Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘Malicious Intent’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Signs Of A Psychopath,’ the viewers are provided with a detailed account of the murder case of Mei Li Haskell and her parents in November 2023. In the middle of the investigation was none other than her husband, Samuel Haskell IV, the son of a Hollywood executive. As the police dug deeper into the crime, they found some gruesome evidence linking him to the murder. Moreover, the episode features insightful interviews with the loved ones of the victims, giving us more intricate details about the case.
Samuel Haskell Resided in LA With His Wife and Her Parents
Born on April 3, 1988, to Samuel Haskell III and Mary Donnelly Haskell, Samuel Bond Haskell IV grew up in luxury as his father was the Executive Vice President at William Morris Agency and had represented clients like George Clooney, Dolly Parton, and Prince Edward before retiring. His mother, on the other hand, was crowned Miss Mississippi in 1977 and is an actor known for her roles in ‘Days of Our Lives’ and ‘7th Heaven.’ While studying at California State University, Northridge, Samuel Haskell IV crossed paths with Mei Li Haskell, a Chinese immigrant who had moved to the United States to study accounting.
They started dating soon, and by 2010, the couple had gotten married and given birth to one of their three children. Soon, his wife’s parents, Gaoshan Li and Yanxiang Wang, moved from China as well and moved in with them. As per Mei’s uncle, she was the breadwinner of the family as she used to work a number of jobs to support the family’s needs. They used to reside in the Tarzana neighborhood and appeared to be living as a picture-perfect family on the surface. However, things turned out to be more tense than usual when Samuel’s 37-year-old wife and her parents went missing around November 6, 2023.
Samuel Haskell Allegedly Murdered His Family Members
Reportedly, on November 7, Samuel hired four laborers and tasked them with disposing of several heavy garbage bags from his house for $500. He had told them that the bags contained nothing but rocks and Halloween props. Given the suspiciousness of the contents of the garbage bags, the laborers took a look inside one of the bags a block away from his residence and discovered a human belly button. They returned everything, including the money, and told him that they could not do the job and accept the money. Later, they called 911 and reported what they witnessed to the authorities. However, when the police knocked on Samuel’s door a few hours later, the bag was nowhere to be found.
The following day, a homeless man made the gruesome discovery of a dismembered torso in a dumpster several miles away from his house, near the intersection of Ventura Boulevard and Rubio Avenue. When the authorities were notified of the same, an investigation was launched. The body of the victim was reportedly so unrecognizable that it took the officials more than a month to identify it to be Mei’s body. The investigators checked out the security footage of the area and saw Samuel dumping the garbage bag out of his vehicle. With him being a prime suspect in the crime, they obtained a search warrant and went to his house for the second time.
Although he was not at home at the time, the detectives broke into the residence and found incriminating evidence, including blood and other items. On November 8, 2023, Samuel Haskell was arrested at a nearby shopping mall and charged with the murders of his wife and in-laws since they were also missing for a couple of days. After his arrest, his children were taken in by other family members. As the police dug deeper into his criminal history, they learned that he was arrested and charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon in 2008. At the time, he had pleaded no contest to battery and received 3-year probation. Despite launching a citywide search to find the bodies of Mei’s parents, the police could not find any clues about them.
Samuel Haskell is in Custody and Awaiting His Trial
After his arrest, Samuel Haskell IV was being held in the Valley Jail in Van Nuys, where he was under suicide watch. Moreover, when he appeared in court on January 12, 2024, the 35-year-old accused was without his shirt as they could not risk him strangling or injuring himself. Samuel pleaded not guilty to the three murder charges against him in connection with his wife and her parents. As of July 2024, he is being held up at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles, where he awaits the commencement of his trial for allegedly killing his wife and in-laws in November 2023.
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