Who Was Samuel Bond Haskell IV? Son of Top Hollywood Agent Who Killed, Dismembered His Wife and Her Parents Commits Suicide in Jail
The son of a top Hollywood executive, who killed and dismembered his wife and her parents, has reportedly committed suicide in jail shortly before a scheduled court appearance, according to authorities and sources.
Samuel Bond Haskell IV was found dead just hours before he was set to appear in court Monday for a preliminary hearing related to his murder charges, Lt. Michael Modica of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told KABC. The suspect was found dead in his jail cell on Saturday morning in what appeared to be a suicide, law enforcement sources told NBCLA. It is still unclear how he committed suicide as authorities have launched an investigation.
Killed Self Before Proven Guilty
X
Haskell’s father is a Hollywood agent and Emmy-winning producer, Samuel Haskell Sr., who has represented major stars such as George Clooney, Whoopi Goldberg, Dolly Parton, and Kathie Lee Gifford.
In 2023, Haskell was charged with the murders of his wife, Mei Li Haskell, 37, and her parents—Gaoshan Li, 72, and Yanxiang Wang, 64,—at their home in the Los Angeles suburb of Tarzana.
X
According to police, Haskell tossed the dismembered bodies by placing them in a trash bin in Encino, where his wife’s remains were eventually found.
The bodies of his in-laws were never found. All three victims were last seen alive on November 6, 2023.
The next day, Haskell hired four day laborers to haul away several large black plastic garbage bags from his home, according to the Los Angeles Police Department at the time. “One of the laborers opened one of the bags and allegedly observed human body parts,” the LAPD statement read. “They called 911 and reported the incident.”
X
Authorities said the laborers returned both the bags and the payment before leaving, but by the time police arrived, the bags had vanished.
Police also said that Haskell was caught on surveillance footage disposing of an item in a dumpster in Encino on November 7.
The next day, on November 8, a person searching through the trash found a woman’s torso, prompting a police investigation that led to Haskell’s arrest, according to prosecutors.
Haskell had entered a not guilty plea and was being held without bail as he awaited trial.
Father, a Star
His father, Samuel Haskell Sr., was a prominent agent affiliated with William Morris, representing notable clients such as Dolly Parton, George Clooney, Whoopi Goldberg, and Prince Edward, the brother of King Charles.
X
Samuel Haskell Sr. retired from William Morris in 2005. In 2009, he published a memoir titled ‘Promises I Made My Mother.’ Described by publishers as a “deeply personal and spiritually-enriching story about living a principled life in unprincipled times.”
X
In 2012, the multiple Emmy-winner Samuel Haskell Sr. co-founded Magnolia Hill Productions with Dolly Parton, producing many of her television specials.
However, his tenure as the CEO of the Miss America organization from 2015 to 2017 ended in resignation after private emails surfaced where he had criticized some contestants, ridiculing one for gaining weight and describing another as promiscuous.
Samuel Haskell Sr. is married to Mary Donnelly Haskell, a former Miss Mississippi and his college sweetheart. The couple has a daughter, Mary Lane, and a son, Sam IV.
