Prosecutors are shedding new light on the murder of Maleesa Mooney — including the short, intense relationship she shared with the man accused of killing her.
During a Los Angeles court hearing on Thursday, Oct. 16, prosecutors said that Magnus Humphrey, 43, and Mooney, 31, were romantically involved for just five days before her death in September 2023, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Attorneys told the court that Humphrey was introduced to Mooney through his estranged brother. Mooney’s friend, Kiersten Dossett, testified that Humphrey quickly became “obsessive,” frequently referring to the model as “my girl” and “my woman.” Dossett said the couple were rarely apart and that Humphrey even made comments about marrying Mooney.
The Brutal Discovery
Los Angeles Police Department forensic analysts and detectives testified that Mooney’s body was discovered inside her apartment refrigerator. She had been bound with electrical cords and torn fabric from a dress, and a piece of clothing was found shoved several inches into her mouth, per the Times.
Evidence presented in court showed that clumps of Mooney’s hair had been ripped from her scalp and that her body was covered in bruises consistent with being whipped and beaten.
Brice Hunt, a medical examiner with the Los Angeles County coroner’s office, ruled her cause of death as “homicidal violence,” most likely caused by asphyxiation. It remains unclear whether Mooney was alive when she was placed inside the refrigerator.
Deputy District Attorney Antonella Nistorescu described the killing as “a cold, calculated, premeditated act of violence.”
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A Possible Dispute Over Money
While no clear motive has been established, prosecutors suggested that Humphrey and Mooney may have argued about money.
Humphrey’s public defender, Michael Lambrose, argued that the evidence against his client is weak, pointing out that no witnesses saw the murder or any violent behavior between the pair. Lambrose said the DNA only proves that Humphrey had been in Mooney’s apartment and had sex with her — not that he killed her.
“All of the evidence we have to his mental state is that he cared very deeply about this person … that they talked about getting married,” Lambrose told the court, per the Times.
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The Case Moves Forward
At the end of Thursday’s hearing, the judge ruled that there was enough evidence for Humphrey to stand trial for the torture and murder of Maleesa Mooney. Humphrey is eligible for the death penalty, though prosecutors have not yet said whether they plan to seek it.
Authorities said Mooney was last seen alive on Sept. 6, 2023, on surveillance footage from her downtown Los Angeles apartment. Six days later, after her mother requested a welfare check, officers found her body inside her refrigerator.
Mooney had been two months pregnant, her sister Jourdin Pauline previously shared.
In February 2024, the LAPD identified Humphrey — a Hopkins, Minnesota, resident — as the suspect in Mooney’s death. He was later arrested on an unrelated federal narcotics warrant and extradited to California to face charges in the killing.
