She was found inside her own refrigerator — **gagged, bound with cords and clothing**, her body showing signs of a violent struggle. When Los Angeles police entered **Maleesa Mooney’s downtown apartment** on **September 12**, they were responding to a **welfare check request** from her mother, who hadn’t heard from her in several days. What they discovered inside that luxury residence on **South Figueroa Street** was horrific.
The **31-year-old model and real estate agent** had last been seen alive on **September 7**, chatting online and sending shopping links to **Magnus Humphrey**, a man she had met recently and with whom she had developed a quick connection. Surveillance footage captured Humphrey entering and leaving her apartment, and the next day, he was seen **carrying a large black duffel bag** to his vehicle.
When investigators processed the scene, they found **DNA evidence and fingerprints** matching Humphrey inside the apartment and on items used to restrain Mooney. According to the **Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office**, she had been **beaten and strangled** before being stuffed into her refrigerator in an attempt to conceal the crime.
Police said the brutality of the killing indicated a **crime of rage or control**, not random violence. Detectives from the **LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division** tracked Humphrey to another state, where he was arrested and extradited back to California. He is now facing **charges of first-degree murder and torture**.
Maleesa’s death sent shockwaves through Los Angeles’s creative and real estate communities. Friends described her as **vibrant, generous, and full of promise**, someone who was building a successful career while bringing light to everyone around her. Her family has since called for justice, saying no punishment could ever undo the pain of losing her in such a **cruel, senseless act of violence**.
