Samuel Haskell's wife and in-laws were reported missing after repeated attempts to contact them failed.
The son of a former top Hollywood agent was arrested for murder after a woman’s dismembered torso was found in a dumpster.
Samuel Haskell IV, 35, was arrested on suspicion of murder after police discovered ‘blood evidence’ at his home in the San Fernando Valley.
Haskell, 35, is the son of a Samuel Haskell III, a prominent talent agent at William Morris Endeavor and current president of Magnolia Hill Productions.
The arrest comes shortly after his wife, Mei Li Haskell, and his in-laws were reported missing.
Landscapers at a home in Encino, California called 911 after they discovered what they believed were body parts wrapped in trash bags and discarded into a nearby dumpster.
But by the time police arrived at the dumpsters to investigate, the bags were gone.
On Wednesday morning, a homeless man scavenging for recyclables reported another gruesome find in a dumpster just five miles away. Investigators arrived and quickly discovered a woman’s torso concealed in the bin.
Evidence at the scene of the discovery lead police to Haskell’s home in Tarzana, California, where he lives with his wife Mei, 37, father-in-law Gaoshan Li, 71, and mother-in-law Yanxiang Wang, 64.
All three of family members were reported missing after repeated attempts to contact them failed.
‘They would normally be home in these hours,’ LAPD homicide detective Efren Gutierrez said at a press conference. ‘Attempts have been made to contact them by phone, by cellphone and no answer.’
Samuel and Mei’s three children were found safe at their local schools. They are currently being cared for by family members, the LAPD said.
Identification of the torso is ongoing, but investigators believe it is the remains of either Mei or her mother.
‘If a murder suspect is dismembering a body, it’s to delay identification,’ Detective Gutierrez said.
Haskell was booked at Valley Jail in Van Nuys on suspicion of murder. He is being held on $2million bail.
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