More than two years after the horrific discovery of Maleesa Mooney’s body stuffed inside her own refrigerator in a downtown Los Angeles high-rise, prosecutors have finally peeled back layers of the investigation, revealing a tale of fleeting romance twisted into obsession and brutality. The 31-year-old aspiring model and real estate agent, who was two months pregnant at the time of her death, was found bound, beaten, and gagged on September 12, 2023—her wrists and ankles tied behind her back with electrical cords and scraps of a cheetah-print dress, a cloth gag shoved three inches into her mouth. At a preliminary hearing on October 16, 2025, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, a judge ruled there was sufficient evidence to send accused killer Magnus Humphrey to trial on charges of murder and torture, exposing the Minnesota man’s rapid descent into fixation after just five days of dating the victim.

Mooney’s death, ruled “homicidal violence” likely caused by asphyxiation, has long haunted investigators and her family, who described the scene as “chilling” and “traumatic.” The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) responded to a welfare check at her apartment in the 200 block of South Figueroa Street around 3:54 p.m. that afternoon, prompted by concerned relatives who hadn’t heard from her in over a week. Her sister, Jourdin Pauline, later recounted to reporters how the family first noticed something amiss when Mooney’s iPhone messages shifted from blue to green, signaling a possible change in service or device—initially dismissed as a broken phone. When police finally entered, they found the apartment flooded, the air conditioning blasting, and blood pooling on the floor beneath the refrigerator. Inside, Mooney’s body was crammed into the cramped space, her face and neck wrapped in additional clothing, with signs of blunt force trauma including abrasions, lacerations, contusions, and a fractured rib across her head, neck, torso, arms, and legs.

Toxicology reports from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office revealed traces of cocaine and alcohol in Mooney’s system, though these were not deemed the primary cause of death. Brice Hunt, a medical examiner with the coroner’s office, testified at the recent hearing that the injuries suggested a “violent physical altercation,” but left open whether Mooney was alive when forced into the fridge—a detail that continues to torment her loved ones. “It was honestly so chilling,” Pauline told KTLA in 2023, describing the family’s visit to the apartment days earlier, where building managers barred entry and the carpet appeared ripped up. Mooney had been excited about her new life: fresh from a Miami trip, she’d just moved into the high-rise and celebrated her 31st birthday on August 23, sharing photos of her radiant smile on social media.

The breakthrough in the case came with Humphrey’s arrest in February 2024, but new testimony has painted a clearer, more sinister picture of their brief entanglement. Mooney and Humphrey, 43, met in early September 2023 through his estranged brother, who knew her from real estate circles. What began as a casual connection quickly escalated into an intense, inseparable five-day romance. Mooney’s close friend, Kiersten Dossett, took the stand last week, recounting how Humphrey shadowed the model relentlessly—”never more than one foot apart,” she’d say—declaring her “my girl, my woman” and even floating marriage talk during a family barbecue they attended together. Dossett described Humphrey as “obsessive” from the outset, a red flag Mooney dismissed in the glow of new affection.

Prosecutors allege the obsession curdled into violence around September 7, when Mooney allowed Humphrey to stay in her apartment after he claimed financial woes. Surveillance footage captured her last known sighting alive on September 6, entering the building alone. By September 12, Humphrey had fled to Minnesota, where he was apprehended on an unrelated federal narcotics warrant in Hopkins. Deputy District Attorney Antonella Nistorescu characterized the killing as “a cold, calculated, premeditated act of violence” during the hearing, hinting at a possible dispute over money—Humphrey had reportedly borrowed from Mooney and failed to repay. LAPD forensic analysts presented court exhibits showing the cheetah-print dress fabric used in bindings, sourced from Mooney’s own wardrobe, and electrical cords matching those in her apartment.

Humphrey’s defense attorney, Michael Lambrose, pushed back vigorously, arguing his client was deeply invested in the relationship and denying any role in the murder. “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. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in February 2024, and at the preliminary hearing, the judge—after hours of testimony from detectives, analysts, and Dossett—found probable cause, binding the case over for trial. Humphrey, who remains in custody without bail, faces life without parole if convicted.

The case echoes a darker moment in Los Angeles’ modeling world: Just two days before Mooney’s body was found, 32-year-old model Nichole Coats was discovered dead in her nearby downtown apartment, strangled in what appeared to be a separate homicide. Though no connection was established, the back-to-back tragedies fueled speculation and grief among industry insiders. Mooney, represented by Wilhelmina Models, had appeared in campaigns for brands like Savage X Fenty and was building a portfolio that blended her passions for fashion and real estate. Her family, including five siblings, has channeled their sorrow into advocacy, launching the Maleesa Mooney Foundation to support expectant mothers and raise awareness about domestic violence in budding relationships.

Pauline, Mooney’s sister, spoke publicly after the hearing, her voice steady but laced with unresolved pain. “Maleesa was vibrant, full of life—she was going to be an amazing mom,” she said, holding a photo of her sister beaming in a sunlit photoshoot. A street-side memorial still blooms outside the Figueroa Street building: candles, photos, and notes reading “Forever Our Angel,” a poignant fixture since September 2023.

As the trial looms—potentially in early 2026—this case serves as a stark reminder of the perils lurking in modern dating, where apps and quick connections can accelerate intimacy into isolation. Experts like Dr. Elena Ramirez, a forensic psychologist at UCLA, note that such “love bombing” tactics—intense early affection masking control—are hallmarks of coercive dynamics, especially in transient cities like L.A. “Mooney’s story is tragic because it started with hope,” Ramirez told the Desk. “But obsession unchecked turns deadly.”

Humphrey’s next court date is set for November 2025, where prosecutors vow to present digital evidence, including text messages and financial records, bolstering their narrative of premeditation. For now, the refrigerator in Apartment 346 stands empty, a silent sentinel to a life cut short. Mooney’s family urges the public: “Love should lift you up, not lock you away.” In a city of dreamers, her nightmare endures as a call to vigilance.

The Crime Desk reached out to Humphrey’s legal team and the LAPD for further comment; both declined.