Shawn Ashmore has spoken out after the murder of his friend Mei Li Haskell, days after the suspect took his own life.
The X-Men star, 45, and his wife Dana, 42, shared a heartbreaking tribute saying their ‘hearts are heavy’ but they do have some closure.
Mei Li, 37, was murdered in her home in Tazana, California, on November 6, 2023, along with her mother Yanxiang Wang, 64, and her stepfather Gaoshan Li, 71.
Sam Haskell IV, the son of a prominent Hollywood executive, was accused of the murders and took his own life on Saturday while awaiting trial.
‘Our hearts are heavy, but we feel some small sense of peace knowing there is finally a bit of closure,’ said Shawn and his wife in a statement.
The couple reportedly helped local police with their investigation, so have not been able to address the case publicly until now.
They continued: ‘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 Boys actor initially met Mei Li in 2022 through their children, who became friends after going to school in the same area.
‘She was so generous, so kind, so loving,’ Dana said to TMZ. ‘She’s someone that never deserved this.’
The outlet reports she was discovered after being dismembered and her body brutally disposed of in the bin. Her parents’ bodies were not found.
Mei Li was a devoted mother as well as an avid pickleball player and loved collecting Pokémon cards, according to the couple.
One memory shared was when she brought a children’s cooking set from China for their kids as a gift.
‘[Mei Li] was more than a friend; she went above and beyond for everyone who had the gift of knowing her. Her love, her laughter, her warmth — she’s deeply missed, and always will be.’
Haskell was found dead in his cell in the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, with TMZ reporting he left behind a note saying he would miss his ‘three best friends’, meaning his sons.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said of the suicide: ‘Instead of standing before a judge and answering for the crimes he’s been charged with, the defendant managed to escape justice.
‘This is one last cruel act by someone who did the most horrific things for reasons we will never entirely know.’
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