Lawyer for Hollywood headless torso suspect says his client is being forced to show up shirtless in court
Sam Haskell IV, the Hollywood heir accused of chopping up his wife and her parents before security cameras allegedly captured him throwing a torso in a dumpster, pleaded not guilty in a Los Angeles courthouse Friday.
Haskell, 35, appeared shirtless for the second time after being accused of killing Mei Haskell, 37, and her parents, Goashan Li, 72, and Yanxiang Wang, 64, who moved to the U.S. from China to be near their grandkids, the couple's three sons.
News photographers were instructed to take pictures from the neck up Friday after the judge denied a request from Haskell's defense to cover him up. His shirt was taken due to concerns over a risk of self-harm, which his lawyer called "wild speculation."
HOLLYWOOD SCION SAM HASKELL, ACCUSED OF KILLING WIFE AND HER PARENTS, SHOWS UP SHIRTLESS IN LA COURT
"Mr. Haskell has not indicated he wants to harm himself," Haskell's lawyer, Joe Weimortz, told Fox News Digital in an email after the arraignment.
Nevertheless, the sheriff's department wants him to wear an anti-self-harm vest, he said.
"[But] Mr. Haskell has a pre-existing medical condition which prevents him from wearing the vest. The Sheriiff’s Department will not allow him to appear with a shirt, gown or blanket," he added. "The result is he has to appear in court naked from the waist up. The has led to rampant speculation in the media. This situation is dehumanizing and creates an inaccurate image of Mr. Haskell."
Haskell appeared Friday in blue jail pants with his wrists chained in front of his waist. He spoke little, telling the judge, "Yes, your honor," when asked if he understood what was happening. He glanced around the room, occasionally looking up at the ceiling or raising his eyebrows.
After a homeless person searching through a dumpster in November found a headless torso wrapped in plastic, police recovered surveillance video that allegedly showed Haskell dropping off a heavy garbage bag the prior morning in broad daylight.
Police visited Haskell's home twice prior to his arrest. On the first occasion, a group of day laborers told them they had been asked to remove suspicious bags that felt heavy and soggy. However, responding officers found no evidence at the scene and left.
The second time, they brought a search warrant and allegedly found blood and other evidence inside, according to LAPD Detective Efren Gutierrez. Police arrested Haskell at a shopping mall nearby.
Haskell was charged with three counts of first-degree murder, as well as special circumstance allegations that would increase the sentencing if convicted.
He was ordered held without bail and could face a maximum penalty of life in prison without parole.
Haskell's parents, Hollywood producer Sam Haskell III and beauty queen and actress Mary Donnelly Haskell, are known for a series of Christmas movies.
Haskell's father was also a former talent agent who represented George Clooney and Dolly Parton, among other A-list stars.
Haskell scowled in court during his first appearance in November, as a group of Mei Haskell's friends sat in the gallery, some carrying handwritten signs that read, "We Miss Mei" and "Justice for Mei Today!" During the hearing, some of them could be heard crying.