Cops search home of son of top Hollywood agent after woman's torso found in bin

10 November 2023 , 14:43

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Cops search home of son of top Hollywood agent after woman's torso found in bin

Police have searched the home of a man whose father is a top Hollywood agent - after a woman's torso was found in a bag in the bin.

Samuel Haskell Jr. 35, has since been charged with murder after he was arrested at a shopping mall in Topanga. Meanwhile police say his wife, 37-year-old Mei Haskell, is still missing and investigators are trying to establish whether the body part is hers. Mei's parents lived with the pair and three children in Tarzana.

Her father Gaoshan Li, 72, and mother, YanXiang Wang, 64 and their white VW Tiguan have also disappeared and another vehicle, a Nissan Pathfinder is missing too. The couple's children Samuel Bond Haskell V, James Donnelly Haskell, and William Kirkpatrick Haskell II were located at school and are now being looked after by members of the family.

Samuel Haskell of Tarzana was taken into custody Wednesday after a dismembered torso of a woman was discovered in in Encino (ABC NEWS 7)

Haskell Jr's arrest has been a shock for their neighbours in Tarzana, where they are reported to have lived in a $2.5 million six-bedroom home. His father. Samuel Haskell Sr., was chief executive officer of Miss America between 2015-17, but he criticised some of the contestants in emails and was forced to resign.

He also worked as an agent for William Morris, whose well known clients include Dolly Parton, George Clooney, Whoopi Goldberg and Prince Edward.

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Dolly Parton and Sam Haskell attend Variety and Women In Film's 2017 pre-Emmy celebration (FilmMagic)

Police searched the home of Sam Heskell Jr (pictured) after a woman's torso was found in bag in bin

ABC 7 News reported how a neighbour knew Mei Haskell, but said her partner 'seemed strange'. The neighbour said: "The husband - something seemed so off. Something seemed so weird. I thought maybe he was sick, or something was wrong. All I said was, I kept saying to my family, something is wrong with him."

Construction workers called the state police after they are said to have discovered a dead body in a bag in the home's driveway. But the body had vanished by the time the police arrived at the scene.

Samuel Heskell Jr's wife Mei Haskell is still missing, and detectives are trying to establish whether the torso is hers

Mei Haskell is pictured in photos from his Instagram

Detective Efren Gutierrez of LAPD told NBC4: "When the officers responded, nothing was located. There was no evidence that allowed the officers to make entry into the home. The bags that were described were no longer outside."

An analysis of footage of a vehicle in the business plaza is what led them to Haskell Jr. and after police visited his home they discovered blood stains and other evidence. Detective Gutierrez said: "Here in the house, once officers made entry, what was discovered was evidence of a crime, including some blood evidence and other items that I'm not going to provide at this point"

The scene where the horrific body part was found (ABC NEWS 7)

Missing family - Mei Haskell (left), her mum YanXiang Wang, 64, and her dad Gaoshan Li, 72, have not been seen (LAPD)

Haskell Jr. was arrested on Wednesday morning and charged later that day. His in custody at Van Nuys jail on a $2 million bail bond. He is expected again in court on Monday. The coroner's office in Los Angeles County is also trying to identify the body.

Detective Efren Gutierrez told NBC4: "When the officers responded, nothing was located. There was no evidence that allowed the officers to make entry into the home. The bags that were described were no longer outside." A homeless man searching through rubbish early on Wednesday morning in Encino, later discovered the dismembered torso in a bag in a dumpster.

Graeme Murray