Samuel Haskell Jr.’s career prior to his arrest on three counts of alleged murder might surprise many who were looking for details on the shocking case. As the son of a former Hollywood agent, Haskell likely had more access than your normal person, lending to his interesting job history.
Haskell was charged with three counts of murder, according to TMZ, though police have only found one body of the victims. As the outlet notes, Haskell earned all three charges due to witness testimony and discoveries made by police at his home. Haskell allegedly slayed Mei Li Haskell, his 37-year-old wife, and her parents, Yanxiang Wang and Gaoshan Li. They had not been seen since Nov. 6, though the remains of the parents have not been found.
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While the murder allegations and severity of the crimes are defining Haskell’s life currently, his work history shows he could’ve been on a different path. Before his arrest, Haskell had several credits as a cinematographer and camera operator on Epic Rap Battles of History and a pair of Dolly Parton’s TV movies. He was also an executive producer and cinematographer on Bond of Justice: Kizuna, which is slated for release this year.
Mei Li Haskell’s torso was discovered in a trash bag that had been dumped in some nearby dumpsters. According to The Cut, Haskell had initially asked some workers to move bags from his house one day before the torso was found.
“I started seeing body parts, a belly button,” a worker told NBC News. “I was astonished. Of course, I felt bad. We had been tricked.”
They returned the bags to the home, returned the money he paid, and refused to get involved. They later called 911, though police arrived too late and the bags were gone. But while he was gone from the scene when police arrived, he couldn’t avoid the all-seeing eyes of a security camera.
“We suspect that the torso … is the body of Mei Haskell,” Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman said. “No other bags containing body parts or remains have been recovered to date, but I don’t need a body to charge a murder.”
When authorities arrived at Haskell’s home, they discovered blood and “other evidence consistent with a killing and dismemberment.” It really is hard to hide all that blood and mess, which they’d have known if they watched Gone Girl.
Haskell was arrested and is held on $2 million bail, making his first appearance in court on Monday to hear his official charges. He is being held without bail and his arraignment will be held on Dec. 8.
