Timothy M. Haslett : “Missouri man indicted for murder in torture case”

A Missouri man accused of keeping a woman hidden in his basement while repeatedly sexually assaulting her has now been indicted for allegedly murdering another woman. Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson announced on Tuesday that Timothy M. Haslett has been charged with murder in connection with the death of 36-year-old Jaynie Crosdale.

Thompson stated that Crosdale was killed “by an act of homicidal violence,” with her remains showing impact wounds consistent with a gunshot. Haslett, who resides in Excelsior Springs, had previously faced charges of rape, sodomy, assault, kidnapping, and endangering the welfare of a child.

Following his arrest in October 2022, Haslett is currently being held in the Clay County Detention Center on a $5 million bond. Public defender Tiffany Leuty, representing Haslett, has not responded to requests for comment from the Associated Press.

The case came to light when a woman managed to escape from Haslett’s locked basement, where she had endured weeks of torture. She fled to a neighbor’s house wearing a trash bag, a padlocked collar around her neck, and duct tape.

According to the survivor, Haslett had lured her to his home with the promise of money, only to hold her at gunpoint, rape her, and force her to consume narcotics. Once in his basement, she was restrained, raped, whipped, tortured, and choked on a daily basis for weeks before managing to escape when Haslett left to take his child to school.

The survivor also revealed that Haslett had confessed to killing two other women he had previously kidnapped, using methods such as suffocation with a gas mask and violent sexual torture. She recounted how Haslett threatened to suffocate her and dispose of her body in a barrel if she did not comply with his demands.

Authorities dedicated significant resources to the case, following over 100 leads and investing more than 1,200 hours in the investigation. Progress was made when kayakers discovered a barrel containing human remains while camping along the Missouri River in Saline County in June 2023.

The remains were later identified as those of Jaynie Crosdale in July 2023. The charges filed against Haslett are based on the current evidence available, with Thompson emphasising that the investigation is ongoing and urging anyone with information to come forward.

Thompson stated, “Today’s indictment represents the next step in our pursuit of justice for the victims, the families, and our community. The physical, psychological, and sexual torture described by the defendant’s surviving victim is brutal and barbaric.”