight. This implied defeat, and Dino texted Rick: "She has to disappear. Do it or I’ll find someone else".

A year of delaying the murder plot

Rick told Dino he would "take care" of Monica, but not in the way Dino intended. He tried to calm Dino down and delay the divorce, hoping it would all end with a settlement. But the situation continued to escalate.

Rick then concocted a lie, telling Dino that Monica had AIDS, buying him several more months. Rick described Dino as "grinning from ear to ear" upon hearing the news.

By the evening of 16/1/2012, tensions between the couple had reached a breaking point. During an argument, Monica took her children into a room and locked the door. Before she could call 911, Dino preemptively accused her of assaulting him.

Monica was arrested. Dino presented a photo of a tiny cut as evidence, which Monica believed he had inflicted on himself. The case was filed as a minor domestic violence incident, allowing Dino to obtain a restraining order against Monica and gain full custody of their daughters.

Leitia Devine, Dino's former wife, saw parallels between her experience and Monica's. During their divorce, Dino had accused her of drug use and abuse, subsequently taking everything from her: their daughter, their house, and their shared business, Creations Garden.

"The Dino I married was a thoughtful and compassionate man. The man I divorced was cold, selfish, and calculating", Leitia said.

Monica Olsen faced opposition from her millionaire husband when she wanted to return to modeling. Photo: Kenneth Matthews

Monica Olsen faced opposition from her millionaire husband when she wanted to return to modeling. Photo: Kenneth Matthews

Monica lost custody of her children for 13 months before the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence. This prompted Dino to push Rick to carry out the plan. He wanted Monica dead in a gruesome way, resembling a drug-related murder.

Unable to stall any longer, Rick decided to meet with Monica's divorce lawyer and reveal the truth. The lawyer informed the district attorney’s office.

"Monica was lucky Dino picked the wrong guy. Otherwise, she'd be dead", the prosecutor said.

Catching the cold-blooded husband

To arrest Dino, investigators needed concrete evidence. They asked Rick to wear a wire and meet with him.

On 1/10/2013, Rick and Dino had lunch at a restaurant. Investigators overheard Dino reaffirming his desire for Monica to die. He asserted that his children would be fine, saying "all they need is their dad".

Several times Rick offered Dino a way out, but he remained resolute in his desire to kill his wife. More than once Rick asked Dino: "How will the kids feel about losing their mom?" Dino replied: "They’ll be much better off without her… I’ll find them a good mom".

At the end of the 90-minute lunch, Dino said he would pay Rick the agreed-upon $80,000.

In earlier conversations about killing Monica, Dino had specified that he wanted it to happen while she was traveling abroad. So, Rick told Dino that as they were having lunch, Monica was vacationing in Mexico and would die that day.

Rick convinced Dino that a hired killer in Mexico would kill Monica before they could finish digesting their lunch. Dino refused to hear more and said he would read about it in the news.

Alerted by the police, Monica hid in a Beverly Hills hotel room. That night, Dino returned home to his children, believing their mother was dead.

The following day, Dino was arrested at his California home and charged with attempted murder.

The millionaire's defense

In a phone interview, Dino claimed he was the victim, stating that Rick had convinced him they could make millions selling vitamins and supplements to the military. When the scam fell apart, Dino said Rick framed him for the murder plot.

The prosecutor confirmed that Rick had indeed tricked Dino into believing he was about to land a major contract by forging Department of Defense documents. Rick explained he did this to appease Dino and dissuade him from killing his wife.

Dino insisted Rick wanted Monica eliminated because she was trying to sabotage the military contract. The more Dino was questioned about the recorded conversations, the more he blamed Rick, and the more implausible his story became.

Rick Fuhrmann. Photo: CBS

Rick Fuhrmann. Photo: CBS

The recorded evidence could have sent Dino to prison for life. However, the prosecution's key witness was an alleged con man, lacking credibility before a jury. Therefore, just before the trial, the prosecution made the shocking decision to offer Dino a plea deal: plead guilty to second-degree attempted murder and serve only 9 years.

The prosecutor deemed this "a fair sentence" because Dino had no prior convictions and hadn't physically harmed anyone. But Monica felt her life was worth more. She believed a crime wasn't lessened because it was unsuccessful.

Dino initially rejected the deal, but his family urged him to accept it, arguing he only had a 20% chance of acquittal before a jury.

Despite being suspected of fraud, Rick was not charged. His biggest fear was Dino's retaliation after his release. Monica also feared for her safety. She finalized the divorce, securing the house and remaining assets.

In 9/2019, Dino was pardoned after serving more than six years. He maintained his innocence, stating his only desire was to care for his children and become a good, responsible citizen and a good father upon his release.

Tue Anh (CBS)