Dismembered bodies in horror movies too “hard” to watch

News

from Isabel Keane

The California man accused of butchering his wife after her torso was discovered in a dumpster told a friend earlier this year he couldn’t deal with seeing dismembered bodies in horror movies, describing the violence as “difficult” for him to enjoy.

Samuel Haskell IV, 35, who was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of murdering his wife and her parents, sent messages to his former personal trainer on Instagram discussing “The Forever Purge,” a film Haskell described as too difficult for him, according to reports in Instagram, obtained by TMZ.

“The Purge Forever was a little different, fools really get chopped up in Mexico, it’s really hard for me to enjoy a movie about it, I’m devastated by the anarchy of Purge 2,” Haskell wrote to his former personal trainer Troy Piedade.

Piedade, who kept in touch with Haskell through Instagram, characterized him as troubled — but told the publication that he never thought he would commit murder.

Haskell, the son of a powerful Hollywood executive, is accused of stabbing his wife, May Haskell, in their home. He then allegedly hired day laborers to dispose of three garbage bags filled with the evidence, which prosecutors say weighed about 50 pounds each.

The workers returned the bags and their $500 payment after opening them and seeing their contents – disbelieving his claims that they were full of rocks.

Haskell was arrested after a woman’s dismembered torso was found in a dumpster at a mall about five miles from their home.

He was accused of killing his wife, 37, as well as her parents, mother Yanxiang Wang, 64, and father Gaoshan Li, 72, who are missing.

Police are still searching for the remains of Wang and Li, although Haskell has been charged with their murder.

Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman said there was evidence he butchered them in their home, adding, “I don’t need a body to charge with murder.”

Friends described Haskell as “paranoid” before his arrest and said he once pulled a machete on a childhood friend, while those close to May described Haskell as “weird” and had “the same creepy vibe” as Jeffrey Dahmer.

Haskell has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder under special circumstances and is being held without bond.

Meanwhile, his three sons and May are in the custody of his married parents.

His Hollywood executive father has yet to comment on the case.