Who was Samuel Haskell? Hollywood agent's son dies in jail days before his trial 

Samuel Haskell IV, the incarcerated son of Hollywood talent agent and Emmy-winning producer Sam Haskell III, committed suicide two days before his scheduled court date.

He was accused of a 2023 triple murder of his late wife and her parents. Samuel had three counts of murder charges on him, along with the special circumstance allegation of multiple murders.

The 37-year-old was found dead inside his cell around 4:20 a.m. Saturday, July 12, at Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles. According to The New York Times, detectives with the LA County Sheriff's Department's homicide bureau were summoned to investigate the death.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office revealed in a press release Monday that Samuel would have been sentenced to life without the possibility of parole had he appeared for his preliminary court hearing on Monday.

DA Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement:

"Instead of standing before a judge and answering for the crimes he's been charged with, the defendant managed to escape justice."

Hochman condemned Samuel's act of ending his life, calling it "cruel". He expressed his despair that the alleged victim's family would never learn what drove Samuel to commit the purported murders. Hochman added:

"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."

Samuel Haskell had pleaded not guilty to the charges against him before his death. However, Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman, a prosecutor on the case, hoped for Samuel to plead guilty on Monday to avoid a trial.

Per NBC News Los Angeles, sources claimed Samuel left a suicide note, details of which had not been shared. The 37-year-old was reportedly under "moderate monitoring" due to his self-harming tendencies. He was also seen in an anti-suicide smock in his previous court hearings.

Samuel's father, Sam Haskell, was William Morris Agency's executive vice president in the 1990s. He worked as an agent for several A-listers, including George Clooney, Whoopi Goldberg, Kathie Lee Gifford, Dolly Parton, and others.

Sam Haskell also produced some series and movies made about Dolly Parton. He also served as the CEO of the Miss America Organization, a position he stepped down from in 2017.

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Samuel Haskell was arrested in 2023

In November 2023, Samuel Haskell was arrested on suspicion of murdering his 37-year-old wife, Mei Haskell, her 64-year-old mother, Yanxiang Wang, and her 71-year-old stepfather, Gaoshan Li. He was accused of dismembering them in their Tarzana home.

According to the press release from the LA County DA Office, Samuel committed the alleged crime on November 6, 2023. He hired some day laborers for $500 to dispose of multiple heavy black plastic bags from his home. However, upon finding human body parts after untying the bags, they took photos and informed the police.

Samuel Haskel initially fled his house after law enforcement officials were alerted. A surveillance video in Encino later captured him unloading the wastebags from his Tesla and throwing them into a dumpster.

Another surveillance camera on November 7 caught Samuel Haskell loading more plastic bags from his Tesla into an SUV and driving the rented car away. Investigators later found his Tesla near an Airbnb where Samuel was hiding with his three kids.

Samuel Haskell was arrested on November 8, 2023. During the investigation, officials found out that Samuel was involved in an affair with a 27-year-old woman. He was planning to go on a trip to Japan with her.

Edited by Bharath S