Human remains found in Encino dumpster identified as missing Tarzana woman

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Monday, December 18, 2023
Remains found in Encino dumpster identified as missing Tarzana woman
The dismembered body parts found in an Encino dumpster last month have been identified as the wife of Samuel Haskell IV, the son of a Hollywood executive who is accused of murder.

TARZANA, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The dismembered body parts found in an Encino dumpster last month have been positively identified as a missing mother from Tarzana, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed Monday.

According to authorities, 37-year-old Mei Li Haskell was reported missing in early November. Her parents - Gaoshan Li, 72, and Yanxiang Wang, 64, - are still missing.

Haskell's husband, 35-year-old Samuel Haskell IV, the son of a Hollywood executive, is accused of murdering his wife and her parents and then tossing dismembered body parts into a trash bin, where the human remains were later discovered.

New details are emerging in the case of a man arrested in connection with a woman's dismembered torso found in Encino.

Samuel Haskell IV made his first public court appearance earlier this month, which resulted in his arraignment being postponed until Jan. 12.

He lived in Tarzana with his wife, their three young children and her parents.

"On Nov. 7, Haskell allegedly hired four day-laborers to take away several heavy black plastic trash bags from his home in Tarzana," the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement. "One of the laborers opened one of the bags and allegedly observed human body parts. They called 911 and reported the incident."

They returned the bags and money, but the bags weren't there when police arrived, authorities have said.

The same day, Haskell was caught on video dumping something in a dumpster in nearby Encino, authorities said. He was arrested the next day after someone rummaging through trash in the dumpster found a woman's torso called 911, prosecutors said.

This is a developing story. This article will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.

The Associated Press and the CNN Wire contributed to this report.