Timothy Haslett Jr. : “Missouri man charged with murder of woman”

A Missouri man accused of kidnapping a woman and holding her hostage in his basement faces an additional charge related to the murder of another woman whose skeletal remains were found last year in a barrel in a river. Timothy Haslett Jr., 41, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Jaynie Crosdale. Haslett was previously charged with first-degree rape, sodomy, kidnapping, assault, and endangering a child after the unnamed woman he allegedly held hostage escaped from his basement. Investigators believe Crosdale, who is Black, was killed between June 6, 2022, and Oct. 7, 2022.

1. 1. Missouri man charged with murder of second woman

 

1. 1. Alleged basement kidnapper in Missouri now faces murder charges

 

 

The Horrific Crime Uncovered in Excelsior Springs, Missouri

A Missouri man accused of kidnapping a woman and holding her hostage in his basement faces an additional charge related to the murder of another woman whose skeletal remains were found last year in a barrel in a river.

Details Unveiled in the Investigation

At a news conference Tuesday, prosecutors announced that Timothy Haslett Jr., 41, had been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Jaynie Crosdale.

Haslett was previously charged with first-degree rape, sodomy, kidnapping, assault, and endangering a child after the unnamed woman he allegedly held hostage escaped from his basement.

Chilling Discoveries in Excelsior Springs

Investigators believe Crosdale, who is Black, was killed between June 6, 2022, and Oct. 7, 2022, an indictment states. Photos taken from a device belonging to Haslett showed Crosdale inside the basement of his Excelsior Springs home, according to Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson.

The blue barrel Crosdale’s remains were found in also matched other barrels at Haslett’s home, the prosecutor said.

Public Outcry and Investigation Breakthrough

Excelsior Springs police publicly connected Crosdale to the case in January 2023, writing in a Facebook post that they needed help finding her. They believed she was a potential witness who had information about the kidnapping investigation. Crosdale’s remains were discovered last July after kayakers found her body in a barrel in the Missouri River.

A probable cause statement alleges that Haslett told the unidentified Black woman who escaped from his basement in October 2022 that two other victims “didn’t make it.” The surviving victim, who was 22 at the time, ran to neighbors for help and said she had been held captive and assaulted.

Disturbing Testimonies and Allegations

Haslett, who is white, allegedly told the surviving victim that one woman had been killed with a gas mask and the other “died by electrocution” during a sex act, the probable cause states.

The surviving victim said Haslett threatened to suffocate her and put her in a barrel “like the rest of them” if she did not listen to him, it alleges.

Continued Investigation and Speculations

Thompson would not say if Haslett is suspected of other homicides at this time.

“The charges we have right now for the murder of Jaynie Crosdale represent all available charges that are possible considering the facts and evidence that we have,” he said.

Legal Proceedings and Jail Time

Haslett has been in jail since October 2022. His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

The probable case statement, dated July 3, 2024, provides further details on what Thompson called the “brutal and barbaric” torture of the surviving victim.

The Grim Reality of Captivity

The woman was wearing a trash bag, latex lingerie, a metal dog collar with a padlock around her neck, and duct tape when she was found, the document states. She said she had been walking in Kansas City, Missouri, in September 2022 when Haslett approached her and offered her $350 to go to his house.

During the car ride, the woman said Haslett pulled a gun on her, took her cell phones, and forced her to take drugs that caused her to fall asleep, according to the probable cause.

A Brave Escape and Terrifying Ordeal

She said he kept locked restraints on her wrists and ankles and secured her in a “dungeon” in his basement, it alleges. The dungeon had cameras and “things that could be used for torture,” the document states.

The woman told authorities that daily, she was choked, whipped, and sexually assaulted, according to the probable cause. She was fed either peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or ham sandwiches once a day, it says.

The Final Moments of Freedom

Haslett allegedly dressed in women’s lingerie during the assaults and would call the woman his “sex slave,” the document says.

She was able to escape after Haslett left the home to drop his young son off at school, according to the probable cause. The woman said she slipped her arms out of the chains, pulled a keypad off the wall, and heard the basement door unlock.