Police arrested in connection with the body that was dismantled
Samuel Haskell, 35, was arrested after authorities found the body torn apart in a trash can. His wife and step-laws remain missing.
FOX -LA
The son of a former prominent Hollywood agent, accused of separating his wife and her parents, was found dead in an apparent suicide at the Los Angeles prison, officials said days before he was expected to appear in court.
Samuel Bond Haskell Jr., 37, was arrested on suspicion of murder in November 2023 after his torso was found in a garbage bag, Los Angeles police said at the time. Authorities accused Haskell of murdering and mutilating his wife, May Lee Haskell. Her mother, Yanxiang Wang, 64; and her stepfather, Gao Shan Lee, 71, at her home in Tarzana, California, they all shared.
Haskell, the son of former talent agent and film producer Sam Haskell III, was found dead at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles on July 12, according to a news alert from the county sheriff’s office. The agency reported that detectives responded to the facility to investigate the circumstances surrounding Haskell’s death at around 4:20am local time.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman confirmed Haskell’s death on July 14th. The district attorney said it was discovered that Haskell died by suicide in a prison cell.
Haskell was charged with allegations of special circumstances in three murders and multiple murders, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. He faced life in prison without the possibility of a criminal parole and was scheduled to appear in court on July 14 for a preliminary hearing.
“Instead of standing in front of the judge and answering the crime he was charged with, the defendant could escape justice,” Hochman said in a statement. “This is the last cruel act by someone who has done the most horrible things for reasons we completely don’t know. A family that has dealt with unimaginable losses has been deprived of facing him, taking responsibility for his wild actions, and of openly sharing their grief and memories of their precious loved ones.”
Suspect arrested after a person found a woman’s torso in a trash can
Prosecutors said they were preparing to present evidence from a hearing that Haskell “brutally” murdered his wife and step-in-law at the Tarzana home on or around November 6, 2023. Tarzana is a wealthy suburban neighborhood in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley region.
The next day, Haskell hired $500 for workers for several days, hired them for several days, and paid them for several days, according to the District Attorney’s Office. After Haskell left the house, prosecutors said the workers opened one of the bags and found parts of the human body.
Workers also took photos of the front of the Haskell, bags and residence before warning police, the prosecutor added. However, when police responded to the house to perform welfare checks, the prosecutor said no one was in the residence and the bags were gone.
That same afternoon, Haskell was caught on surveillance footage driving into a parking lot, pulling a large garbage bag out of Tesla’s trunk and disposing the bag in a trash can near Encino before leaving, according to prosecutors.
Haskell was then seen again in surveillance footage transferring other garbage bags to an SUV that he rented from his Tesla on Nov. 3, prosecutors said. He left Tesla, which was registered in his wife’s name, and parked on the street.
Police later recovered the vehicle at the location and found Haskell stayed with his children at Airbnb in Tarzana since the murder, according to prosecutors. Investigators determined that they rented Airbnb in October between November 6th and November 18th, 2023.
The next day, prosecutors said someone running through Encino’s trash can found a beheaded torso inside a garbage bag. The person called 911 to report the discovery, and Haskell was arrested the same day while driving his car.
Bloody items found in the suspect’s vehicle, victim’s DNA matching the home
At the time of the arrest, prosecutors said Haskell was armed with a folding knife, and police found a Home Depot receipt in his wallet dated October 20, 2023, for the purchase of plywood, canopy, moisture barrier, coveralls and diamond saw blades.
Police also found a loaded .357 revolver, 32 rounds of ammunition, a bloody military-style knife, vision from a headlamp and firearm, and a passport for three children, according to prosecutors. The blood on the knife matched the DNA of all three victims, and blood staining on the firearm matched with Mary Haskell and Li.
Also, on November 8, prosecutors said investigators discovered eight garbage bags, including bloody bedding, towels, a large mechanical saw, diamond saw blades, machete, blood-covered plywood board, disposable gloves, and a cane belonging to King and Li in the garage and backyard of the family home.
“Forensic testing has revealed that “large amounts of blood evidence has been cleaned across the entire household,” according to the District Attorney’s Office. “The subsequent DNA tests of blood found in several items, including SAW, Machete, Board and areas in the residence matched the DNA of all three victims.”
According to prosecutors, the bodies of Wang and Li have not been found.
After looking into Haskell’s cell phone, prosecutors said police learned that they had a connection with the 27-year-old woman Haskell interviewed. Haskell told the woman in October 2023 that “his children will soon live with their parents.”
Prosecutors allegedly asked Haskell to accompany the woman on a trip to Japan, and investigators retrieved a one-way ticket to Japan purchased by Haskell on October 21, 2023.
Report: The suspect was expected to plead guilty to a murder case
In January 2024, Haskell, who had been in custody since his arrest, pleaded not guilty to the murder charge and was ordered to be held without bail, KNBC reported. According to the TV station, his three children, who were in elementary school at the time, were placed in protective custody in November 2023.
KNBC reported on July 14 that the prosecutor in the case, Deputy Prosecutor Beth Silverman’s office, told the judge that he was hoping Haskell would plead guilty this week.
His defense attorney, Joseph Weimaultz, told the television station that Haskell was willing to waive his rights to a preliminary hearing and a ju trial in order to “avoid more media exposure.” According to KNBC, Weimortz pointed out that Haskell fears negative publicity will affect his child.
“He was willing to plead to avoid more media exposure,” Weimortz wrote in an email to the TV station. “My client’s actions were not coronavirus or madness. In the end, my client was even happy to take away his life, believing that it would end this horrific mess.”
If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, call, text, or chat with 988 Suide & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org to access free and confidential services 24/7.
Contributions: Sarah Al Al Shani, USA Today
