The headless torso that turned up in a dumpster was definitely a murder — that a lot is obvious.
However whether or not the loss of life of the spouse of a outstanding Hollywood agent’s son was the results of being shot, hit within the head, suffocated and even beheaded is inconceivable to find out, in accordance with the Los Angeles County Division of Medical Examiner.
Physique components discovered inside a black plastic sack in November
and stories by staff of what seemed like human stays at his Tarzana property led police to arrest Samuel Bond Haskell IV in reference to the disappearance and deaths of his spouse and her mother and father.
The coroner decided the torso belonged to Haskell’s spouse, Mei , 37, however police have but to find the stays of her mom, Yanxiang Wang, 64, and stepfather, Gaoshan Li, 72.
In line with the post-mortem report, Mei Haskell was beheaded with a “single sharp power to the bottom of the neck,” though there’s “no definitive indication” that the dismemberment occurred after loss of life. Nevertheless, a pathologist added, “the chance that the top and neck removing was initiated previous to loss of life can’t be fully excluded.”
The report indicated that solely the higher thighs had been connected to her torso and amputation websites had been remarkably easy.
“This means a pointy energy instrument was doubtless used to carry out these amputations.”
With no direct explanation for loss of life, the health worker dominated that the mom of three died of “homicidal violence.”
Though toxicology exams confirmed no indication of drug use, the pathologist’s report mentioned that, like different manners of loss of life, poisoning couldn’t be dominated out.
Samuel Haskell IV was arraigned in January on triple homicide fees.
(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Occasions)
In January, Haskell, 35, entered not responsible pleas to 3 counts of homicide with particular circumstances of committing a number of murders. If convicted, he faces life in jail with out the potential for parole.
Haskell is the son of Emmy-winning producer Sam Haskell, a former government on the highly effective William Morris expertise company.
Los Angeles police are nonetheless making an attempt to type out the thriller of the Tarzana man and his three lacking members of the family. Authorities say Haskell lived in a sprawling dwelling within the 4100 block of Coldstream Terrace together with his spouse, their three school-aged kids and in-laws.
Yanqing Wang mentioned he by no means heard of any fights nor any speak of divorce between his niece, Mei, and her husband , however he mentioned his sister — Mei’s mom — complained that Mei was the one one paying for his or her $7,000-a-month mortgage and that Haskell hadn’t provided monetary help after they had been trying to purchase a home three years in the past.
Police mentioned that on Nov. 7, Haskell tried to get day laborers to take away baggage from his dwelling containing what he mentioned had been rocks. The employees advised KNBC-TV Channel 4 that the baggage’ contents felt like meat, and after they seemed inside, they noticed physique components. “Once we picked up the baggage, we may inform they weren’t rocks,” one of many staff mentioned in Spanish.
When that disposal technique failed, Haskell was caught on safety cameras dumping baggage from the again of his Tesla in Encino, authorities mentioned.
The following morning, an unhoused man discovered a human torso stuffed inside a duffel bag in a dumpster in an Encino parking zone close to Ventura Boulevard and Rubio Avenue, about 5 miles from Haskell’s dwelling, police mentioned.
Haskell was arrested after the ugly discovery, and through a search of his dwelling, detectives found blood and proof per dismemberment, Deputy Dist. Atty. Beth Silverman mentioned.
