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Maleesa Mooney, a 31-year-old model, was found dead in her downtown Los Angeles apartment on September 12, 2023, following a welfare check requested by her mother. The Los Angeles Police Department arrested 41-year-old Magnus Daniel Humphrey as the suspect in the case. The autopsy conducted by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner revealed that Mooney died from "homicidal violence."
Authorities discovered that Maleesa Mooney had been beaten and bound before being placed inside her own refrigerator by the suspect. Humphrey was apprehended in Minnesota on November 3, 2023, on an unrelated federal warrant. At the time of his arrest, he was already on federal probation for narcotics charges, as reported by the People.
The connection between Maleesa Mooney and Humphrey remains undisclosed. Humphrey, now facing murder and torture charges, pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles Superior Court. District Attorney George Gascón expressed the gravity of the crime, stating,
"Ms. Mooney opened her home to this individual with trust, but was repaid with torture and murder. The heinous disregard for Ms. Mooney's life will not go unpunished."
Maleesa Mooney was pregnant at the time of her death
Maleesa Mooney's lifeless body was discovered on September 12, 2023, after her mother initiated a welfare check. She was found stuffed in a refrigerator with her arms and legs bound behind her back, showing signs of blunt force trauma to her face, head, back, and arm. The autopsy report suggested she may have died from asphyxia, but the exact manner of her death was undetermined and labeled as homicidal violence.
Clothing items were found covering her face and neck, with an apparent gag stuffed in her mouth. The New York Post reported that toxicology tests found cocaine and alcohol in Maleesa Mooney's body. Additionally, Mooney, who was two months pregnant, was last seen on surveillance footage at her apartment complex on September 6.
Maleesa Mooney's sister, Jourdin Pauline, 24, shared heartbreaking details about Mooney's anticipation of motherhood:
"She was super excited and I know she really wanted a kid, and it's something that she has always talked about."
Pauline also revealed that Mooney's boyfriend, who has not been named, was "heartbroken" about the incident.
The suspect, Magnus Daniel Humphrey, was arrested in Minnesota with a federal warrant unrelated to the case on November 3, 2023. CBS News reported that he was already on federal probation for offenses related to narcotics. Authorities have not disclosed the relationship between Mooney and Humphrey or the duration of his stay with her, as reported by KTLA.
Magnus Daniel Humphrey faces murder and torture charges in Maleesa Mooney case
California authorities arrested and charged Magnus Daniel Humphrey, who lives in the city of Hopkins, Minnesota, in connection with the murder of model Maleesa Mooney, who was found dead in her Los Angeles apartment last year. On November 3, 2023, Humphrey was arrested in Minneapolis and has since been extradited to Los Angeles.
He has been officially charged with murder and entered a not-guilty plea on one count of murder and one count of torture at his arraignment. He was denied bail and could face a life sentence without parole if convicted, as reported by ABC News.
Humphrey's extensive criminal record spans multiple states. In Illinois, he faced charges in September 1999 for felony battery and aggravated assault, although the case was eventually dropped. Further arrests in 1999 and 2002 involved various drug-related charges, including possession with intent to deliver cannabis.
Mooney's sister, Jourdin Pauline, described Maleesa as "kind, genuine, and loving." She added, "To have someone do what they did to my sister, of that caliber, is sick. It's demented."
The motive for Mooney's murder remains unclear. Humphrey appeared in court for the first time on Thursday, February 22, where he was ordered to remain jailed without bail until his next court appearance on March 7, as reported by the LA Times.
