Tarzana man pleads not guilty to murdering wife and in-laws
LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- A Tarzana man pleaded not guilty Friday to murder charges stemming from the disappearance of his wife -- whose dismembered body parts were found dumped in a trash bin -- and her parents.
Samuel Bond Haskell, 35, is charged with the killings of his wife Mei Haskell, 37, and her parents, 64-year-old Yanxiang Wang and 72-year-old Gaoshan Li, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
The murder charges include a special circumstance allegation of multiple murders. Haskell could face a maximum of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted as charged.
The victims, who lived in a Tarzana home in the 4100 block of Coldstream Terrace with Haskell and the couple's three young children, were last seen on or about Nov. 6, authorities said.
The children were found and are being cared for by family members, Los Angeles police said.
He was arrested following the discovery of human remains on Nov. 8 inside a trash bin near Ventura Boulevard and Rubio Way in Encino.
The dismembered body parts were positively identified as Mei Haskell's remains, authorities said last month. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner listed her cause of death as "deferred."
Haskell had allegedly hired four day laborers to remove several heavy black plastic trash bags from the home, and 911 was called after one of the workers opened one of the bags and allegedly saw body parts, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Haskell remains jailed without bail.
He is due back in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Feb. 16. A date is expected to be set then for a hearing to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to require him to stand trial.
"These shocking and gruesome crimes have sent shockwaves through our community," District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement when the charges were filed in November. "We stand with the victims' loved ones during this unimaginably difficult time and will do everything in our power to ensure justice is served. Our Major Crimes Division will work tirelessly to bring about a prosecution that reflects the severity of this devastating crime."
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