The son of a powerful Hollywood executive, charged with brutally murdering his wife and parents when he allegedly dumped their remains in a dumpster, appeared shirtless in court Friday morning in his first public appearance since his arrest.
Samuel Haskell IV, 35, was shirtless, wearing a suicide vest around his waist, and holding a bag with a small milk carton as he stood before a judge and was told he would continue to be held without bail, according to ABC 7.
A court deputy explained the accused killer’s Velcro strap had been undone before his appearance in court, allowing the strap to slide down to reveal his tattooed upper body, according to the Daily Mail.
Haskell IV’s trial has been postponed to January 12, 2024.
The delay in his trial came when the California man made a last-minute change to his defense team.
Haskell IV was represented by Beverly Hills defense attorney Bob Schwartz until two days ago, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Sam Haskell’s prison jumper comes off before his court appearance, revealing his tattooed upper body. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Haskell was seen holding a bag with a small carton of milk as she stood before a judge on Friday. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
His new lawyer, Joseph Weimoritz, did not enter a plea on his behalf and asked for the trial to continue as he stood separated from his client by a glass partition.
It remains unclear why he made the change.
In a previous court appearance in mid-November, Haskell IV’s arraignment was postponed, and he was ordered held without bail.
The alleged killer lives in the Tarzana neighborhood with his wife, Mei Li Haskell, 37, and their three young children, as well as his parents, father Gaoshan Li, 72, and mother Yanxiang Wang, 64.
Mei Li Haskell’s father Gaoshan Li and mother Yanxiang Wang have been missing since Nov. 6. AP
Mei Li and her parents were last seen around November 6, the California District Attorney’s office said.
On Nov. 7, Haskell IV allegedly hired four days of labor to haul several heavy black plastic garbage bags from the six-bedroom Tarzana home, which allegedly contained body parts.
He allegedly told workers the 50-pound bag contained rocks, but the suspicious man stopped their truck a block from his home and made the disturbing discovery.
On labor day the bags and money were returned, with the son of a famous Hollywood executive allegedly telling them they were Halloween props, according to an interview with KNBC.
Haskell IV was charged with the murder of his wife, Mei Li Haskell. Samuel Haskell Jr/Tumblr Haskell IV faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole if convicted. Samuel Haskell Jr./Facebook
The bags disappeared before police found them, officials said.
Police visited Haskell’s IV home after Labor Day reported they had been asked to remove a suspicious bag.
Responding officers found no evidence at the scene and had to leave.
However, severed body parts believed to belong to his wife, Mei Li, were found in a rubbish bin a few kilometers from their home the next day by a homeless man.
Haskell IV’s home was searched by police following his arrest. ABC NEWS 7
Haskell IV was caught on video allegedly throwing what appeared to be a body into a trash can, authorities said.
When police went to his home a second time, they had a search warrant and allegedly found evidence of a gruesome crime.
“When the officers went in, what they found was criminal evidence, including some blood evidence and other items that I’m not going to give away at this point,” LAPD Detective Efren Gutierrez said at the time.
Police were seen searching the trash, where they found the torso of a woman, believed to be Haskell’s wife. ABC NEWS 7
Haskell IV was arrested at a nearby shopping center and charged with the Nov. 8 murders of his wife and mother-in-law.
The bodies of Wang and Li, Chinese nationals who lived with the couple and their three grandchildren, have not been found.
The couple’s child is now in the care of relatives.
The suspect’s father, Sam Haskell III, is seen with Dolly Parton at the 2017 Variety and Women In Film pre-Emmy celebration at Gracias Madre on September 15, 2017 in West Hollywood, California. FilmMagic
Meanwhile, the suspect has been identified as the son of the former executive vice president of the William Morris Agency, Samuel Haskell III.
The elder Haskell has represented a list of famous stars, including George Clooney, Dolly Parton, Whoopi Goldberg — and even King Charles’ brother Prince Edward.
If convicted of all three counts of murder, Haskell IV faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
