Following reports that Sam Haskell IV – the man accused of murdering Mei Li Haskell and her parents in 2023 – died by suicide in jail, The Rookie star Shawn Ashmore and his wife Dana released a heartfelt statement honoring their late friend.
“Our hearts are heavy, but we feel some small sense of peace knowing there is finally a bit of closure,” the couple said in a statement to TMZ.
“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 X-Men alum and his wife of thirteen years explained that they were now able to openly discuss Mei Li’s death as the murder case came to a close with Sam’s suicide. The couple has been collaborating with authorities as a representative of Mei Li’s.
Shawn and Dana shared how they befriended Mei Li three years ago after their children met at school in Los Angeles. They remembered her as a caring friend with a love for pickleball and Pokémon cards and recounted a time she gifted a children’s cooking set from China to their kids.
“She was so generous, so kind, so loving. She’s someone that never deserved this,” Dana said.
The murder case
Sam IV was the son of Hollywood executive Sam Haskell III. Authorities charged him with three counts of murder following the tragic deaths of Mei Li, 37, and her parents, 72-year-old Gaoshan Li and 64-year-old Yanxiang Wang, in November 2023.
According to authorities, on November 7, 2023, Sam Haskell IV enlisted four day laborers to remove several large trash bags—one of which, a worker later claimed, appeared to contain body parts. Sam IV was also spotted that same day disposing of another trash bag that was later discovered containing a human torso in it. Through DNA analysis, the remains were identified as belonging to his wife.
Haskell entered a not guilty plea and was facing a potential life sentence without the possibility of parole upon conviction.
“The Haskell family grieves every single life lost in this case. They now respectfully request to be able to mourn in private and welcome your prayers,” shared Sam IV’s attorney, Joseph Weimortz, with People.
Shawn and Dana’s relationship
Dana Wasdin is an assistant director known for her work on Sweet Home Alabama (2002) and The Joneses (2009). The couple officially met while filming Frozen (2010), and began dating.
The couple tied the knot on July 27 2012, with Shawn’s rep confirming the news. For their special day, the newlyweds decided to marry in an intimate ceremony at SmogShoppe on La Cienega Boulevard in LA.
