Man accused of killing missing woman sought as witness in torture 'dungeon' case

A Missouri man accused of torturing a woman he kept locked in his basement “dungeon” is now also charged with killing another woman who was a possible witness in the kidnapping investigation, the Clay County Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday.

Timothy Haslett Jr., 41, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of 36-year-old Jaynie Crosdale, an Excelsior Springs woman whose body was found in a blue barrel in the Missouri River, Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson said at a news conference Tuesday.

Haslett had previously been charged with nine felony counts, including rape, kidnapping and endangering the welfare of a child, according to court records seen by HuffPost.

The case began in October 2022, when an unnamed woman fled Haslett's home and sought help at a nearby house, according to an arrest warrant obtained by HuffPost. Police said she was dressed in a garbage bag and wearing a metal collar with a padlock and duct tape around her neck.

According to the arrest warrant, the woman said she had been held hostage in a nearby house since September.

The woman told police she first encountered Haslett in September when she was walking in Kansas City, Missouri, and he was driving a four-door pickup truck, according to the arrest warrant. Haslett allegedly offered her $350 if she would come home with him, but on the way there he pulled out a gun and sexually assaulted her.

According to the arrest warrant, police in Excelsior Springs, northeast of Kansas City, said the woman was forced to take a narcotic and then fell asleep. When she woke up, Haslett allegedly took her cell phones and held her in a secure room in the basement.

In the arrest warrant, the police referred to this room as a “dungeon.”

The woman described the room to investigators as being equipped with red lights and cameras and “all sorts of things that could be used for torture purposes,” according to a probable cause statement. The woman told officers she was repeatedly tortured in the room and was only given food once a day.

“The physical, psychological and sexual violence is barbaric,” Thompson told reporters at the press conference.

Excelsior Springs police officials said that during her alleged captivity, the woman learned that two other women were being held there and that Haslett said he killed them, according to the warrant. Haslett told the woman that if she didn't listen to him, he would put her in a barrel like the others.

The woman managed to escape by freeing her arms from the chains after hearing Haslett leave the house with his son, the warrant states. Haslett was arrested shortly after speaking with police.

When Haslett's home was searched, several items were found, according to the search warrant, including a black gas mask and large blue barrels. Police said they found several cameras and photographs showing another victim in the “dungeon.”

Thompson told reporters that investigators had seized more than 100,000 media files, one of which showed Crosdale in Haslett's basement. The prosecutor alleged Haslett killed Crosdale between June and October 2022.

A family member of one of the alleged victims reported the incident to police on Jan. 11, 2023, saying they had not heard from their relative since September, the warrant states. Missouri authorities announced that day that Crosdale had been identified as a possible witness in the investigation into Haslett's rape and kidnapping.

According to Thompson and arrest warrant reports, authorities found Crosdale's remains in June 2023 after receiving a call from kayakers who saw a blue barrel similar to those found in Haslett's home.

Thompson told reporters that Crosdale's remains showed injuries consistent with a gunshot wound.

Although the surviving woman told police that Haslett had bragged about killing two other women, Thompson said prosecutors could only charge him with one of the alleged murders based on the evidence available.

An attorney listed as Haslett's representative declined to comment on the case.

According to court records, Haslett has been held at the Clay County Detention Center since his September 2022 arrest in the kidnapping case, with prosecutors seeking $5 million bail.

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