Minnesota Man Charged with Killing Los Angeles Model Found in Her Fridge

(ReliableNews.org) – In September 2023, 31-year-old model Maleesa Mooney was found dead in her apartment in downtown Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) stated that police found her while they were conducting a welfare check. The investigation showed Ms. Mooney was murdered. About five months later, police made an arrest.

On February 21, the LAPD issued a news release stating that police arrested 41-year-old Magnus Daniel Humphrey of Minnesota for Mooney’s murder. The notice said the suspect was on federal probation for drug charges, and the LA District Attorney’s Office added murder charges as well. The police said he would be sent back to Los Angeles to stand trial. According to NBC Los Angeles, Humphrey had been in custody since early December 2023.

Sadly, Mooney’s autopsy report showed severe damage to her entire body from blunt-force trauma. Responding police found the model’s body “wedged inside the refrigerator,” with blood spilling out on the floor. She was also reportedly bound and gagged and had cocaine in her system. The coroner’s report confirmed she likely put up a “violent physical” fight before she died. Her official cause of death was “homicidal violence.”

According to Yahoo! News, investigators collected security footage from Mooney’s apartment building, which showed a man using a FOB key to get in the elevator. Police have not yet said if Humphrey knew the victim or given a motive for her murder. Mooney’s sister, Jourdin Pauline, reportedly told Fox News Digital that her sibling was two months pregnant when she died. After her death, the community gathered to honor her with a vigil. Pauline called her sister a “sweet soul” and a “beautiful person” who didn’t deserve to die like she did. She called for “justice.”

The details leading to Humphrey’s arrest are unclear, as is the date of the suspect’s next court appearance.

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