The son of a prominent Hollywood agent and producer has died in jail just days before he was scheduled to appear in trial for dismembering his wife and her parents.
Samuel Bond Haskell IV, 37, was charged with three counts of murder following the discovery of his wife Mei Li's dismembered torso in a dumpster near his Encino office in November 2023. The remains of her parents, Gaoshan Li and Yanxiang Wang, have never been recovered.
"This is one last cruel act by someone who did the most horrific things for reasons we will never entirely know," Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement.
"Instead of standing before a judge and answering for the crimes he's been charged with, the defendant managed to escape justice," Hochman added. "A family that has been dealing with unimaginable loss now has been robbed of their chance to face him, hold him accountable for his barbaric actions, and openly share their grief and their cherished memories of their loved ones."
Authorities say Haskell had been on suicide watch at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility since his arrest.
Prosecutors alleged that in November 2023, Haskell killed Mei Li and her parents in the Tarzana home they shared with the couple's three young sons. The day after the murders, Haskell hired day laborers to remove black trash bags, but when they discovered human remains in the bags, they refused payment and alerted police. But by the time officers arrived, the bags were gone.
Investigators found a bloody knife with DNA from all three victims, as well as cutting tools, a firearm, and a bloodied board inside the home.
Surveillance footage captured Haskell dumping a bag into a dumpster, where Mei Li's torso was later discovered by someone rummaging through trash.
Haskell had reportedly been having an affair, but prosecutors said the full motive for the killings remains unknown.
Mei Li's friends said she had considered divorce for years but feared losing custody of her children because of Haskell's family influence. "Mei felt trapped," a friend told DailyMail.com. Haskell's father, Emmy-winning producer Sam Haskell, represented celebrities including George Clooney, Dolly Parton, and Whoopi Goldberg.
Haskell's death closes the case without a trial, leaving grieving family members and the community with unanswered questions about what led to the horrific crime.
