Latest news with #LosAngelesDistrictAttorney'sOffice
CBS News
5 days ago
- CBS News
LA County DA Hochman swears in new victim services K-9s
The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office swore in three new members of the agency's victim services K-9 teams. Three dogs, a Labrador retriever, a poodle and a border collie/poodle mix have been professionally trained to help victims of sexual and physical abuse, domestic violence and human trafficking. While primarily serving children, the K-9s will also support people with disabilities and family members of homicide victims at all of the 14 Los Angeles County courthouses. "These K-9s are heroes of the DA's Office, providing immeasurable strength and support to children and other vulnerable victims as they navigate the criminal justice system in the aftermath of horrific, life-altering crimes," District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. The newest members of the team, Miata, Johnnie and Corbin, are the second generation of dogs specifically trained for this unit. "We extend a heartfelt welcome to Miata, Johnnie and Corbin as they begin their career at LADA, ensuring our office can offer this invaluable service to crime victims for years to come," Hochman said. The K-9 team has supported more than 1,625 victims and witnesses, ranging from 6 to 78 years old, since the program began in 2017. The District Attorney's Office said that 66% of the victims helped by the dogs were children. "These four-legged friends support victims as they provide testimony that has been critical in many successful prosecutions," Hochman said. "Just being able to pet a kind and calming canine can give strength to a witness who stands and testifies in court against their offender."
UPI
15-07-2025
- UPI
Man dies in jail before trial for killing wife, her parents
Samuel Haskell, 37, died by suicide as he awaited trial on charge of killing his wife, Mei Li Haskell, 37, (L) and her parents, Yanxiang Wang, 64, (C) and Gaoshan Li, 71. Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Police Department/ Release July 15 (UPI) -- A 37-year-old California man accused of murdering and dismembering his wife and her parents has died by suicide while in police custody, according to state prosecutors and authorities. Samuel Haskell was found dead in his cell on Saturday, Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement Monday, which was the same day that Haskell was scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing. "Instead of standing before a judge and answering for the crimes he's been charged with, the defendant managed to escape justice," Hochman said. "This is one last cruel act by someone who did the most horrific things for reasons we will never entirely know." Haskell is the son of Emmy-winning film producer and agent Sam Haskell III. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in a statement that detectives responded to the Twin Towers Correctional Facility to at about 4:20 a.m. PST Saturday to investigate Haskell's death. "The cause of death will be determined by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office," it said. Haskell died while facing life in prison without the possibility of parole on three counts of murder for the November 2023 deaths of his 37-year-old wife, Mei Li Haskell, her mother, Yanxiang Wang, 64, and her stepfather, Gaoshan Li, 71. He was arrested Nov. 8 and accused of killing them two days earlier at the Tarzana, Calif., home they all shared. According to the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, the day after his family was killed, he paid day laborers $500 to remove heavy black trash bags from the home. The crime was discovered when the workers opened the bags on leaving the house and saw human body parts. "The workers returned the bags and money to Haskell, took pictures of the defendant, the bags and the front of the residence, then alerted police," the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office said, adding that when officers arrived to perform a welfare check, neither Haskell nor the bags were to be found. That same day, Haskell was seen in surveillance video transferring black bags from a Tesla registered to his wife to a rented SUV, authorities said. At 6 a.m. on Nov. 8, 2023, a person searching through a dumpster in Encino found a trash bag containing the beheaded torso of Mei inside. Haskell was arrested that same day while driving the rented SUV, inside of which police found a loaded .357 revolver, 32 rounds of ammunition, a blood-stained military-style knife, a headlamp, a firearm sight and passports for himself, his wife and their three children. The district attorney's office said a DNA analysis of the blood on the knife matched all three victims. A search of the home uncovered eight trash bags filled with bloody bedding, a large machine saw, a machete, and canes belonging to Yanxiang Wang and Gaoshan Li. Law enforcement searched Haskell's phone and learned that he was having an affair with a 27-year-old woman, whom he had asked on Nov. 2 to accompany him on a trip to Japan. The bodies of Yanxiang Wang and Gaoshan Li have not been found. Haskell was being held on $2 million bail.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Menendez brothers resentencing: Los Angeles DA asks for delay before high-stakes hearing
The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office filed a request late Wednesday to delay Thursday's resentencing hearing for Erik and Lyle Menendez, according to reports. District Attorney Nathan Hochman's office said in the filing that the resentencing hearings, set for Thursday and Friday, should be put on hold until the court obtains copies of comprehensive risk assessments for the brothers that were completed by state prison and parole officers, NBC News reported. California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office told Fox News in response that the comprehensive risk assessment is ongoing and will be completed on June 13, 2025. Per California legal regulations, one component of it has been released to the involved parties for their review 60 days before the clemency hearing and is subject to correction, his office said. Newsom's office said it notified Judge Michael Jesic of the status of this report, which is not a stand-alone risk assessment, and offered to share it with the court if he requests it. It was not immediately clear if the DA's filing would affect Thursday's hearing, which is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. local time. Menendez Brothers' Family Accuses Da Of Violating Victim Protection Law After Showing Graphic Photo In Court The Menendez brothers' discussed their push for freedom, decades after their parents' brutal murders, in a recent interview with TMZ. Read On The Fox News App In the feature, "TMZ Presents: The Menendez Brothers: The Prison Interview," both brothers were interviewed and discussed how prison has changed them and how they envision life outside of prison walls. "We're very hopeful, we've done what we can with the time we've had," Lyle Menendez said in the interview. "Hope for the future is kind of a new thing for us," he continued. The scenes then show a young Erik and Lyle and the grisly crime scene they left behind in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989 after killing their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez. "It was almost the perfect murder," said former Beverly Hills Police Detective Tom Linehan. Now, more than 35 years later, the fate of the brothers lies in the hands of a Los Angeles County judge, who legal experts say will have to answer two simple questions: Do Erik and Lyle pose an unreasonable risk to the public, and does he believe they have rehabilitated? Linehan unequivocally said he would not trust them and what they did was the "worst, most heinous murder case" he has ever seen. Los Angeles Da Slams Menendez Brothers For 'Bunker Of Lies' Ahead Of Fight Against Reduced Sentences "They are two of the most skilled liars and their notary is what sets them apart from other inmates in similar situations," Linehan said. "If things weren't going their way, they could do this again." Hochman has also said he does not agree with the resentencing but is prepared to move forward. Hochman has said that it is up to the court to factor in whether the "lack of acceptance of responsibility for their murderous actions" is enough to decide whether the Menendez brothers pose an unreasonable risk of danger to the community. Menendez Brothers Resentencing: What Happens Next? "Though this pathway to resentencing has been offered to the Menendez brothers, they have chosen to stubbornly remain hunkered down in their over 30-year-old bunker of lies, deceit and denials," Hochman said. However, family and other supporters of the Menendez brothers argued they have paid their dues and have changed. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X A former inmate, rapper X-Rated, who served 18 years with Lyle and Erik, said they do not belong in prison, even claiming his neighbor's dog was more dangerous than the Menendez brothers. He added that they have helped him and many others get out of prison and rehabilitate in society, showing selflessness, knowing they had "no chance" of getting out while they were helping others. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub "The fact they did all this without getting anything in return says a lot," the rapper said. Lyle said that he and Erik have developed a peace and patience that most people would not understand. Erik admitted they were "spoiled brats" and that he suffered from severe insecurity issues. He added that he wants to be an advocate for other sexually abused victims, saying that "no one should have to be trapped" like he was. Both Lyle and Erik Menendez have come forward in documentaries and on social media claiming their father sexually abused them, offering a different narrative of the killings than the story their attorneys told in the 1990s. Watch On Fox Nation: Menendez Brothers: Victims Or Villains? They maintain they killed their parents in self-defense. Their first trial ended in a mistrial, when jurors could not agree on their fate. After a second trial in the mid-1990s, in which some of their evidence about the alleged sexual abuse was excluded, jurors agreed with prosecutors that their motive was greed. If the judge decides to resentence the Menendez brothers, it will then be up to the state parole board to consider their release. SIGN UP TO GET True Crime Newsletter Because they were under 26 years old at the time of the murders, under current California law, new sentences of 50 years to life would immediately make them eligible for a parole hearing. They are already scheduled to appear before the board on June 13 as part of a comprehensive risk assessment report ordered by Newsom, who is considering the brothers' clemency request – a separate potential path out of prison. Fox News' Michael Ruiz and Melissa Chrise contributed to this report. Original article source: Menendez brothers resentencing: Los Angeles DA asks for delay before high-stakes hearing
Fox News
17-04-2025
- Fox News
Menendez brothers resentencing: Los Angeles DA asks for delay before high-stakes hearing
The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office filed a request late Wednesday to delay Thursday's resentencing hearing for Erik and Lyle Menendez, according to reports. District Attorney Nathan Hochman's office said in the filing that the resentencing hearings, set for Thursday and Friday, should be put on hold until the court obtains copies of comprehensive risk assessments for the brothers that were completed by state prison and parole officers, NBC News reported. California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office told Fox News in response that the comprehensive risk assessment is ongoing and will be completed on June 13, 2025. Per California legal regulations, one component of it has been released to the involved parties for their review 60 days before the clemency hearing and is subject to correction, his office said. Newsom's office said it notified Judge Michael Jesic of the status of this report, which is not a stand-alone risk assessment, and offered to share it with the court if he requests it. It was not immediately clear if the DA's filing would affect Thursday's hearing, which is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. local time. The Menendez brothers' discussed their push for freedom, decades after their parents' brutal murders, in a recent interview with TMZ. In the feature, "TMZ Presents: The Menendez Brothers: The Prison Interview," both brothers were interviewed and discussed how prison has changed them and how they envision life outside of prison walls. "We're very hopeful, we've done what we can with the time we've had," Lyle Menendez said in the interview. "Hope for the future is kind of a new thing for us," he continued. The scenes then show a young Erik and Lyle and the grisly crime scene they left behind in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989 after killing their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez. "It was almost the perfect murder," said former Beverly Hills Police Detective Tom Linehan. Now, more than 35 years later, the fate of the brothers lies in the hands of a Los Angeles County judge, who legal experts say will have to answer two simple questions: Do Erik and Lyle pose an unreasonable risk to the public, and does he believe they have rehabilitated? Linehan unequivocally said he would not trust them and what they did was the "worst, most heinous murder case" he has ever seen. "They are two of the most skilled liars and their notary is what sets them apart from other inmates in similar situations," Linehan said. "If things weren't going their way, they could do this again." Hochman has also said he does not agree with the resentencing but is prepared to move forward. Hochman has said that it is up to the court to factor in whether the "lack of acceptance of responsibility for their murderous actions" is enough to decide whether the Menendez brothers pose an unreasonable risk of danger to the community. "Though this pathway to resentencing has been offered to the Menendez brothers, they have chosen to stubbornly remain hunkered down in their over 30-year-old bunker of lies, deceit and denials," Hochman said. However, family and other supporters of the Menendez brothers argued they have paid their dues and have changed. A former inmate, rapper X-Rated, who served 18 years with Lyle and Erik, said they do not belong in prison, even claiming his neighbor's dog was more dangerous than the Menendez brothers. He added that they have helped him and many others get out of prison and rehabilitate in society, showing selflessness, knowing they had "no chance" of getting out while they were helping others. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB "The fact they did all this without getting anything in return says a lot," the rapper said. Lyle said that he and Erik have developed a peace and patience that most people would not understand. Erik admitted they were "spoiled brats" and that he suffered from severe insecurity issues. He added that he wants to be an advocate for other sexually abused victims, saying that "no one should have to be trapped" like he was. Both Lyle and Erik Menendez have come forward in documentaries and on social media claiming their father sexually abused them, offering a different narrative of the killings than the story their attorneys told in the 1990s. They maintain they killed their parents in self-defense. Their first trial ended in a mistrial, when jurors could not agree on their fate. After a second trial in the mid-1990s, in which some of their evidence about the alleged sexual abuse was excluded, jurors agreed with prosecutors that their motive was greed. If the judge decides to resentence the Menendez brothers, it will then be up to the state parole board to consider their release. SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER Because they were under 26 years old at the time of the murders, under current California law, new sentences of 50 years to life would immediately make them eligible for a parole hearing. They are already scheduled to appear before the board on June 13 as part of a comprehensive risk assessment report ordered by Newsom, who is considering the brothers' clemency request – a separate potential path out of prison. Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Yahoo
Menendez brothers' aunt hospitalized after DA shares graphic photos in court: 'There was no warning'
An elderly aunt of Lyle and Erik Menendez is in intensive care after prosecutors showed graphic crime scene images during the brothers' hearing on Friday, according to a spokesperson for the family. The Justice for Erik and Lyle Coalition, a family-led initiative advocating for the release of the brothers, is calling for immediate accountability and oversight following a "disturbing and reckless decision" by the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office during Friday's court hearing that sent Terry Baralt, 85, to the hospital. "We are devastated to share that Terry Baralt has been hospitalized and is in critical condition following the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office's cruel and careless conduct in court," a statement from the family read. "No physical pain has ever kept her from being there for her nephews. But the display put on by the DA's office pushed her past the brink." Baralt, who is Jose Menendez's sister, is battling colon cancer, but traveled from her home in New Jersey to Los Angeles to support her nephews at their hearing, where the family said she was forced to witness graphic images, including her brother's body. Los Angeles Da Slams Menendez Brothers For 'Bunker Of Lies' Ahead Of Fight Against Reduced Sentences "Without notice, prosecutors chose to show a graphic, unredacted image of José's dead body directly in front of us, his surviving family. No one prepared us. There was no warning, no humanity – just shock and pain inflicted on people who have already endured decades of grief," the statement continued. Read On The Fox News App The family spokesperson shared with Fox News Digital that Baralt remains in critical condition at a Los Angeles hospital. The Menendez family has also called for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office to be removed from the case after showing the graphic images, saying their use of the photo violated California's Marsy's Law, which they noted "guarantees victims the right to be treated with fairness and respect for their privacy and dignity, and free from intimidation, harassment, and abuse throughout the criminal justice process." "This wasn't just cruel. It was a clear violation of our rights," the family wrote. "The display was retraumatizing, completely avoidable, and we believe it was intentional. The District Attorney's Office knew what the law required and deliberately chose to ignore it. We are holding them fully responsible for the profound pain we are suffering right now. The shock and heartbreak we feel cannot be put into words." If Menendez Brothers Admit To 'Lies,' Los Angeles Da May Reconsider Resentencing Motion To Free Them: Report Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman's office shared a statement with Fox News Digital saying that prosecutors did not intend to "cause distress or pain" to those in attendance at the hearing. "To the extent that the photographic depiction of this conduct upset any of the Menendez family members present in court, we apologize for not giving prior warning that the conduct would be described in detail not only in words but also through a crime scene photo," Hochman's office wrote. Hochman's office also explained that the Menendez brothers' decision to file a habeas petition in 2023 and a request for clemency and resentencing in 2024 was "certainly going to trigger emotions for all those concerned in a case after staying dormant for over 18 years." "We never intend to cause distress or pain to individuals who attend a court hearing," Hochman's office said. "We understand the nature of the evidence of these heinous double murders was deeply emotional. However, by design, these hearings are intended to be a place where the truth, no matter how painful, is brought to light. That truth starts with the abject brutality and premeditation of the murders themselves." California Gov Newsom Sets Menendez Brothers Parole Board Hearing Date In Bid For Clemency LA County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic handed down a win to the Menendez brothers during Friday's hearing, deciding against withdrawing their petition for a new trial. The decision comes after District Attorney Nathan Hochman told reporters on March 10 that he was seeking to withdraw former District Attorney George Gascon's motion for a resentencing hearing, which he filed days before losing re-election. Resentencing proceedings will continue on April 17 and 18, Jesic said. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X The Menendez brothers and their supporters have been pushing for a resentencing hearing, saying the brothers were unfairly convicted to life in prison in 1996 for murdering their two parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home in 1989. Both Lyle and Erik Menendez have since come forward in documentaries and on social media claiming their father sexually abused them, offering a different narrative of the killings than the story their attorneys told in the 1990s. Menendez Brothers Resentencing: What Happens Next? Hochman previously told ABC News that he would consider resentencing both brothers "sincerely and unequivocally admit, for the first time in over 30 years, the full range of their criminal activity and all the lies that they have told about it." SIGN UP TO GET True Crime Newsletter The district attorney wrote in his motion that he believes the Menendez brothers "have repeatedly lied about the case, their parents, and their interactions with witnesses." GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub Their first trial ended in a mistrial, when jurors couldn't agree on their fate. After a second trial in the mid-1990s, in which some of their evidence about the alleged sexual abuse was excluded, jurors agreed with prosecutors that their motive was greed. Watch On Fox Nation: Menendez Brothers: Victims Or Villains? If the judge decides to resentence the Menendez brothers, it will then be up to the state parole board to consider their release. They are already scheduled to appear before the board on June 13 as part of a comprehensive risk assessment report ordered by California Governor Gavin Newsom, who is considering the brothers' clemency request – a separate potential path out of prison. Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz and Audrey Conklin contributed to this report. Original article source: Menendez brothers' aunt hospitalized after DA shares graphic photos in court: 'There was no warning'
