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Sam Haskell IV, the son of a Hollywood producer, committed suicide while he was in a Los Angeles jail awaiting trial, according to the coroner.
Haskell was accused of killing his wife and in-laws on Nov. 6, 2023, and previously pleaded not guilty. The County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner determined that Haskell committed suicide by “incised wounds to bilateral upper extremities.” He was found dead on July 12.
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in an earlier statement that prosecutors were set to reveal new evidence at a preliminary hearing, which included an alleged affair with a 27-year-old woman. According to Hochman, the new evidence also revealed that a bloody knife with all three victims’ DNA was found in the possession of Haskell.
HOLLYWOOD HEIR ACCUSED OF BEHEADING WIFE, IN-LAWS DIES IN CUSTODY DAYS BEFORE RELEASE OF KEY EVIDENCE
Sam Haskell, charged with three counts of murder in the killings of his wife, Mei Haskell, and her parents, appears for arraignment on Dec. 8, 2023 in Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan/ Pool via Los Angeles Times)
Haskell was found dead in his jail cell.
“Instead of standing before a judge and answering for the crimes he’s been charged with, the defendant managed to escape justice,” Hochman said in a statement. “This is one last cruel act by someone who did the most horrific things for reasons we will never entirely know. A family that has been dealing with unimaginable loss now has been robbed of their chance to face him, hold him accountable for his barbaric actions, and openly share their grief and their cherished memories of their loved ones.”
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Sam Haskell, left, killed himself in a Los Angeles jail cell while awaiting trial for the murders of his wife Mei, right, and her parents. (Instagram/Sam Haskell)
Haskell’s attorney previously told Fox News Digital that a court assessment that his client was at risk of self-harm is “wild speculation.”
He was facing three murder charges for the deaths of Mei Haskell, 37, her mother Yanxiang Wang, 64, and her stepfather Gaoshan Li, 71.
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The dumpster area off of Ventura Boulevard in Encino California, Nov. 10, 2023, where Sam Haskell is alleged to have dumped his wife, Mei Haskell. (Fox News Digital)
Haskell was facing life in prison without parole if convicted of the murder charges.
After Haskell allegedly killed the three individuals, prosecutors allege he gave a group of laborers $500 to take heavy trash bags out of the home where the victims lived. One of the workers looked inside the bag and allegedly saw human remains, prompting a call to police.