Actor Shawn Ashmore and his wife have broken their silence on the horrific 2023 murder of their close friend, who was killed by her husband — the son of a top Hollywood executive.
Samuel Bond Haskell IV, who dismembered Mei Li Haskell and her parents two years ago, committed suicide in jail just days before a court hearing related to the case, according to the LA District Attorney’s Office.
Haskell’s death was announced hours before he was due to appear in court Monday for a preliminary hearing in his murder case, officials said.
The suspected killer, 37, appeared to have committed suicide in his cell, with his body discovered Saturday morning.
Now, the “X-Men” star, 45, and his wife Dana Wasdin, 42, have spoken out, telling TMZ that they feel “a bit of closure” following the news of Haskell’s death.
“Our hearts are heavy, but we feel some small sense of peace knowing there is finally a bit of closure,” the pair told the outlet.
“We are mourning the loss of an extraordinary mother, someone who poured her entire heart into her three boys and never stopped putting them first.”
The “Rookie” star had been working alongside authorities as a representative for their friend, the outlet adds. As a result, he and his wife have remained tight-lipped about the case until now.
The couple, who have been married since 2012, struck up a close friendship with Mei Li, 37, three years ago after their children became friends at school.
“She was so generous, so kind, so loving,” Dana told the outlet. “She’s someone that never deserved this.”
Haskell’s father is an Emmy-winning producer and Hollywood agent, serving high-profile clients including George Clooney, Whoopi Goldberg, Dolly Parton and Kathie Lee Gifford.
In 2023, Haskell was accused of murdering Mei Li and her parents, Gaoshan Li, 72, and 64-year-old Yanxiang Wang, at their home in the Los Angeles suburb of Tarzana, where he lived with his wife and three children.
He tossed their dismembered body parts in an Encino trash bin, where his wife’s remains were later discovered, cops said.
The remains of Haskell’s in-laws have never been recovered and his death has deprived their loved ones of discovering the truth about what happened.
All three family members were last seen alive Nov. 6, 2023.
On Nov. 7, Haskell IV allegedly hired four-day laborers to haul off several heavy black plastic trash bags from the six-bedroom home, which are speculated to contain body parts
He allegedly told the workers the 50-pound bags contained rocks, but the suspicious men stopped their truck a block away from his home and made the disturbing discovery.
The day laborers returned the bags and money while Haskell told the crew the bags were filled with Halloween props, according to an interview with KNBC.
Haskell IV was arrested at a shopping mall nearby and was charged with his wife’s and in-laws’ murders on Nov. 8.
