12-08-2023 5:03pm

Tarzana man accused of butchering his wife and her parents, appears in court

Anita Johnson-Brown Editor

LOS ANGELES-Tarzana man accused of butchering his wife and her parents, who remain missing, made his formal appearance in a court of law today.

Amid objections by prosecutors, Samuel Bond Haskell's first public court appearance resulted in his arraignment being postponed until January 12, 2024.

The defendant was wearing anti-suicide gear as he stood within distance of his attorney while being accused of killing Mei Li Haskell, 37, and her parents, Gaoshan Li, 72, and Yanxiang Wang, 64, and dumping their dismembered remains into a trash container in Encino, where the bodies were subsequently found.

According to New information regarding the case, as indicated in reports, During a prior court appearance in November, in which no media cameras were permitted, the defendant's arraignment was postponed and he was ordered to be held in jail without bail.

Haskell lived in Tarzana with his wife, their three youngsters, and her parents. He is the son of Emmy-winning producer and Hollywood agent Sam Haskell, who served as an agent for Kathie Lee Gifford, Whoopi Goldberg, Dolly Parton, George Clooney, and many more.

All family members were last seen on November 6, 2023."On November 7, 2023, The defendant allegedly employed four-day laborers to carry several heavy black plastic trash bags from his residence in Tarzana," the LAPD said in a statement. "One of the laborers opened one of the bags and allegedly saw human body parts. They called 911 and reported the incident."

The workers said they brought the bags and cash back to Haskell and when police arrived, the bags were missing officers said.

On that exact day, Haskell was captured on video tossing something in a trash dumpster near Encino, officials said. He was taken into custody the following day after somebody searching through a waste container discovered the torso of a female and contacted 911, said prosecutors.

More news on this case will be reported as the information becomes available.

-Anita Johnson-Brown|The Los Angeles News