New Details Revealed About Murder of Maleesa Mooney, the Pregnant Model Who Was Found Bound and Gagged in Her Refrigerator

Prosecutors are sharing more details about Maleesa Mooney's murder — and the connection she had with her alleged killer.

During a Los Angeles court hearing on Thursday, Oct. 16, prosecutors claimed that Magnus Humphrey, 43, and Mooney, 31, were involved romantically for five days before her September 2023 death, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Attorneys said the two were introduced by Humphrey's estranged brother. Mooney's friend, Kiersten Dossett, testified at the hearing that although the pair had only known each other for a few days, Humphrey had become "obsessive."

"That’s my girl, that’s my woman," Humphrey would say about Mooney, her friend testified, adding that in the five days they were together, they rarely were "more than one foot apart." Humphrey also made comments about marrying the model, who attended a family barbecue with him. 

Also at the hearing, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) forensic analysts and detectives testified that Mooney's body was found in a refrigerator. She was bound with electrical cords and fabric from a dress, and a piece of clothing was shoved three inches into her mouth, per the Times.

Additional evidence presented in court on Thursday showed that Mooney had clumps of hair torn from her head, as well as bruising on her body that suggested she had been whipped and beaten.

Brice Hunt, a medical examiner with the Los Angeles County coroner's office, said that Mooney's cause of death was "homicidal violence," probably caused by asphyxiation. Investigators have not said whether Mooney was alive when she was placed in the refrigerator.

Deputy District Attorney Antonella Nistorescu said during the hearing that the murder was "a cold, calculated, premeditated act of violence," the Times reported.

No motive has been suggested, but Nistorescu said that Mooney and Humphrey may have had a dispute over money. 

Magnus Humphrey

Humphrey's public defender, Michael Lambrose, argued that the case against his client is "thin," stating that no one witnessed the killing and no one who knew the two witnessed any aggression from Humphrey toward Mooney.

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Additionally, Lambrose argued that the DNA evidence showed that Humphrey was at the crime scene and that he had had sex with Mooney, but didn't prove he murdered 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 said, per the Times.

By the end of Thursday's hearing, a judge ruled that there was enough evidence for Humphrey to stand trial for the torture and murder of Mooney. The Times reported that Humphrey is eligible for the death penalty, but the Los Angeles district attorney's office has not made a decision about whether they will pursue it.