Recently obtained video footage allegedly shows a man, suspected to be Samuel Haskell IV, 35, struggling to dispose of a large object reportedly wrapped in plastic in a Encino, California dumpster in broad daylight, TMZ reported Saturday.
The surveillance video may have captured a moment related to a gruesome crime. The video obtained by TMZ apparently shows the man in a parking lot dropping a seemingly heavy object into the dumpster Tuesday. The same dumpster, police later revealed, contained the headless torso of a woman reportedly discovered by a homeless man early Wednesday morning. (RELATED: Parents Arrested After Child’s Body Is Found In Freezer)
Samuel Haskell Jr. Seen Dumping Apparent Body in New Surveillance Video | Click to read more 👇 https://t.co/yDJVaIcAyL
— TMZ (@TMZ) November 12, 2023
Authorities were alerted by a witness who photographed the license plate of an SUV which was reportedly traced back to Samuel Haskell IV’s home, about 3.5 miles away. Haskell was subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder, per Fox News Digital.
The investigation reportedly intensified when detectives allegedly found additional evidence at Haskell’s residence, where he lived with his 37-year-old wife, Mei Haskell, her parents, and their three children, Fox News Digital added. Mei, along with her parents Goashan Li, 72, and Yanxiang Wang, 64, is currently missing.
While positive identification of the body had not been confirmed at the time of publication, investigators reportedly suspect it belongs to Mei, per the outlet. The couple’s three children have been placed in the care of child welfare agents, per the outlet.
Samuel Haskell IV’s father, a prominent figure in Hollywood, was a former Miss America CEO and an Emmy Award-winning producer.
The suspect is currently being held without bond at a Los Angeles jail, according to Fox News Digital. Authorities are searching for a white Volkswagen Tiguan SUV which was reportedly unaccounted for at the time of his arrest, per the outlet. Anyone with information on the case is urged to contact the LAPD.