Los Angeles, California – A man accused of murdering his wife and in-laws, and dumping his wife’s partial remains in a trash bin in Encino, pleaded not guilty on Friday. Samuel Bond Haskell was ordered held with no bail and is scheduled to return to court in February when a date will be set for a preliminary hearing.
Haskell, 35, is charged with three counts of murder for the deaths of his wife, Mei Haskell, her mother, Yanxiang Wang, and her stepfather, Gaoshan Li. Last month, the LA County Coroner’s office confirmed through DNA comparisons that the remains found in Encino were that of Mei Haskell, but additional remains have not been found to date.
The uncle of Tarzana woman Mei Haskell is seeking justice and closure for her and her parents’ disappearance. Husband Sam Haskell was arrested for their murders and remains in jail after a video linked him to the discovery of a female torso in Encino on Nov. 8, but their bodies remain unaccounted for.
The couple’s three elementary school-age children were placed in protective custody in November. At Friday’s court appearance, Haskell was again dressed in a special jail smock designed to prevent suicides, which fell off or was removed during the arraignment, leaving him shirtless.
In December, YanQing Wang, the only relative of Mei Haskell and her parents living in the United States, told NBC LA that he’s had nightmares about what happened to his family, and can’t understand how the three are still considered missing. “I’m very confused, first the news reported that Sam is being charged with the murder, but the police never give me an answer as whereabout are my sister and my brother-in-law,” Wang said.
Samuel Haskell was arrested by LAPD detectives at a shopping center several hours after the remains were discovered on Nov. 8 in Encino. Security video appeared to show a person moving a large trash bag from the trunk of a white Tesla sedan into the trash bin. Detectives spent many hours examining the Haskell home on Coldstream Terrace in Tarzana, where authorities said they discovered evidence of a murder and possible dismemberment.