Samuel Haskell IV, the man charged with killing and dismembering his wife in addition to killing his in-laws in 2023, died in jail over the weekend, authorities said.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman confirmed early Monday afternoon that Haskell died by suicide.
Haskell was found dead in his cell at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility around 4:20 a.m. Saturday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed Monday morning. LASD did not disclose a cause of death.
L.A. County District Attorney Hochman, however, was blunt when announcing the triple homicide suspect’s death was a suicide.
“Instead of standing before a judge and answering for the crimes he’s been charged with, the defendant managed to escape justice,” Hochman said. “This is one last cruel act by someone who did the most horrific things for reasons we will never entirely know.”
“A family that has been dealing with unimaginable loss now has been robbed of their chance to face him, hold him accountable for his barbaric actions and openly share their grief and their cherished memories of their loved ones,” Hochman continued.
Authorities began looking into Haskell after a man scavenging for recyclables found a human torso in a dumpster in the San Fernando Valley on Nov. 8, 2023. Police had originally been investigating Haskell’s Tarzana residence after body parts in a bag were reportedly seen outside the home the previous evening; however, by the time officers arrived, the bag was gone.
It was later stated by the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office that Haskell had hired four day-laborers to dispose of the bags; one of them opened one of the bags, saw what was inside and called police.
Haskell, the son of prominent agent with Hollywood’s William Morris talent agency, Samuel Haskell III, was arrested on the same day the body parts were found after detectives visited his home and found evidence of “dismemberment” there.
Investigators believe that the torso found in the dumpster belonged to Haskell’s 37-year-old wife, Mei Li Haskell, and that Mei Li’s parents, 72-year-old Gaoshan Li and 64-year-old Yanxiang Wang, were also killed by Haskell. All of them lived in the same home along with the Haskell’s three children.
The remains of both Li and Wang have never been found.
Haskell was formally charged with three counts of murder on Nov. 13, 2023. He made his first court appearance about a month later, where he did not enter a plea and abruptly changed his defense team.
According to court records, Haskell was assigned permanent housing on Saturday — the day of his death — and was scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Monday.
The DA’s office included the evidence that prosecutors would have presented had the case proceeded to a preliminary hearing. Click here to read more.
If you or someone you know is experiencing mental distress or suicidal thoughts, you can contact the new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by phone call or text. You can also visit 988lifeline.org.
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