ENCINO, CA – Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) recently confirmed an arrest associated with the shocking discovery of a woman’s torso in an Encino dumpster. The man arrested is Samuel Haskell, 35, who was apprehended at Topanga Mall. Haskell is currently facing a single charge of murder.
Authorities suspect the remains belong to Haskell’s wife, Mei Haskell. However, they emphasized that when dealing with partial remains, it can be more difficult to positively confirm identity. As LAPD homicide detective Efren Guttierez explained, the dismemberment of a murder victim’s body is often an attempt by the perpetrator to hinder identification.
Relations of Mei Haskell, her parents Gaoshan Li, 72, and YanXiang Wang, 64, are currently missing. The couple lived with their daughter and son-in-law at a property located in the 4100 block of Coldstream Terrace in Tarzana.
On Tuesday around 7:30 p.m., the police were alerted to an alarming sighting of a bag, presumably filled with body parts, left outside the Coldstream residence. When officers came to the scene to investigate, however, the suspicious bag had disappeared.
The morbid discovery of the woman’s torso took place the following day, at a distance of five miles from the couple’s home. At around 6:15 a.m., the torso was found by a homeless man searching a dumpster for recyclables in a parking lot near Ventura Boulevard and Rubio Avenue.
Returning to Haskell’s residence later the same day, detectives managed to establish a connection between the home and the tragically discovered torso in the dumpster. They believe that the victim most likely lost her life within the last few days.
As the investigation is ongoing, the LAPD continues to welcome tips and hope that additional insights will be revealed through surveillance videos.