LA County Man, Son of Former Hollywood Exec, Arrested in Connection with Dismembered Torso Found in Dumpster
Above: Samuel Haskell Jr. in a photo obtained from Facebook
A Los Angeles County man, and son of a former Hollywood executive, has reportedly been arrested in connection with the discovery of a woman’s dismembered torso near a dumpster in Encino.
In a press release, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced three murder charges against Samuel Haskell Jr., 35, in connection with the alleged murders of his wife, Mei Haskell (37), and her parents, Gaoshan Li (72) and Yanxiang Wang (64).
Haskell Jr. is being held without bail.
He and his wife’s three young children have since been placed in the care of the county Department of Children and Family Services, according to Eyewitness News.
The District Attorney’s Office stated that Mei Haskell and her parents were last seen on or around November 6. On November 7, Samuel Haskell Jr. hired day laborers to dispose of several heavy black plastic trash bags from the couple’s home in Tarzana. When the workers discovered that the bags were full of human remains, they returned them to the home and called the police.
Haskell Jr. himself was allegedly caught on surveillance camera later that same day, disposing of a large trash bag in a dumpster on the 16000 block of Ventura Boulevard. TMZ has since obtained the footage.
The next day, November 8, an unhoused man looking through the same dumpster discovered a woman’s dismembered torso in the bag and called 9-1-1. While a positive identification on the remains has yet to be announced, police reportedly believe they could be the partial remains of Mei Haskell.
Haskell Jr. was arrested the same day the remains were discovered. His next court appearance is scheduled for December 8. If convicted as charged, Haskell Jr. faces a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole, the District Attorney’s Office said.
Eyewitness News reports that Haskell Jr. is the son of Sam Haskell Sr., the former CEO of the Miss America organization and a former Hollywood talent representative.
