The son of a once-prominent Hollywood executive has pleaded not guilty to charges for murdering his wife and in-laws.
Samuel Haskell IV, 35, is facing three counts of murder with special circumstances in connection with the deaths of his 37-year-old wife Mei Haskell and her parents Yanxiang Wang, 64, and Gaoshan Li, 72.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges during a court appearance Friday. Mr Haskell appeared in court wearing a suicide vest due to what his lawyer described as “wild speculation” about his mental health, The Guardian reports.
Mr Haskell, the son of Emmy-winning Hollywood producer Sam Haskell Sr and former Miss Mississippi Mary Donnelly Haskell, allegedly committed the murders at his home in the affluent Los Angeles neighbourhood of Tarzana, while his three children were at school.
On 7 November, construction workers alerted authorities after Mr Haskeell allegedly tried to pay them $500 to haul away plastic bags containing what they believed were dismembered body parts.
However, when law enforcement responded to the scene, the bags were gone. The following day, a homeless man found a human torso, later determined to be Mei Haskell’s, inside a dumpster at a parking lot in San Fernando Valley, about five miles from Tarzana.
Surveillance video from the scene led authorities to Mr Haskell.
The remains of Wang and Li haven’t been found but authorities have since said that blood and “other evidence consistent with death and dismemberment” was found in Mr Haskell’s Tarzana home, where the murders are believed to have taken place.
“These shocking and gruesome crimes have sent shockwaves through our community. We stand with the victims’ loved ones during this unimaginably difficult time and will do everything in our power to ensure justice is served.” District Attorney George Gascón said in a November statement. “Our Major Crimes Division will work tirelessly to bring about a prosecution that reflects the severity of this devastating crime.”
Last month, he was ordered held without bail during a court appearance.
At the hearing, he appeared wearing an anti-suicide smock around his waist, revealing his bare chest, and holding a small milk carton.
If convicted, he could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.
