According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the son of a prominent Hollywood agent and producer has been imprisoned for allegedly killing his wife and her parents. Originally scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing this Monday (July 14), he has since passed away by suicide in jail.
Samuel Bond Haskell Jr., 37, was accused in 2023 of murdering his wife, Mei Li, 37, and her parents, Yanxiang Wang, 64, and Gaoshan Li, 72.
The 37-year-old Haskell is the son of Emmy Award-winning Hollywood agent and producer Samuel Haskell.
Haskell was found dead in his cell on July 12. The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office is determining the cause of death. The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office stated that Haskell died by suicide.
Haskell was a cinematographer and producer in the film industry. He had previously refused to plead guilty to the murder charges, including multiple counts of murder under special circumstances. If convicted, he could have faced a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
According to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, Haskell allegedly murdered and dismembered his wife and in-laws in their home in Tarzana around November 6.
On November 7, Haskell hired several workers to remove heavy black plastic bags from the house. Upon opening one of the bags, a worker discovered human remains and called 911.
The next day, a man found a bag containing human remains in a dumpster in Encino and reported it to the authorities, leading to Haskell’s arrest.
The dismembered remains were confirmed to be those of Mei Li. The bodies of Yanxiang Wang and Gaoshan Li are still missing. Haskell and Mei Li have three young children who are reported to be safe.
A blood-stained military knife matching the DNA of the three victims was found in Haskell’s car. In the garage and backyard, investigators also recovered a saw, machete, knives, a .357 caliber gun, and a “bloodstained plywood board used in the crime.”
Additionally, authorities discovered through the examination of Haskell’s cellphone data that he had a relationship with a 27-year-old woman, but the motive for the murders remains unclear.