A 41-year-old man was taken into custody in connection to a model found dead in her Los Angeles residence a few months ago, officials said.
Local police announced on Wednesday that Magnus Daniel Humphrey of Minnesota is facing murder charges for the killing of 31-year-old Maleesa Mooney. In September, officers conducted a wellness check at Mooney’s apartment at the 200 block of South Figueroa Street.
Her family was concerned because she was not responding to their messages. She was last seen a few days before. An autopsy report later revealed that Mooney’s body was severely beaten, tied up, and stuffed into the refrigerator with a gag in her mouth. The real estate agent’s death was labeled as homicidal violence.
“The blunt force traumatic injuries observed at autopsy are generally not considered acutely life-threatening on their own,” the document said, per reports. “However, based on the circumstances of how Ms. Mooney was found, these injuries suggest she was likely involved in a violent physical altercation prior to her death.”
Cocaine and alcohol were also detected in her system. Her sister, Jourdin Pauline, believed the suspects wanted to sell her iPhone and laptop. She also claimed her sibling was pregnant at the time.
“I can’t imagine what my sister went through, and it pains me to even think about it. It’s honestly so stressful,” Pauline said.
Authorities called on the public to identify the suspects in this case. Per the department, Humphrey was arrested at his home for an unrelated federal warrant as he was on probation for narcotics offenses. He is expected to be extradited to Los Angeles and reportedly has a court hearing on Thursday. The link between Humphrey and Mooney was not immediately made available.
According to documents viewed by the New York Post, Humphrey has prior convictions related to false imprisonment gun and sexual assault charges. He was released from prison earlier this month.
