Appearing shirtless in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom, the son of a Hollywood executive charged with killing his wife and her parents before disposing of some of their remains in a dumpster was ordered held without bail Friday.
Samuel Bond Haskell IV, 35, will return to court in January after his arraignment was continued during a brief hearing. The Hollywood scion was arrested last month on suspicion of murder in the deaths of his wife, 37-year-old Mei Haskell; her mother, Yanxiang Wang, 64; and stepfather, Gaoshan Li, 72.
He did not enter a plea after his attorney, Joseph Weimoritz, requested a continuance. Beverly Hills defense attorney Bob Schwartz had been representing Haskell until two days ago, and it was not clear why he had changed counsel.
Weimoritz declined to discuss the case after the hearing and Schwartz did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Haskell, who wore his jail-issued jumpsuit with the top folded down around his waist, revealing a large tattoo on his right shoulder, barely spoke during the hearing as he clutched a plastic bag of his possessions.
Haskell shared a home with his wife and in-laws in the 4100 block of Coldstream Terrace in Tarzana. Mei’s relatives, many of whom still live in China, told The Times earlier this month that while they didn’t know of any fights or discussions of divorce between the couple, financial issues were a strain.
Mei was the only person contributing to their $7,000 monthly mortgage, according to her uncle, who described Haskell as “strange” and “quiet and reserved.”
Authorities say Haskell first tried to dispose of human remains on Nov. 7, when he hired day laborers to remove bags from his property. The workers, who were paid $500 and initially told that they were hauling away rocks, said the bags felt soggy and soft, like meat. The laborers tried to return the money and contacted police, but by the time officers arrived the bags were gone, according to a KNBC-TV report.
The next day, a homeless man found a duffel bag containing a human torso in a Tarzana dumpster. Haskell was arrested a short time later. Investigators believe the torso belongs to Mei Haskell, but they have not located her parents’ remains. While police have not confirmed a motive or manner of death in the killings, L.A. County Deputy Dist. Atty. Beth Silverman said detectives discovered blood and evidence consistent with dismemberment inside the family home.
On Friday, Silverman urged L.A. County Superior Court Judge Kimberley Baker Guillemet to force the arraignment to go forward Friday, citing the presence of several family members in court and the continued frustration of relatives in China who are desperate for updates in the case.
“They have been missing for 20 days,” Mei’s uncle, Yanqinq Wang, said in an interview with The Times last week. “How can he hide it so well for so long?”
The defendant’s father, Sam Haskell, has won an Emmy award as a producer and was a high-level executive at the powerful William Morris talent agency before launching his own production company.
Times staff writers Richard Winton and Summer Lin contributed to this report.
Source link
Attorneys and law firms can elevate their online presence with professionally written content from SEO Content Writing Services monthly plan. Our team of experienced writers specializes in crafting blog posts, articles, and written content that accurately reflect the expertise and knowledge of our clients in the legal field. With a keen eye for detail and a thorough understanding of legal terminology, we provide high-quality writing that helps our clients stand out from their competition and engage with their target audience. Trust SEO Content Writing Services for one time article writing or monthly written content to handle all of your written content needs and showcase your law firm's expertise.
If you need written content, blog posts, or articles professionally written for your website, we can help. Go HERE to find out more.
or email us here: myseowritingservices@gmail.com
To find out more about our article writing or blog post services, fill out the form, thank you.
