Sam Haskell, LA man accused of dumping torso, pleads not guilty to killings of wife and in-laws
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.
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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.
FOX NEWS DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE. Sam Haskell appears in Department 30 Criminal Courts in Los Angeles, California on Friday, January 12, 2024. Haskell is charged with three counts of murder in the deaths of wife Mei Haskell and parents Goashan Li and Yanxi
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."
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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.
City News Service contributed to this report.