CA - Maleesa Mooney, 31, found dead in apartment, personal items missing, Skye at Bunker Hill, foul play suspected - Los Angeles, 12 Sept 2023

[Knox]

Right! I feel so stupid for having suggested the clothing were the weapon. It does state that there was some clothing in/around her mouth. I just mean involved in the crime in some form, imo.

Maybe there will be traces of DNA on the clothing and cords? It's weird that there were no marks left, I'd have thought maybe someone did that to move her more easily but in that case, wouldn't there be bruising?

No reason to feel that way at all. I too was thinking she might have been alive when placed in the refrigerator, but remembered what the report said about the ligature marks. I’m just trying to make sense of what we know to see if it may point to something about the murderer. Thanks for posting!

 

[Inthedetails]

I forgot a detail from the police/autopsy reports - the "white charging cables, shoelaces & clothing" used to bind her wrists and ankles, were put on after death. Meaning there was no subcutaneous tissue damage in the ligature marks. However that fits into the fact of what happened to her

I'm thinking the cords were used to "tighten" the bundled body so it would fit in the fridge. Sorry to be graphic. This surely is a gruesome, distressing case.

jmo

 

[Inthedetails]

No reason to feel that way at all. I too was thinking she might have been alive when placed in the refrigerator, but remembered what the report said about the ligature marks. I’m just trying to make sense of what we know to see if it may point to something about the murderer. Thanks for posting!

I'm now wondering if there were more than one murderer? It would be cumbersome to stash the body in the way it was stashed. Of course it could be done by one, and the perp probably had the advantage of time (I'm assuming the murderer wasn't worried about being caught in the act). idk

just thinking aloud, speculating.
jmo

 

[sunflowermomma]

I'm thinking about how her sister said the fridge was gone, but now we know she was placed in the fridge. I'm wondering if the police and detectives removed the fridge and the family did not know the detail about her being inside the fridge at that point when the interview was given, right? Or was her body MOVED in the fridge aka removed from the scene?

 

[ifindedout]

- The next day, a man was seen on video using her key fob to go up the elevator to her apartment, carrying plastic bags, according to the police report.

No mention was made of theft from her apartment, so the only other things I can think of for plastic bags in this situation is to move a body without leaving fingerprints, and perhaps capture spilled blood. ETA: I think she was already dead by that point, the bags weren't to immobilize her.
MOO

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

not a medical professional but when you die, blood can't move because there is no heart beating to pump it. I imagine it drains out from gravity and the ways visceral fluids move naturally, but without the pumping, you're not "bleeding" - i.e., the blood is not really moving. I think that makes sense without being too graphic and also hope a professional weighs in (but that we don't get too bogged down in this detail except as it applies to Maleesa).

 

[fred&edna]

Could she have still been alive when put in the fridge? But couldn't survive her injuries in addition to being restrained and trapped?

jmo

Yes, that was my thinking... she was possibly unconscious due to head injuries when restrained and placed in the refrigerator. Alive but unconscious. ETA: I didn't see previous post @AzPistonsGirl until after my post - but I agree... we may be getting too bogged down with med report details.

I do hope LE finds fingerprints, dna and more evidence to identify/arrest this murderer... AND Maleesa's family sees justice served.

jmo

 

[Ladyotm]

This is a really gruesome crime.
I've also wondered if there was more than one killer. Law enforcement saw a man go into her place after she was last seen. I would imagine they would have also surveillance or any previous comings and goings. Could someone have originally accessed her apartment through another source (balcony, shared attic/ventilation space)?

I believe the food outside the fridge was simply put there to make room for her body. This killer was looking for more time before her body was discovered and concealed her body to avoid any odors.

I didn't read the autopsy report but saw that someone mentioned pelvic injuries. Although her sister reported her pregnant, it wasn't noted in her autopsy nor mentioned by police.Could someone have attacked her for "being pregnant"? Could the murder have been committed because she was "never pregnant" or "no longer pregnant"?

She had only lived in the building a few weeks. I'd like to know the circumstances of her moving in. Did she get money from someone to move, is there any one else on the lease?

Her laptop and phone were stolen. I wonder if any jewelry or other small objects of value were taken. The electronics could have been taken to hide any contacts she's had with others.

I'm still surprised at how comfortable the killer felt going back to her place after the murder. A time line would be helpful. Still don't have a theory on if it was someone she knew.

 

[masquerading]

This case is so horrific I have a few thoughts.

“I just found out through the family [of the guy] she was talking to, they said that they were expecting,” Pauline said, later adding, “She just wanted to be married and have kids and not bother anybody, you know, definitely wanted a family.”

Quoting this, the family must know who Maleesa was with, no? I assume LE has investigated him? I see 2 possibilities as to why she would’ve told the man she was seeing that she was pregnant – either she missed her period and really thought she was (but later it’s mentioned that she’s 2 months along so..?) or she was worried he would leave and faked it. No shame or blame directed at Maleesa here whatsoever, I’m just stating that if she really loved this man/wanted a family so badly, she may have made a bad call and told him she was pregnant so he wouldn’t leave. JMO!

About the cocaine and alcohol, was Maleesa known to use drugs? Obviously that’s something that would probably be kept from family, but maybe she has friends who could weigh in. I guess it doesn’t really matter because IMO whoever murdered Maleesa might’ve used the combination of cocaine and alcohol to control her (forced her to take it maybe? I know it wasn’t an exorbitant amount found in her system, but if she didn’t have any tolerance for cocaine, a little could do a lot).

 

[Knox]

I'm thinking the cords were used to "tighten" the bundled body so it would fit in the fridge. Sorry to be graphic. This surely is a gruesome, distressing case.

jmo

I hear you, the details are not easy to post about. Maleesa was deeply loved by her family, a beautiful young woman - decribed by her family as a "peacemaker, someone who brought everyone together".

I agree with your thought, I viewed the unit she likely rented and the refrigerators are smaller, freezer on top units.

 

[asmi106082]

Bikini joining her neck to her ankles? Are they saying she was tied up with it?
MOO

 

[Knox]

Bikini joining her neck to her ankles? Are they saying she was tied up with it?
MOO

That's what it sounded like to me.

 

[whiterhino]

not a medical professional but when you die, blood can't move because there is no heart beating to pump it. I imagine it drains out from gravity and the ways visceral fluids move naturally, but without the pumping, you're not "bleeding" - i.e., the blood is not really moving. I think that makes sense without being too graphic and also hope a professional weighs in (but that we don't get too bogged down in this detail except as it applies to Maleesa).

The term is Livor Mortis: Livor mortis - Wikipedia

"Livor mortis starts in 20–30 minutes, but is usually not observable by the human eye until two hours after death. The size of the patches increases in the next three to six hours. Fixation will begin to occur during this timeframe, causing the patches to be unaltered due to movement. Maximum lividity will occur between eight and twelve hours after death. Areas of blood pooling in contact with the ground will blanch, or remain white."

Wondering if being inside the fridge would be similar to being in contact with the ground, as is bolded above^ ? The temp from the fridge would slow the flow of blood.

 

[whiterhino]

No reason to feel that way at all. I too was thinking she might have been alive when placed in the refrigerator, but remembered what the report said about the ligature marks. I’m just trying to make sense of what we know to see if it may point to something about the murderer. Thanks for posting!

From what I read, there was some clothing found in/around the area of her mouth. She was also in the fridge which is airtight. Both of those things could lead to suffocation (being smothered with fabric or low oxygen from the seal inside the fridge). Yet the report does not specifically state this as the cause.

Not to be graphic but do we know which way she was bound, like in the front or back? Again not to be graphic but it seems not an ideal point to tie a cord if you're trying to move a body. JMHO.

 

[Knox]

This case is already going quiet. I can only hope that means LAPD has a POI on their radar ...

 

[whiterhino]

This case is already going quiet. I can only hope that means LAPD has a POI on their radar ...

I find it odd that there was someone on the surveillance camera but haven't updated on who it was. Maybe they have something and are working on it.

 

[Knox]

I find it odd that there was someone on the surveillance camera but haven't updated on who it was. Maybe they have something and are working on it.

That’s my hope too.

 

[Knox]

What we know, and still don’t know, about Maleesa Mooney’s murder ...​

KTLA has been doing in-depth original reporting on the murder of model Maleesa Mooney in Los Angeles – Mooney, found dead in her downtown Los Angeles high-rise apartment.

The story is right out of a future Dateline episode.

Police often keep investigations under wraps, and this has been no exception.

Days of requests. Days without answers. How did Mooney die? Should other tenants be concerned?

We heard from people actually moving out of the building because a fellow tenant was murdered and there was a killer on the run.

Mooney’s cause of death was listed as “homicidal violence”… not a shooting or stabbing or blunt force trauma. It’s something one seasoned detective leading the case told me he has NEVER seen in his entire career.

In the days after the murder, Mooney’s family told us about the bright and thriving young woman. They told us another thing as well: that she was pregnant and expecting her first child.

The autopsy report showed otherwise. Mooney wasn’t pregnant. Police aren’t sure why the family said so.

The Medical Examiner is not commenting on the case. So we took the files to a forensic pathologist who does private autopsies. His company 1-800-Autopsy has dealt with dozens of high-profile cases in the past.

Herrera walked through the report with me line by line. His conclusions -not official but based on years of expertise- were that Mooney was the victim of a violent struggle, that this was no stranger who did this, that she was actually still alive at least for a while when the killer hid her inside the refrigerator.

Herrera pointed out that a sexual assault kit was used by investigators examining Mooney. Those results aren’t listed in the autopsy and our follow-up questions to the coroner referred us back to LAPD for the answers.

Going through the autopsy with Herrera got me to notice things I hadn’t before.

Mooney had just moved into the building in August. In fact, she was still moving things in.

What we know, and still don’t know, about Maleesa Mooney’s murder

The City of Angels is rough around the edges. It’s filled with personality, attitude and grit. It’s a big city filled with small neighborhoods and communities. It’s also Hollywood and celebrities a…

ktla.com

Thank you to Pete Wilgoren, KTLA Managing Director of Content & Coverage - for keeping us updated on Maleesa's murder. There is no canned journalism in this article, hopefully Pete continues to follow this case!!

 

[whiterhino]

I am slightly confused as to how Mooneys death was classified. Is it not manner of death versus cause of death?

 

[Inthedetails]

I am slightly confused as to how Mooneys death was classified. Is it not manner of death versus cause of death?

Manner of death can be five things:
Natural
Accident
Suicide
Homicide
Undetermined

Cause of death is what specifically lead to the death. For example, if the manner of death is natural, a cause of death could be heart disease.

If the manner of death was determined to be homicide, then the medical examiner tries to figure out exactly how the person who was murdered actually died - was it strangulation, blunt force trauma, etc.

Or am I misunderstanding your question??

jmo