The body of the 31-year-old model who was found dead in her apartment building in California was brutally jammed into her refrigerator with a gag made of clothes in her mouth, according to reports.
The grim revelation regarding Maleesa Mooney’s death was reported in the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s autopsy released on Friday, according to documents viewed by People and Fox L.A. Mooney’s body was reportedly severely beaten, with her wrists and ankles bound and tied behind her with electrical cords. Officials determined that her cause of death was homicidal violence.
“The blunt force traumatic injuries observed at autopsy are generally not considered acutely life threatening on their own,” the document said, per People. “However, based on the circumstances of how Ms. Mooney was found, these injuries suggest she was likely involved in violent physical altercation prior to her death.”
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Local police discovered the real estate agent’s remains while conducting a wellness check at her home on Sept. 12. It came after concerns from her family after she was not responding to their messages. She was last seen days before.
In addition, valuables were also taken from Mooney’s apartment, and her sister, Jourdin Pauline, believes the suspects attempted to sell her iPhone and MacBook. Pauline also said that Mooney was pregnant when she died.
“I can’t imagine what my sister went through, and it pains me to even think about it,” Pauline previously told local news. “It’s honestly so stressful. I have thousands and thousands of scenarios in my head of what could have happened because we don’t know. This person is still out there, and the police are not telling us anything.”
The medical examiner said although Mooney had alcohol and cocaine in her body, they are “uncertain” if it contributed to her death, according to the outlets.
News of Mooney’s death came after another model, 32-year-old Nicole Coats, was also found deceased in her apartment two days before. It prompted speculation that the two incidents were connected, but police told the Los Angeles Times that there’s “no evidence” that the cases are related.
