One woman escaped a ‘dungeon’ beneath a Missouri home, another was killed. Here’s a look at the case

LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man facing trial on kidnapping and sexual assault charges after a woman said she escaped weeks in his captivity was arraigned Friday on a new charge of murder. Authorities say they linked him to the remains of a woman found in a barrel by the Missouri River.

The case against Timothy M. Haslett gained renewed attention this week when the murder charge was filed. Prosecutors say Haslett killed 36-year-old Jaynie Crosdale. At the same time, police accounts have laid out the extent of the brutality the surviving woman described.

Haslett, 41, appeared in court Friday and entered a plea of not guilty.

Here are some details about the case:

What happened?

The case against Haslett emerged in October 2022 after a woman told law enforcement she escaped from weeks of torture in his locked basement, according to a probable cause statement. Police said she bore marks on her back from whippings.

The survivor said 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, the woman told law enforcement that he held a gun to her, raped her and forced her to take narcotics.

He then took her to his basement, which police described as a “dungeon” filled with torture devices, cameras and restraints. She said he raped and tortured her every day, and would cut off her breathing.

She escaped while she believed he was taking his child to school.

Police said they found photos of Haslett and two different women taken inside the dungeon room below his single-story home in Excelsior Springs, about 40 minutes northeast of Kansas City. A search of his phone uncovered more than 100,000 photos and videos, mainly screenshots from porn sites, of women being choked, masked and restrained.

A public defender for Haslett had not responded by Friday evening to multiple emails seeking comment.

What about the murder charge?

The woman who survived said Haslett described killing two other women he previously kidnapped: one by suffocating her, and another who died after violent sexual torture.

He told her “if she did not listen to him, he would suffocate her and put her in a barrel like the rest of ‘them,’” according to the probable cause statement.

Haslett’s phone also had saved maps of the Missouri River, where Crosdale’s body was found.

Authorities said they had been looking for Crosdale as a potential witness in the case after identifying her in photos found at Haslett’s home.

Kayakers in June 2023 found a blue 30-gallon barrel with her remains inside while camping off the river in Saline County, according to police.

Haslett was indicted for first-degree murder in Crosdale’s death this week.

He was previously indicted on one count of rape, four counts of sodomy, two counts of second-degree assault and one count each of kidnapping and endangering the welfare of a child. Haslett is being held in the Clay County Detention Center on $5 million bond.

Here’s what we still don’t know

It’s not clear if there is a third victim. The charges filed this week are based on the evidence authorities currently have, and Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson said the investigation is ongoing. He urged anyone with information to come forward.

“Today’s indictment represents the next step in our pursuit of justice for the victims, the families and our community,” Thompson said Tuesday.

Who was Crosdale?

In an obituary, her family said Crosdale competed in track and field in grade school and “was known for her superior speed in sprints.”

“Her family never stopped looking for her; and although the outcome wasn’t what we prayed for, we found peace in finally being able to properly put her to rest last year,” the family said in a statement. “We find more peace in knowing that we are one step closer to getting her the justice she deserves.”

Family wrote in her obituary that she “accepted Christ at an early age.”

But life was hard for her. She lived on the streets, and struggled with mental illness and drug addiction, said Kris Wade, executive director of The Justice Project KC, who met her through outreach efforts.

She said when she heard Crosdale was missing, she instantly knew she was dead.

“I am really thankful that there will be justice for her and her family,” she said. “That’s the main thing I’m thankful for right now. She was really intelligent, really bright person. She had a lot of issues.”

Thompson says the evidence shows Crosdale was previously arrested for sex work, which was how she and Haslett met.

“In Clay County, regardless of who you are, how much money you have, what the color of your skin is, everyone is entitled to equal protection under the law,” Thompson said Tuesday.