'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Sam Haskell Jr., the son of prominent Hollywood TV producer Sam Haskell III, reportedly died by suicide. Law enforcement officials told NBC Los Angeles that Sam was found dead in his cell on Saturday, July 12, 2025. The officials had further confirmed that Sam had left a note behind as well. His death reportedly was confirmed by Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
According to reports by NBC News, Sam Haskell Jr. was accused of murdering his wife and his in-laws in November 2023. He allegedly then dumped his wife's remains in a trash bin. The victims were identified as Mei Haskell, her mother, Yanxiang Wang, and her stepfather, Gaoshan Li. The accused had pleaded not guilty to the murder charges and was detained without bail until trial began.
Trending
The accused was supposed to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Monday, two days after he died. TMZ reports stated that the Hollywood agent ran the TV department at the William Morris Talent Agency. Haskell III had reportedly even worked alongside stars like George Clooney, Dolly Parton, and Whoopi Goldberg.
In January 2025, an episode named In The Shadow, was released for a documentary titled Death By Fame. The episode revolved around the story of the accused who reportedly died by suicide on Saturday. The description of the episode, which was the second episode of the third season of the show, read:
"The son of a powerful Hollywood player yearns to escape dad's shadow. However, when a human torso turns up in a dumpster, dark secrets come to light."
The accused's father wasn't the only influential person in his family. Sam's mother, Mary Donnelly Haskell, reportedly won the Miss Mississippi title in 1977. She had acted in movies like Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas, 7th Heaven, and Days of Our Lives.
Exploring the details surrounding the murder allegations made against Sam Haskell Jr.
As mentioned earlier, the allegations against Sam Haskell Jr. date back to November 2023. According to NewsBytes, it all started when a homeless man discovered a dismembered body in a trash bin in Encino. The remains were reportedly found to have belonged to Sam Haskell Jr.'s wife, Mei Haskell.
Later, law enforcement officials claimed that Haskell Jr. had hired a few laborers to discard "heavy black trash bags" from their residence in Tarzana. One of the laborers discovered dismembered remains and happened to call the cops. The accused was captured on footage, discarding some of the bags in the dumpster.
According to the article, when cops reached Sam Haskell Jr.'s residence upon the laborer's complaint, they found no evidence. The dismembered remains were only discovered later by the homeless man. Cops returned to the residence and found evidence after the second search of the home.
Eventually, on November 8, 2023, they detained Haskell Jr. from a nearby shopping mall. At the time of the alleged killings, the couple's three young children were living with them too. Haskell Jr., who was then 35, reportedly appeared shirtless during his first court session since the arrest. He reportedly wore an anti-suicide smock and carried a milk carton while talking to the judge.
In January 2024, Haskell Jr. pleaded not guilty to the triple murder. The judge had reportedly stated that if convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of life without parole. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman noted on Monday, addressing Haskell Jr.'s death. Hochman said:
"Instead of standing before a judge and answering for the crimes he's been charged with, the defendant managed to escape justice. This is one last cruel act by someone who did the most horrific things for reasons we will never entirely know."
Lawyer for the Haskell family claimed that Sam Haskell Jr. took the step to avoid media exposure
NBC News reported that on July 14, Joseph A. Weimortz Jr., a lawyer for the Haskell family, also confirmed in a statement that the accused had died by suicide. According to the lawyer, the accused was not afraid of going to jail, but of the apparent media charades. Weimortz said in the statement:
"In order to avoid more media exposure, he was willing to waive his right to a preliminary hearing. In order to avoid more media exposure, he was willing to waive his right to a jury trial. Ultimately, my client was even willing to take his own life, believing that it would end this terrible chaos."
The lawyer further stated that the Haskell family had been grieving every life lost in this case. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department revealed that detectives went to Twin Towers Correction Facility, receiving reports about an inmate dying, who then turned out to be Haskell Jr.
As of now, no additional details surrounding the case of Sam Haskell Jr.'s death have been revealed.
