Sam Haskell, LA man accused of dumping torso, pleads not guilty to killings of wife and in-laws
Published January 12, 2024 9:21AM
Updated 6:05PM

LOS ANGELES – A Tarzana dad pleaded not guilty in a Los Angeles courtroom Friday on murder charges after his missing wife’s body parts were found dismembered in a trash bin and his in-laws were found dead.

Samuel Haskell IV, 35, is charged with the murders of his 37-year-old wife Mei Haskell and her parents, 64-year-old Yanxiang Wang and 72-year-old Gaoshan Li, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office said.

The dismembered body parts that were discovered in an Encino dumpster were positively identified as Mei Haskell’s remains, authorities shared last month. A homeless man made the gruesome discovery near the intersection of Ventura Boulevard and Rubio Avenue in early November 2023.

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner listed her cause of death as “deferred.”

“These shocking and gruesome crimes have sent shockwaves through our community,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement when the charges were filed in November. “We stand with the victims’ loved ones during this unimaginably difficult time and will do everything in our power to ensure justice is served. Our Major Crimes Division will work tirelessly to bring about a prosecution that reflects the severity of this devastating crime.”

The victims lived together on the 4100 block of Coldstream Terrace in Tarzana with Haskell and the couple’s three young children. His wife and her parents were all last seen on or about Nov. 6, according to authorities.

According to authorities, Haskell had allegedly hired a few day laborers to remove several heavy black plastic trash bags from the Tarzana home. However, officials said that one of those workers called 911 when they opened one of the bags and reported that they saw body parts.

Haskell was then caught on video dumping the bags out of the back of a Tesla into an Encino dumpster.

Police said that the children were found and are being cared for by family members.

The defendant is the son of Sam Haskell Sr., the current President of Magnolia Hill Productions. The production company is behind several Dolly Parton projects, including “Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas” and “Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings.”

Haskell remains jailed without bail. He is due back in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Feb. 16. A date is expected to be set then for a hearing to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to require him to stand trial.

If convicted, Haskell faces a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

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涉嫌杀害华人妻子和岳父母，好莱坞富二代出庭拒不认罪
2024-01-15 06:33

当地时间周五（1月12日），涉嫌杀害华人妻子梅·李·哈斯克尔以及她父母的“好莱坞富二代”塞穆尔·哈斯克尔再次出庭，对所有指控拒不认罪。此前，现年35岁的哈斯克尔因涉嫌杀害37岁的妻子梅和她父母，并将尸体肢解后抛弃，面临3项谋杀罪及特殊情况谋杀罪的指控。

涉嫌杀害妻子和岳父母并肢解抛尸
赤裸上身出庭拒不认罪

现年35岁的哈斯克尔被指控涉嫌杀害37岁的妻子梅和她父母，并将尸体肢解后抛弃。

据此前报道，当地时间2023年11月7日晚上，有建筑工人拨打911报警，称他们在哈斯克尔家附近看到一具被黑色袋子包裹的尸体。但当警察赶到现场时，袋子已经不见了。第二天清晨，一名流浪汉在离哈斯克尔家3.5英里的垃圾桶中偶然发现了“一具被肢解的躯干”。

调查人员称，通过追溯垃圾袋来源，他们立刻锁定了哈斯克尔。据报道，警方在哈斯克尔家中发现了血迹和其他证据，包括“疑似人类遗骸的东西”。警方判断，这具尸体很可能正是哈斯克尔失踪的妻子梅。

2023年11月8日，哈斯克尔因涉嫌一项谋杀罪被捕，并在随后被指控涉嫌杀害梅和她父母。

2023年12月19日，洛杉矶县法医鉴定确认，此前在垃圾箱里发现的无头躯干属于37岁的梅·哈斯克尔。2024年1月12日的最新报道称，尽管进行了大范围的搜索，梅的父母李高山（音译）和王燕香（音译）的尸体仍未找到。然而，检察官和警方调查人员表示，“毫无疑问，他们已经死亡，并遭受了相似的命运。”县地方检察官办公室称，警方搜查了哈斯克尔家，发现了血迹和“其他与死亡和肢解相符的证据”。

▲被害人梅及其父母

据报道，哈斯克尔面临3项谋杀罪及特殊情况犯下谋杀罪的指控。根据法律规定，特殊情况谋杀涉及某些加重因素，这些因素令谋杀罪行的严重性升级，并导致被告受到更严厉的惩罚。根据加州法律，在无特殊情况下，针对一级谋杀罪的判罚为25年至终身监禁。但如果存在特殊情况，被告可能被判处终身监禁，不得假释，甚至死刑。

不过，由于加州州长纽森2019年宣布暂停执行死刑，这意味着如罪名成立，哈斯克尔将面临最高不得假释的终身监禁。

2024年1月12日，洛杉矶高等法院就此案件进行认罪听证程序，哈斯克尔拒不认罪。

▲当地时间2024年1月12日，哈斯克尔在庭上拒不认罪

同一个月前出庭时一样，哈斯克尔上身赤裸，腰间围着防自杀罩衫，手腕被锁在腰前。其律师乔·维莫茨称，当局认为哈斯克尔有自残的危险，他被迫赤裸出庭，并抨击这是“疯狂的猜测”。

在听证结束后，哈斯克尔被押回洛杉矶市中心男子中央监狱，不得保释。据悉，此案定于2月16日举行初步听证会。