# Samuel Bond Haskell IV Case File: Charges, Death in Custody and Dismissal

- Link: https://thedarksideofhumanity.com/samuel-bond-haskell-iv-arrested-in-connection-with-dismembered-body-parts-suspected-of-killing-wife-and-2-in-laws/
- Published: 2023-11-09T21:16:35-05:00
- Author: Mandi Martyr

Ventura Boulevard, Tarzana, Los Angeles, 2025. Haskell, his wife and her parents shared a home in Tarzana. Credit: Alexis Doine / Wikimedia Commons (CC0). The Haskell case Samuel Bond Haskell IV was charged with murdering his wife, Mei Li Haskell, and her mother and stepfather in Tarzana in November 2023. He pleaded not guilty and died in custody before a judge heard any evidence. What the police, the prosecutors and the court record say, and what was never tested. Dismissed · July 14, 2025 Record boundary Haskell was charged with three counts of murder, with a special-circumstance allegation of multiple murders, and pleaded not guilty. He was found dead in his jail cell on July 12, 2025, two days before his preliminary hearing, and the case was dismissed on July 14, 2025. No court heard the evidence, and he was never convicted, so in law he remains presumed innocent. Everything this file says about what happened in the house comes from police and prosecutors and is attributed to them. Where the sources disagree, on an age, a relationship, a distance or a name, this file shows the disagreement. AccusedP-01 Samuel Bond Haskell IV Charged with three murders · pleaded not guilty · died in custody before trial · never convicted Place4100 Tarzana4100 block of Coldstream Terrace · full address withheld The family home, Tarzana Shared by the couple, their three children and Mei Haskell’s mother and stepfather Victim roll3 named in the charges · Tarzana, Nov. 2023 V-01Mei Li Haskellage 37 V-02Yanxiang Wangage 64 V-03Gaoshan Liage 71 to 72 Docket sheetTDSH-CF-2023-HSK · from DA, LAPD and court reporting Case People v. Samuel Bond Haskell · Los Angeles County Superior Court case 23CJCF00013 Charges Three counts of murder · special-circumstance allegation of multiple murders · maximum sentence life without parole Victims named Mei Li Haskell, 37 · Yanxiang Wang, 64 · Gaoshan Li, 71 to 72 Arrest Wed. Nov. 8, 2023 · booked on suspicion of murder Filed Mon. Nov. 13, 2023 · DA George Gascón Plea Not guilty · Fri. Jan. 12, 2024 Prosecutor Deputy DA Beth Silverman, Major Crimes Division Investigators LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division, which took over from Valley Bureau Homicide Custody Held without bail from Nov. 13, 2023 · Twin Towers Correctional Facility Outcome Died in custody July 12, 2025 · case dismissed July 14, 2025 · no trial, no conviction Status · checked October 16, 2026 DismissedNever tried The case against Samuel Bond Haskell IV was dismissed on July 14, 2025, after his death in custody. He was never tried or convicted. No conviction. Haskell pleaded not guilty. The case was dismissed at the defense’s request on July 14, 2025, because of his death. His death. The Sheriff’s Department said he was found dead in his cell at about 4:20 a.m. on Sat. July 12, 2025. The medical examiner ruled the death a suicide. The victims. The remains of Yanxiang Wang and Gaoshan Li have never been found, according to the DA’s office. Re-checked tonight: the DA’s July 2025 release and LAPD’s three victim pages are online and unchanged. The Superior Court’s online docket was not consulted directly. The sources reviewed report no criminal proceedings after the dismissal. Dossier index18 sections · 00 to 17 Content & source warning This file deals with the alleged killing and dismemberment of three people, the effect on three young children, and the accused’s death by suicide in jail. Injuries and methods are not described, and no crime-scene, body or victim photographs are shown. The account of what happened inside the home comes from police and prosecutors. No court tested it. If you are struggling or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, US) or 9-8-8 (Canada). TDSH-CF-2023-HSK · §00 What happened in the Haskell case? The short answer, with every allegation attributed Direct answer What happened in the Haskell case? On Nov. 8, 2023, a person searching a dumpster in Encino found part of a woman’s body, and police arrested Samuel Bond Haskell IV, 35, the same day. Five days later, prosecutors charged him with murdering his wife, Mei Li Haskell, 37, her mother, Yanxiang Wang, 64, and her stepfather, Gaoshan Li, at the Tarzana home they shared. Prosecutors alleged that he tried to pay day laborers to haul away bags from the house the day before. The medical examiner later identified the remains as Mei Haskell’s. Her parents’ remains have never been found. Haskell pleaded not guilty. He died in custody on July 12, 2025, two days before his preliminary hearing, and the case was dismissed. He was never tried or convicted. Key numbersEvery figure from the cited record · derived figures say so people named as victims in the charges counts of murder, plus a multiple-murder special circumstance children in the home, unnamed here victims whose remains have never been found $500the DA says he paid day laborers to take bags away bags the DA says police recovered at the home $67,000cash the DA says was found at his office Not guiltyhis plea, Jan. 12, 2024 20 monthsfrom arrest to death in custody (derived) 2 daysbetween his death and the scheduled preliminary hearing trials or convictions LWOPthe maximum sentence he faced if convicted TDSH-CF-2023-HSK · §01 Where the case stands Charges, plea, death in custody and dismissal, re-checked October 16, 2026 Status Checked October 16, 2026 The criminal case is over without a verdict. Haskell was found dead in his cell at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility on Sat. July 12, 2025. On Mon. July 14, when his preliminary hearing was due to begin, Deputy DA Beth Silverman told Judge Lisa B. Lench of his death, and the case was dismissed at the defense’s request. The medical examiner ruled the death a suicide. He had pleaded not guilty in January 2024 and had not changed that plea. The October 16, 2026 check found the DA’s release of July 14, 2025, still online. LAPD’s victim pages for Mei Haskell, Yanxiang Wang and Gaoshan Li are also still online and still read “Arrest Made: Yes.” The Superior Court’s online case index was not searched directly, so the dismissal rests on the City News Service court report and the DA’s release. No later criminal proceedings were found as of October 16, 2026. The criminal case ended with his death. A guilty plea? Expected, but never entered Silverman told the judge she had “believed” the hearing “was going to be a guilty plea.” Haskell’s lawyer, Joseph A. Weimortz Jr., said his client “was willing to plead” to avoid more media exposure. No guilty plea was entered. A plea the defendant never made is not a conviction, and nothing in the record changes his plea of not guilty. TDSH-CF-2023-HSK · §02 Case snapshot What the record establishes, what was only alleged, and what is unknown Established Who died, who was charged, how it ended The official record establishes the following. Police found a woman’s torso in an Encino dumpster on Nov. 8, 2023, and the medical examiner identified it as Mei Li Haskell’s. Her mother and stepfather, who lived with her, have not been found. Her husband was arrested, charged with all three murders and held without bail. He pleaded not guilty, died in custody and was never tried. Alleged What the prosecution said it would prove The DA’s office listed the evidence it “would have presented” at the preliminary hearing: the day laborers’ account, video, blood and DNA results, the contents of a rented SUV, receipts, cash and travel tickets. A judge never ruled on any of it, and the defense never cross-examined a witness. This file treats every item as an allegation and attributes it (§09). Not established Motive, method, the missing remains No motive was established in court. The Los Angeles Times reported that police had not confirmed one, and DA Nathan Hochman spoke of “reasons we will never entirely know.” LAPD’s victim pages give the method as “unknown.” The medical examiner could not determine an exact cause of death for Mei Haskell. The remains of Yanxiang Wang and Gaoshan Li have never been found. Layers of the Haskell case record Layer What it covers Boundary Charges and court The DA’s filing, the special-circumstance allegation, the plea, the hearings, the dismissal. Court papers were not read directly. They are known from the DA and from court reporters. Police and DA statements LAPD’s Nov. 12, 2023 release and victim pages; the DA’s releases of 2023 and 2025. One side’s account. LAPD’s pages state the allegations as fact; this file attributes them. News reporting The LA Times, AP, CNN, ABC7, NBC LA, City News Service, The Guardian. Early reports differ on ages, a relationship, times and distances. Shown as conflicts. Untested layer Motive, how the victims died, and the rest of the DA’s evidence summary. Allegation or unknown. Never stated as fact. TDSH-CF-2023-HSK · §03 Who were the key people? Key-people cards · names and roles from the record AccusedP-01 Samuel Bond Haskell IV Charged Three counts of murder, Nov. 13, 2023; pleaded not guilty Jan. 12, 2024 Age 35 at arrest; 37 at his death (DA: born 04/03/88) Name “IV” in the LA Times, AP and The Guardian. The DA called him “Samuel Bond Haskell” in 2023 and “Samuel Haskell Jr.” in 2025 Earlier record Arrested in 2008 on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon; pleaded no contest to battery; three years’ probation in 2010 (LA Times, citing court records) Outcome Died in custody before trial; never convicted Sources ProsecutorP-02 Beth Silverman Role Deputy District Attorney, Major Crimes Division; prosecuted the case from the filing to the dismissal Said “I don’t need a body to charge a murder” (Nov. 2023) Sources District AttorneyP-03 George Gascón Role DA when the charges were filed, Nov. 13, 2023 Sources District AttorneyP-04 Nathan J. Hochman Role DA in July 2025; issued the release listing the evidence the office would have presented Sources PoliceP-05 LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division Role Took the case over from Valley Bureau Homicide; investigated it for the DA Spokesman Det. Efren Gutierrez briefed reporters in November 2023 Sources DefenseP-06 Defense counsel Nov. 2023 Joseph Gutierrez appeared at the first hearing (AP) To Dec. 2023 Robert (Bob) Schwartz (LA Times) From Dec. 2023 Joseph A. Weimortz Jr. (spelled “Weimoritz” in one LA Times report) Sources CourtP-07 The judges Dec. 8, 2023 Judge Kimberley Baker Guillemet presided when he was ordered held without bail July 14, 2025 Judge Lisa B. Lench, at the hearing where his death was announced Sources WitnessesP-08 The day laborers Role Hired on Nov. 7, 2023, to remove bags; returned the bags and the money and alerted police, according to the DA Named Not named in the record; some spoke to NBC4 Sources WitnessP-09 The person at the dumpster Role Found the bag early on Nov. 8, 2023, and called 911 Described as “An individual looking through dumpster bins” (LAPD); a homeless or unhoused man looking for recyclables (LA Times, ABC7) Sources FamilyP-10 Yanqing Wang Role Mei Haskell’s uncle and Yanxiang Wang’s brother; the family’s main voice in US coverage Lives Monterey Park (LA Times, Dec. 2023) Sources MedicalP-11 LA County Medical Examiner Role Identified Mei Haskell by kinship DNA analysis; later ruled Haskell’s own death a suicide Sources Not involvedP-12 Sam Haskell Who The accused’s father: former worldwide head of television at the William Morris Agency, retired 2005 Why named Coverage identified the accused through him. He was not accused of anything Sources The three victims have their own cards (§04). The couple’s three children are not named and appear only as the record mentions them. No portraits of the accused, the family or witnesses are used. LAPD Det. Efren Gutierrez and defense lawyer Joseph Gutierrez are different people. TDSH-CF-2023-HSK · §04 The victims Mei Li Haskell, her mother and her stepfather Victim · 37V-01 Mei Li Haskell Wife of the accused; mother of their three children. She came to the United States from China in the mid-2000s to study accounting and met Haskell at Cal State Northridge, her uncle told the LA Times. He said she worked several jobs and alone paid the family’s $7,000-a-month mortgage. Friends in court in 2025 called her “a devoted mom.” Record Prosecutors allege she was killed on or about Nov. 6, 2023. The torso found in Encino on Nov. 8 was identified as hers by the medical examiner through kinship DNA analysis. No other remains were reported recovered. Outcome Charges dismissed after the accused’s death; no trial Sources Victim · 64V-02 Yanxiang Wang Mei Haskell’s mother. She and her husband moved from China after the couple’s first child was born, around 2010, and lived with the family. Her brother said she still did much of the cooking and looked after the children, although a stroke a few years earlier had made walking harder. Record Prosecutors allege she was killed on or about Nov. 6, 2023. Her canes were among the items the DA says police recovered at the home. Her remains have never been found. Outcome Charges dismissed after the accused’s death; no trial Sources Victim · 71 to 72V-03 Gaoshan Li Mei Haskell’s stepfather. He and his wife moved from China to live with the family. Her uncle told the LA Times that the couple had sold their house in China to pay for Mei’s studies. Record Prosecutors allege he was killed on or about Nov. 6, 2023, and that blood in Mei Haskell’s Tesla matched his genetic profile. His remains have never been found. Outcome Charges dismissed after the accused’s death; no trial Sources Three names The record behind each card The couple’s three children lived in the house. Police found them safe at school on Nov. 8, 2023. Accounts of where they went next differ: the county Department of Children and Family Services (ABC7), “family members” (LAPD in November 2023, repeated by City News Service in 2025) and foster care (their great-uncle, December 2023). They are not named here. TDSH-CF-2023-HSK · §05 The places Tarzana, Encino, Canoga Park and downtown Los Angeles Place The home and the dumpster The family lived in a single-story house in the 4100 block of Coldstream Terrace in Tarzana, in the west San Fernando Valley. The torso was found in the rear parking lot of a commercial building near Ventura Boulevard and Rubio Avenue in Encino, a strip of banks, a hair salon and a restaurant, according to the LA Times. The DA places the dumpster in the 16000 block of Ventura Boulevard. Place The arrest and the court Police arrested Haskell at about 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 8, 2023, at the Westfield Topanga mall in Canoga Park, ABC7 reported. His hearings were at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center downtown. He was held at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, also downtown. TDSH-CF-2023-HSK · §06 Nov. 6 to 7, as alleged The prosecution’s account of the days before the discovery Alleged · before Nov. 6 Preparations, as the DA describes them According to the DA’s office, Haskell rented an Airbnb in Tarzana in October 2023 for Nov. 6 to Nov. 18 and rented an SUV on Nov. 3, “prior to the murders.” The office said he bought a one-way ticket to Japan on Oct. 21 and a round-trip ticket for a 27-year-old girlfriend for Nov. 28 to Dec. 12. It also said he had told her in October that his children would soon be living with his parents. It cited two hardware-store receipts dated Oct. 6 and Oct. 20. None of this was tested in court. Alleged · Nov. 6 When the DA says the three were killed The DA alleges the three victims were killed “on or about Nov. 6, 2023” in the home they shared with Haskell. The office’s 2023 release says they were last seen on or about that date. According to the DA, Haskell stayed at the Airbnb with the children after that. Alleged · Nov. 7 The day laborers The DA says Haskell hired day laborers and paid them $500 to take heavy black plastic trash bags away from the house. After driving off, the workers opened one and saw human remains. They brought the bags and the money back, photographed him, the bags and the house, and alerted police. Officers came for a welfare check and found no one at home and the bags gone. The workers told NBC4 that he first said the bags held rocks and then Halloween decorations, and that the bags felt soft. The LA Times reported that they called the California Highway Patrol first and then LAPD. In 2025 The Guardian reported that the workers spoke only Spanish and were not taken seriously when they first reported what they had found. Alleged · Nov. 7 The video and the two cars According to the DA, video shows Haskell that afternoon driving into a parking lot a short distance from his home, taking a large trash bag from the trunk of his Tesla and putting it in a dumpster in Encino. The LA Times described a video obtained by Fox News showing “a person believed to be Haskell” doing this at about 4:45 p.m. The DA says other surveillance video shows him moving more bags from the Tesla into the rented SUV and leaving the Tesla on the street. The Tesla, registered to Mei Haskell, was found there, near the Airbnb. TDSH-CF-2023-HSK · §07 Nov. 8: discovery, arrest, search LAPD headquarters, downtown Los Angeles, July 2022. Robbery-Homicide Division investigated the case. Credit: Benoît Prieur / Wikimedia Commons (CC0). From the dumpster to the appeal for help Record · Nov. 8 The discovery in Encino LAPD said that at about 6 a.m. on Wed. Nov. 8, 2023, “an individual looking through dumpster bins” found a bag containing a woman’s torso and called police. News reports described him as homeless or unhoused and looking for recyclables. Detectives traced the case to the home on Coldstream Terrace. Record · Nov. 8 The arrest Police arrested Haskell the same day at the Westfield Topanga mall in Canoga Park, at about 11:30 a.m., ABC7 reported. LAPD booked him on suspicion of murder and set bail at $2 million. The DA says he was driving the rented SUV and carrying a folding knife. The children were at school, and police found them safe. Alleged · Nov. 8 The SUV and the house The DA’s 2025 summary says police found a loaded revolver, ammunition, a military-style knife and passports for Haskell, his wife and the three children in the SUV. It says DNA testing linked the knife to all three victims and the gun to Mei Haskell and Gaoshan Li. The office says officers recovered eight trash bags at the home. It says they held bloody bedding and tools, items the DA said were used for dismemberment, and the two older victims’ canes. It also says forensic testing found that “large amounts of blood evidence” had been cleaned up inside. In November 2023 a detective said only that “blood evidence and other items” were found at the home. Record · Nov. 8 to 12 The search for the others Robbery-Homicide Division took over the case. On Nov. 12, 2023, LAPD asked the public for help finding Mei Li Haskell, Gaoshan Li and Yanxiang Wang, and two missing vehicles. The LA Times later reported that the two vehicles, missing from the Tarzana property, had been found in the San Fernando Valley. The medical examiner identified the torso as Mei Haskell’s by kinship DNA analysis in December 2023. Her parents have never been found. TDSH-CF-2023-HSK · §08 The charges and the court path The Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, downtown Los Angeles, where the case was heard. Credit: Coolcaesar / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Booking, filing, plea, a hearing that never happened, and the dismissal The case path · 2023 → 2026Read left to right, row by row · every stop sourced Police and prosecutionCourtMedical examinerDeath, dismissal, status 01Wed. Nov. 8, 2023LAPD Valley Bureau HomicideArrest; booked on suspicion of murder, bail $2 million. 02Sun. Nov. 12, 2023LAPD Robbery-HomicideTakes over the case; public appeal for the three missing family members. 03Mon. Nov. 13, 2023LA County DAThree counts of murder and a multiple-murder special circumstance filed. 04Mon. Nov. 13, 2023Superior Court, Foltz CJCFirst appearance: held without bail; arraignment continued to Dec. 8. 05Fri. Dec. 8, 2023Superior CourtArraignment continued again after a change of counsel; still held without bail. 06Dec. 2023Medical ExaminerThe torso is identified as Mei Haskell’s by kinship DNA analysis. 07Fri. Jan. 12, 2024Superior CourtArraigned; pleads not guilty to all three counts. Next date set to schedule a preliminary hearing. 08Mar. 2024Medical ExaminerIts finding is reported: Mei Haskell’s death was “homicidal violence”; exact cause undetermined. 09Sat. July 12, 2025Sheriff’s DepartmentFound dead in his cell; LASD Homicide Bureau investigates. 10Mon. July 14, 2025Superior Court (Judge Lench)The preliminary hearing was due; the case is dismissed at the defense’s request. 11Tue. Oct. 21, 2025Medical ExaminerAutopsy report made public; the death is ruled a suicide. 12Sept. 30, 2026Status re-checkDA release and LAPD pages unchanged; no later criminal proceedings found. Charges What he was charged with The DA charged Haskell with three counts of murder, one for each victim, and alleged the special circumstance of multiple murders. If he had been convicted as charged, the maximum sentence was life in prison without the possibility of parole. He was held without bail from his first court appearance until his death. No verdict Why there is no trial record A preliminary hearing is where a judge decides whether there is enough evidence for a case to go to trial. Haskell’s hearing had been scheduled for July 14, 2025, and never took place. No witness testified, no evidence was admitted, and no judge or jury made any finding. The dismissal ended the case without a ruling on the evidence. TDSH-CF-2023-HSK · §09 The DA’s evidence summary What prosecutors said they would have shown, and what that claim is worth Read this as allegations A summary from one side, never tested On July 14, 2025, the DA’s office published the evidence it said it “would have presented” at the preliminary hearing. The table sets it out item by item. Each line is the prosecution’s description. The defense never answered it in court, and no judge ruled on whether any of it was admissible or enough for a trial. The DA’s evidence summary: what the office said each item showed, and its limits Item What the DA says it shows Limit Day laborers’ account and photographs, Nov. 7 Bags containing human remains were at the home; the workers photographed him, the bags and the house. The workers never testified. The DA gives their number as four (2023) and “several” (2025). Video at the Encino lot, Nov. 7 He put a bag from his Tesla into the dumpster where the torso was found the next morning. Never shown in court. The LA Times described “a person believed to be Haskell.” Surveillance video of the two cars He moved more bags from the Tesla into the rented SUV. Never shown in court. Blood in the Tesla Matched Gaoshan Li’s genetic profile. Lab results summarized by the DA; never presented or challenged. Knife and revolver in the SUV DNA on the knife matched all three victims; stains on the gun matched Mei Haskell and Gaoshan Li. As above. Eight bags and the house Bedding, tools and the two older victims’ canes; blood cleaned up in the home; DNA of all three victims on items and in the house. As above. LAPD said in 2023 only that “blood evidence and other items” were found. Receipts, rentals and tickets Two October receipts, the SUV rented Nov. 3, the Airbnb rented for Nov. 6 to 18 and the one-way ticket to Japan: the DA presents these as planning. Planning is the DA’s inference and was never argued in court. Cash and the affair $67,000 in cash at his office; an affair with a 27-year-old woman, from his phone records. The release does not say what the cash shows. No motive was established. Identification of the remains The medical examiner identified the torso as Mei Haskell’s by kinship DNA analysis. A medical finding; not disputed in the sources reviewed. TDSH-CF-2023-HSK · §10 What remains unknown Missing remains, cause of death, motive, and the untested evidence Unknown The missing remains “The remains of Yanxiang Wang and Gaoshan Li have never been found,” the DA said in July 2025. LAPD’s pages for both say their remains “have not been located.” In November 2023, Silverman said no other bags containing remains had been recovered: “I don’t need a body to charge a murder.” NBC LA reported in January 2024 that no further remains of Mei Haskell had been found. Unknown How and exactly when they died LAPD’s pages say the victims were killed “by unknown method.” The medical examiner could not determine an exact cause of death for Mei Haskell and ruled it “homicidal violence,” the LA Times reported. The DA’s date is approximate: “on or about Nov. 6, 2023.” Unknown Why No motive was proved. Police had not confirmed one, the LA Times reported. DA Hochman spoke of “reasons we will never entirely know.” Mei Haskell’s relatives told the LA Times they knew of no fights or talk of divorce, but that money had been a strain. The DA cited an affair and plans to travel to Japan, but did not state a motive. This file does not offer one. Never tested What a court would have decided Whether the evidence would have supported a trial, and whether a jury would have convicted, cannot now be known. The case ended with his death and the dismissal, not with a finding. TDSH-CF-2023-HSK · §11 Death in custody and dismissal How the case ended, July 2025 Record · July 12, 2025 The death in custody The Sheriff’s Department said Haskell was found dead at about 4:20 a.m. on Sat. July 12, 2025, at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles. The department’s Homicide Bureau investigated, as it does for deaths in its custody. The medical examiner ruled the death a suicide; its report was made public on Oct. 21, 2025. NBC LA reported that he had been under “moderate monitoring” as a self-harm risk. The LA Times reported that his was the 26th death in the county jail system that year. Record · July 14, 2025 The dismissal At what was to have been the preliminary hearing, Silverman told Judge Lisa B. Lench of the death. The case was dismissed at the defense’s request. Friends of Mei Haskell attended. Jay Cieplik said outside court that she had been “a devoted mom” and that her parents were “devoted grandparents.” Statements Both sides, attributed DA Hochman said: “Instead of standing before a judge and answering for the crimes he’s been charged with, the defendant managed to escape justice.” He said the family had been “robbed of their chance to face him.” That is the prosecutor’s view, not a court’s finding. Weimortz said his client was “not afraid of prison, but he was afraid of an even larger media spectacle,” and feared what coverage would do to his children. He said the Haskell family “grieves every single life lost in this case.” TDSH-CF-2023-HSK · §12 Timeline From 2008 to tonight’s status check, dated from the record Read the sequence Twenty months in custody, no trial The DA says the alleged killings happened within a few days in November 2023. The court case then ran for 20 months without reaching a preliminary hearing (derived). Mid-2000s Mei comes to the US She arrives from China to study accounting and later meets Haskell at Cal State Northridge, according to her uncle. 2008 to 2010 An earlier case Haskell is arrested in 2008 on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, pleads no contest to battery and gets three years’ probation in 2010, the LA Times reported, citing court records. c. 2010 Her parents join the family After the couple’s first child is born, Yanxiang Wang and Gaoshan Li move from China and live with them. Oct. 2023 Alleged preparations Receipts dated Oct. 6 and Oct. 20, a one-way ticket to Japan bought Oct. 21 and the Airbnb booking, according to the DA. Fri. Nov. 3, 2023 SUV rented According to the DA. On or about Nov. 6, 2023 Killings alleged The DA alleges the three were killed at the Tarzana home. Tue. Nov. 7, 2023 Day laborers; video Workers return the bags and alert police; officers find no one at home; a bag is put in an Encino dumpster on video (all according to the DA). Wed. Nov. 8, 2023 Discovery and arrest A torso is found in the dumpster at about 6 to 6:15 a.m.; Haskell is arrested at about 11:30 a.m.; police search the home. Sun. Nov. 12, 2023 LAPD appeal RHD asks for help finding Mei Li Haskell, Gaoshan Li and Yanxiang Wang. Mon. Nov. 13, 2023 Charged Three counts of murder with a multiple-murder special circumstance; held without bail. Fri. Dec. 8, 2023 Arraignment continued New defense counsel; held without bail. Dec. 2023 Remains identified The medical examiner identifies the torso as Mei Haskell’s by kinship DNA analysis. Fri. Jan. 12, 2024 Not guilty He pleads not guilty to all three counts. Mar. 2024 Medical examiner’s finding reported The LA Times reports that Mei Haskell’s death was ruled “homicidal violence”; exact cause undetermined. Sat. July 12, 2025 Death in custody Found dead in his cell at Twin Towers at about 4:20 a.m. Mon. July 14, 2025 Case dismissed At the defense’s request, on the day the preliminary hearing was due. Tue. Oct. 21, 2025 Ruling on his death The medical examiner’s report, ruling the death a suicide, is made public. Wed. Sept. 30, 2026 Status re-checked The DA release and LAPD victim pages are unchanged; no later criminal proceedings found. TDSH-CF-2023-HSK · §13 Document wall The official record: an LAPD release, two DA releases and three LAPD victim pages The record, not the spectacle. These are the official statements this file rests on. They are shown as typed cards rather than screenshots because the reuse terms for LA County and LAPD pages were not verified. No crime-scene, body or victim images are used. The court’s own filings were not obtained; the charges and the dismissal are known from the DA and from court reporting. Document wall · CF-1 to CF-6Official records as typographic cards · tap a card to open the source TDSH-CF-2023-HSK · §14 Myth vs. record What the retellings get wrong, checked against the record Myth He was convicted No. He pleaded not guilty, the case never reached a preliminary hearing, and it was dismissed after his death. Myth He pleaded guilty or confessed No. The prosecutor said she had expected a guilty plea and his lawyer said he “was willing to plead.” No guilty plea was entered (his plea of not guilty from January 2024 stood), and no confession has been reported in the record reviewed. Myth The court found the DA’s evidence proved the case No court ruled on it. The DA described the evidence it “would have presented.” Myth All three victims were found No. Only part of Mei Haskell’s remains was recovered. The remains of her mother and stepfather have never been found. Myth Gaoshan Li was Mei’s father The DA’s 2025 release and later reporting call him her stepfather. Early reports said “parents.” Myth His father worked for WME Sam Haskell worked at the William Morris Agency. The LA Times corrected an early report that said William Morris Endeavor. Record He was held on $2 million bail At booking, yes. From the Nov. 13, 2023 hearing he was held without bail. Record “Jr.” or “IV”? The accused is Samuel Bond Haskell IV in the LA Times, AP and The Guardian; his father is Sam Haskell III. The DA’s 2025 release calls him “Jr.” TDSH-CF-2023-HSK · §15 Related case files Other Los Angeles cases and the site’s case-file series Gerd Wenzinger case fileAnother accused whose murder evidence was never tried. The Black Dahlia caseLos Angeles, 1947: the city’s most retold murder, and its unanswered questions. The Black Dahlia autopsyWhat an autopsy record can and cannot settle. Hillside Stranglers case fileLos Angeles, 1977 to 78: the dossier-format file on a case that went to trial. Charles Manson case fileLos Angeles, 1969: charges, verdicts and appeals. The Hinterkaifeck murdersA family killed at home, and a case that never reached court. Christa Pike case fileThe case file that set this dossier format. Crime Dossier archiveEvery dossier-format file. The DocketCase files and court coverage. HomicideEvery post tagged homicide. TDSH-CF-2023-HSK · §16 TDSH-CF-2023-HSK · §17 Frequently Asked Questions Who was Samuel Bond Haskell IV? A Tarzana man charged with murdering his wife Mei Li Haskell and her parents, Yanxiang Wang and Gaoshan Li, in November 2023. What was he charged with? Three counts of murder with a multiple-murder special circumstance. Was he convicted? No. He pleaded not guilty in January 2024 and died before any evidence was heard. How did the case end? He was found dead in his cell on July 12, 2025. The case was dismissed on July 14, 2025, at the defense’s request. Did he plan to plead guilty? The prosecutor said she believed the hearing would be a guilty plea, but no plea was entered. Are there any court proceedings now? No later criminal proceedings were found as of October 16, 2026. Source ledger Prosecutor and police statements first; court reporting next; other news last Prosecutor Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, “Samuel Haskell Jr. Charged With 2023 Murders of Wife, In-Laws Dies by Suicide Before Court Hearing”, news release, July 14, 2025 (case 23CJCF00013; re-checked Sept. 30, 2026, ET) The July 2025 release: his death, the hearing date and the evidence summary. Notes 3 https://da.lacounty.gov/media/news/samuel-haskell-jr-charged-2023-murders-wife-laws-dies-suicide-court-hearingProsecutor Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, “Los Angeles County D.A. Gascón Announces Man Charged in Murder of His Wife, In-Laws in Tarzana”, news release, Nov. 13, 2023, as reprinted in full by the Sierra Sun Times, Nov. 14, 2023 (the DA’s own page was not located) The 2023 filing: charges, special circumstance, no bail. Notes 1 https://www.goldrushcam.com/sierrasuntimes/index.php/news/california/51442-los-angeles-county-d-a-gascon-announces-man-charged-in-murder-of-his-wife-in-laws-in-tarzanaPolice Los Angeles Police Department, “Los Angeles Man Arrested for Murder After Woman’s Torso Found in Dumpster, Police Ask for Public’s Help Locating Suspects Wife and In-Laws”, news release, Nov. 12, 2023, as reprinted in full by the Sierra Sun Times (the lapdonline.org newsroom copy was not located) The Nov. 12, 2023 release: arrest, bail, the appeal for the missing family members. Notes 5 https://www.goldrushcam.com/sierrasuntimes/index.php/news/california/51381-los-angeles-man-arrested-for-murder-after-woman-s-torso-found-in-dumpster-police-ask-for-public-s-help-locating-suspects-wife-and-in-lawsPolice Los Angeles Police Department, homicide victim page “Haskell, Mei” (re-checked Sept. 30, 2026, ET) Victim page: date, location, “Arrest Made: Yes.” Notes 13 https://www.lapdonline.org/homicide-victim/haskell-mei/Police Los Angeles Police Department, homicide victim page “Wang, Yanxiang” (re-checked Sept. 30, 2026, ET) Victim page: remains not located. Notes 9 https://www.lapdonline.org/homicide-victim/wang-yanxiang/Police Los Angeles Police Department, homicide victim page “Li, Gaoshan” (re-checked Sept. 30, 2026, ET) Victim page: age 71, remains not located. Notes 10 https://www.lapdonline.org/homicide-victim/li-gaoshan/Court reporting City News Service, “Man accused of killing wife, in-laws dies in custody”, as published by the San Fernando Valley Sun, July 14, 2025 The July 14, 2025 hearing: the judge, the dismissal, both sides’ statements. Notes 4 https://sanfernandosun.com/2025/07/14/man-accused-of-killing-wife-in-laws-dies-in-custody/Court reporting Los Angeles Times, “Hollywood executive’s son pleads not guilty in triple murder of wife and in-laws”, Jan. 12, 2024 The not-guilty plea, Jan. 12, 2024. Notes 2 https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-01-12/hollywood-executives-son-pleads-not-guilty-in-triple-murder-of-wife-and-in-lawsCourt reporting Los Angeles Times, “Samuel Bond Haskell IV held without bail for allegedly killing wife, in-laws”, Dec. 8, 2023 The Dec. 8, 2023 hearing: counsel, no bail. Notes 19 https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-12-08/hollywood-execs-son-held-without-bail-in-tarzana-body-parts-caseCourt reporting NBC Los Angeles (KNBC), “Tarzana man accused of killing wife, in-laws pleads not guilty to murder charges”, Jan. 12, 2024 The plea; the identification of the remains. Notes 6 https://www.nbclosangeles.com/investigations/tarzana-man-accused-of-killing-wife-in-laws-pleads-not-guilty-to-murder-charges/3311031/Wire service Associated Press, “Los Angeles man accused of killing wife and her parents, putting body parts in trash”, Nov. 13, 2023 The charges, the first hearing, Silverman’s comments. Notes 7 https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-dismembered-bodies-trash-bb5bfdc0ead13bc851fd2fea7f4bdd51Wire service Associated Press, report on the arrest, Nov. 11, 2023 The arrest, the $2 million bail, the family as LAPD described it. Notes 22 https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-police-torso-arrest-b3ab605947eee51129972ce3b6ccb695Newspaper Los Angeles Times, “A torso was found near hair salon, family restaurant in Encino”, Nov. 8, 2023 The discovery: time and place. Notes 23 https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-11-08/a-bag-of-body-parts-discovered-in-encinoNewspaper Los Angeles Times, “Husband arrested after body part found; wife, in-laws missing”, Nov. 9, 2023 (correction appended Nov. 11, 2023: William Morris Agency, not William Morris Endeavor) The arrest, his earlier record, the father’s agency (corrected). Notes 15 https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-11-09/husband-arrested-body-part-wife-in-laws-missingNewspaper Los Angeles Times, “Hollywood exec’s son asked laborers to move body parts, officials say”, Nov. 13, 2023 The day laborers’ account; the video. Notes 20 https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-11-13/son-of-hollywood-exec-tried-to-get-day-laborers-to-move-body-parts-officials-sayNewspaper Los Angeles Times, “A Hollywood exec’s son, three missing family members and a gruesome discovery”, Nov. 14, 2023 The charges; the day laborers’ report to CHP and LAPD. Notes 24 https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-11-14/a-hollywood-execs-son-three-missing-family-members-and-a-gruesome-discoveryNewspaper Los Angeles Times, “Dumped body parts, a missing couple, abandoned kids: Horror, mystery inside Tarzana home”, Dec. 5, 2023 (interview with Mei Haskell’s uncle) Interview with Mei Haskell’s uncle: the family’s history. Notes 21 https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-12-05/mystery-horror-continue-in-samuel-haskell-tarzana-body-parts-caseNewspaper Los Angeles Times, report on the medical examiner’s findings for Mei Haskell, Mar. 18, 2024 The medical examiner’s finding for Mei Haskell. Notes 14 https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-03-18/headless-body-gives-few-clues-as-to-how-sam-haskells-wife-diedNewspaper Los Angeles Times, “Hollywood executive’s son dies in jail ahead of possible murder trial”, July 14, 2025 His death in custody; the jail context. Notes 11 https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-07-14/haskell-death-hollywood-executive-murder-chargesNewspaper The Guardian, report on Haskell’s death in custody, July 14, 2025 His death, the family background, the father. Notes 18 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/14/california-man-murdering-wife-in-laws-dies-jailBroadcast KABC-TV (ABC7 Los Angeles), report on the discovery and arrest, Nov. 8 to 9, 2023 The discovery and arrest: times, the mall, the children. Notes 17 https://abc7.com/post/encino-body-parts-found-los-angeles-police-department-human-remains/14027734/Broadcast KABC-TV (ABC7 Los Angeles), report on the charges, Nov. 13 to 14, 2023 The charges. Notes 25 https://abc7.com/post/samuel-haskell-iv-encino-missing-woman-mei-li/14053736/Broadcast CNN, report on the charges and first court appearance, Nov. 12 to 13, 2023 The first hearing; LAPD’s early description of the evidence. Notes 16 https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/12/us/samuel-haskell-jr-investigation-mondayBroadcast NBC Los Angeles (KNBC), report on Haskell’s death in custody, July 14, 2025 His death; both sides’ statements. Notes 12 https://www.nbclosangeles.com/investigations/man-suspected-of-dismembering-wife-murdering-in-laws-found-dead-in-jail-by-suicide/3744217/Broadcast NBC Los Angeles (KNBC), report on the medical examiner’s findings on Haskell’s death, Oct. 21, 2025 The medical examiner’s ruling on his death. Notes 8 https://www.nbclosangeles.com/investigations/coroner-report-details-jail-death-of-tarzana-father-accused-of-murdering-wife-in-laws/3794121/ Numbered notes Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, “Los Angeles County D.A. Gascón Announces Man Charged in Murder of His Wife, In-Laws in Tarzana”, news release, Nov. 13, 2023, as reprinted in full by the Sierra Sun Times, Nov. 14, 2023 (the DA’s own page was not located). www.goldrushcam.com Los Angeles Times, “Hollywood executive’s son pleads not guilty in triple murder of wife and in-laws”, Jan. 12, 2024. www.latimes.com Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, “Samuel Haskell Jr. Charged With 2023 Murders of Wife, In-Laws Dies by Suicide Before Court Hearing”, news release, July 14, 2025 (case 23CJCF00013; re-checked Sept. 30, 2026, ET). da.lacounty.gov City News Service, “Man accused of killing wife, in-laws dies in custody”, as published by the San Fernando Valley Sun, July 14, 2025. sanfernandosun.com Los Angeles Police Department, “Los Angeles Man Arrested for Murder After Woman’s Torso Found in Dumpster, Police Ask for Public’s Help Locating Suspects Wife and In-Laws”, news release, Nov. 12, 2023, as reprinted in full by the Sierra Sun Times (the lapdonline.org newsroom copy was not located). www.goldrushcam.com NBC Los Angeles (KNBC), “Tarzana man accused of killing wife, in-laws pleads not guilty to murder charges”, Jan. 12, 2024. www.nbclosangeles.com Associated Press, “Los Angeles man accused of killing wife and her parents, putting body parts in trash”, Nov. 13, 2023. apnews.com NBC Los Angeles (KNBC), report on the medical examiner’s findings on Haskell’s death, Oct. 21, 2025. www.nbclosangeles.com Los Angeles Police Department, homicide victim page “Wang, Yanxiang” (re-checked Sept. 30, 2026, ET). www.lapdonline.org Los Angeles Police Department, homicide victim page “Li, Gaoshan” (re-checked Sept. 30, 2026, ET). www.lapdonline.org Los Angeles Times, “Hollywood executive’s son dies in jail ahead of possible murder trial”, July 14, 2025. www.latimes.com NBC Los Angeles (KNBC), report on Haskell’s death in custody, July 14, 2025. www.nbclosangeles.com Los Angeles Police Department, homicide victim page “Haskell, Mei” (re-checked Sept. 30, 2026, ET). www.lapdonline.org Los Angeles Times, report on the medical examiner’s findings for Mei Haskell, Mar. 18, 2024. www.latimes.com Los Angeles Times, “Husband arrested after body part found; wife, in-laws missing”, Nov. 9, 2023 (correction appended Nov. 11, 2023: William Morris Agency, not William Morris Endeavor). www.latimes.com CNN, report on the charges and first court appearance, Nov. 12 to 13, 2023. www.cnn.com KABC-TV (ABC7 Los Angeles), report on the discovery and arrest, Nov. 8 to 9, 2023. abc7.com The Guardian, report on Haskell’s death in custody, July 14, 2025. www.theguardian.com Los Angeles Times, “Samuel Bond Haskell IV held without bail for allegedly killing wife, in-laws”, Dec. 8, 2023. www.latimes.com Los Angeles Times, “Hollywood exec’s son asked laborers to move body parts, officials say”, Nov. 13, 2023. www.latimes.com Los Angeles Times, “Dumped body parts, a missing couple, abandoned kids: Horror, mystery inside Tarzana home”, Dec. 5, 2023 (interview with Mei Haskell’s uncle). www.latimes.com Associated Press, report on the arrest, Nov. 11, 2023. apnews.com Los Angeles Times, “A torso was found near hair salon, family restaurant in Encino”, Nov. 8, 2023. www.latimes.com Los Angeles Times, “A Hollywood exec’s son, three missing family members and a gruesome discovery”, Nov. 14, 2023. www.latimes.com KABC-TV (ABC7 Los Angeles), report on the charges, Nov. 13 to 14, 2023. abc7.com Revised case file prepared Sept. 30, 2026 (ET) from TDSH’s “Samuel Bond Haskell IV Arrested in Connection with Dismembered Body Parts, Suspected of Killing Wife and 2 In-Laws” (published Nov. 9, 2023), with fact-check corrections applied and the case status brought up to date. Editorial standard: LAPD and Los Angeles County District Attorney statements, court reporting and reputable news, with every allegation attributed. Samuel Bond Haskell IV was charged but never tried or convicted; he is not described as guilty anywhere in this file. Source conflicts on ages, a relationship, times, distances and names are shown as conflicts. Case status checked October 16, 2026.