Son of Hollywood agent charged with murdering wife and in-laws after torso found
The son of an Emmy-winning Hollywood producer has been officially charged with the murders of his wife and her parents after a woman's torso was discovered next to a dumpster last week.
Samuel Haskell IV had previously been arrested on suspicion of murder and charged with one count after the authorities discovered the dismembered torso of a woman they believed to be his wife, Mei Li Haskell, 37. Now, he has been charged with a total of three counts of murder with special circumstances alleged.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón addressed the public on Monday and said: "These shocking and gruesome crimes have sent shockwaves through our community. We stand with the victims' loved ones during this unimaginably difficult time and will do everything in our power to ensure justice is served."
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The torso of who authorities believe is Samuel Haskell IV's wife Mei was found near a dumpster in Encino (KTLA)He added: "Our Major Crimes Division will work tirelessly to bring about a prosecution that reflects the severity of this devastating crime." Haskell's arraignment was then scheduled for December 8.
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The body was discovered in a black plastic bag near a shopping center in Encino, which was about five miles from Haskell's home in Tarzana. At the home, which he shared with Mei, their three young children and Mei's parents, Gaoshen Li, 72, and Yanxiang Wang, 64, the Los Angeles Police Department reported finding a bloodbath.
The children were taken into the custody of the county's Department of Children and Family Services, agents from which pulled them from their school.
Mei Haskell and her parents Yanxiang Wang and Gaoshen Li were reported missing, and now, Samuel Haskell IV has been charged officially with their murders (LAPD)Haskell allegedly threw the woman's torso near the dumpster in Encino sometime Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, and it was then discovered at around 6:15am local time by a homeless person who had been rummaging through the container for scraps. By 11:30am, Haskell had been located and arrested, linked to the murder by CCTV footage that reportedly showed him dropping the bag off.
Day labourers reported seeing body parts in similar bags at Haskell's home when he hired them to move them on November 7, as they were too heavy for him. They contacted the police at the time, but no bodies were found, and so they left Haskell alone until the torso was found the following morning.
The authorities eventually linked footage and other evidence after the torso was found back to Haskell (ABC NEWS 7)Haskell was found and arrested at a different shopping mall and charged with one count of murder at the time for the woman. The Los Angeles District Attorney's office told ABC7 that Mei and her parents had last been seen on November 6, which is the date it is believed Haskell murdered them. The torso was found on November 8, and he was arrested and charged that day. The additional charges came on Monday.
The 35-year-old is the son of Sam Haskell III, an esteemed agent who resigned from his position as CEO of the Miss America organisation in 2017 after a scandal and who had worked with Magnolia Hill Productions and on Dolly Parton specials in the past. The younger Haskell now faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
It remains unclear whether the torso has been positively identified as that of Mei or what evidence led investigators to charge him with the death of her parents, too, who had been reported missing after he was arrested.
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