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Samuel Bond Haskell IV Dies by Apparent Suicide in L.A. Jail Before Hearing

His death in custody halts the high-profile triple murder case before it could proceed to trial

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This undated photo combination provided by the Los Angeles Police Department shows Mei Haskell, left, and her parents, YanXiang Wang and Gaoshan Li. Mei’s husband, Samuel Haskell IV, is suspected of killing her. Police have arrested Haskell IV, in connection with the discovery of a torso of a dismembered female body and the disappearance of his wife and her live-in parents. The LAPD confirmed Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, the arrest of Haskell on suspicion of murder while officials attempt to identify the torso that was found within a bag in a dumpster several days earlier. (Los Angeles Police Department via AP)
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Overview

  • 37-year-old Haskell was found dead from an apparent suicide in his Twin Towers jail cell on Saturday, two days before his scheduled preliminary hearing
  • He faced three murder charges for allegedly killing and dismembering his wife, Mei Haskell, and her parents, Gaoshan Li and Yanxiang Wang, in a Tarzana home in November 2023
  • With his death, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office cannot move forward to trial, effectively ending the prosecution of the case
  • The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau has launched an investigation into Haskell’s death and the county medical examiner will determine the official cause
  • Two of the victims’ bodies remain unrecovered and Haskell’s three children remain in protective care as the investigation continues