LIBERTY, Mo.– A Missouri man, Timothy M. Haslett, is facing serious charges, including kidnapping, sexual assault, and now, murder. Authorities say they found the remains of a woman in a barrel by the Missouri River, linking her death to Haslett.
This case started getting more attention this week after Haslett was charged with murdering 36-year-old Jaynie Crosdale. Prosecutors believe Haslett killed Crosdale, and police have shared the horrifying details of what another woman said she went through.
Haslett, who is 41 years old, appeared in court on Friday and said he was not guilty. The whole case against him began in October 2022 when a woman told police she had escaped from weeks of torture in Haslett’s locked basement. She had marks on her back from being whipped.
The woman explained that she met Haslett while walking in a Kansas City area known for prostitution. She said Haslett offered her money, and she agreed to go with him to his home. Once she was in his pickup truck, she said he held a gun to her, raped her, and forced her to take drugs.
He then took her to his basement, which police described as a “dungeon” with torture devices, cameras, and restraints. She said he raped and tortured her every day and even cut off her breathing at times. She managed to escape when she thought Haslett was taking his child to school.
When police searched Haslett’s house, they found photos of him with two different women in the basement. They also found more than 100,000 photos and videos on his phone, mostly screenshots from porn sites showing women being choked, masked, and restrained.
The woman who escaped said Haslett told her he had killed two other women he kidnapped: one by suffocating her and another through violent sexual torture. He warned her that if she didn’t listen to him, he would kill her too and put her body in a barrel like the others. Police found maps of the Missouri River on Haslett’s phone, where Crosdale’s body was discovered.
Police had been searching for Crosdale as a potential witness after finding her photos in Haslett’s home. In June 2023, kayakers found a blue 30-gallon barrel with her remains while camping by the river in Saline County. This week, Haslett was charged with first-degree murder for Crosdale’s death.
Before this, Haslett was already facing charges of rape, sodomy, assault, kidnapping, and endangering the welfare of a child. He is being held in the Clay County Detention Center with a $5 million bond. It’s still unclear if there is a third victim. The new charges are based on the evidence police have so far, and Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson said the investigation is ongoing. He asked anyone with information to come forward.
