Police have arrested a Tarzana man in connection with the discovery of dismembered body parts that authorities say are likely his wife‘s.
Samuel Bond Haskell IV was booked on suspicion of murder Wednesday.
Detectives suspect that he killed his wife and also may have killed his in-laws, who are missing, authorities said.
Following reports from workers regarding potential human remains found at the property Haskell cohabitates with his wife and in-laws, along with the unearthing of a female torso concealed in a duffel bag and discarded in a dumpster at an Encino strip mall, the 35-year-old individual was apprehended by Los Angeles police at a Topanga mall.
According to L.A. Police Capt. Scot Williams from the Robbery-Homicide Division, it is believed that the torso belongs to Mei Haskell, who is presumed to be the wife of Haskell but has not been found yet. However, forensic analysis will be necessary in order to verify her identity.
Haskell, along with his wife Mei Haskell and her parents Yanxiang Wang and Gaoshen Li, resided in a one-story residence on Coldstream Terrace in Tarzana. According to authorities, the suspect and his spouse have three children who were attending school on Wednesday.
LAPD Detective Efren Gutierrez informed the press on Wednesday evening that their attempts to contact Mei Haskell’s parents have been unsuccessful.
“They would normally be home in these hours, and attempts have been made to contact them by phone, by cellphone and no answer. And the same with Mei. She is unaccounted for.”
Detectives are “still tracking down leads and witnesses,” Williams said of the investigation.
On Tuesday evening, a witness alerted the authorities after spotting what appeared to be body parts inside bags near Haskell’s residence in Tarzana. Law enforcement was promptly notified and dispatched to the location; however, upon their arrival, the bags had already been removed.
The next day, at approximately 6 a.m., a homeless individual searching for recyclables came across a severed torso contained within a bag. The plastic bag containing the female body part had been forcefully placed inside a duffel bag and subsequently discarded in a trash bin located in a parking lot near Ventura Boulevard and Rubio Avenue. It is important to note that this location was approximately five miles away from Haskell’s residence.
According to officials, after analyzing security camera footage in the vicinity, investigators were able to establish a connection between the remains and the Tarzana residence.
Inside Haskell’s residence, investigators found blood and various pieces of evidence that align with a homicide and dismemberment, as stated by the authorities.
Haskell is being held in lieu of $2-million bail.
According to court records from December 2008, Haskell was taken into custody and faced charges for two instances of assault involving a dangerous weapon. However, he opted to enter a plea of no contest for battery instead. As a result, in 2010, he received three years’ probation as his sentence.
According to the available records, it is indicated that Haskell is the son of Sam Haskell. Sam Haskell was previously the executive vice president and worldwide head of television for the William Morris Endeavor Agency. He had a successful career representing numerous A-list stars before retiring from WME in 2005. Currently, he is still listed as the head of Magnolia Hill Productions, which has been involved in producing several Dolly Parton specials.
