Maleesa Mooney.Photo:Jourdin Pauline/ Instagram
Jourdin Pauline/ Instagram
New details in the death ofMaleesa Marie Mooneywere released Friday.
Mooney, 31, was found dead in her downtown Los Angeles apartment on Sept. 12. She had been beaten and bound before being stuffed into her own refrigerator, according to the autopsy.
Mooney was last seen on video surveillance at her apartment on Sept. 6. Law enforcement officials entered the residence on Sept. 12 after the model’s mother requested awelfare check.
The autopsy also revealed blunt force trauma to parts of her body. Toxicology tests found traces of cocaine and alcohol in her system, according to the autopsy report.
“The blunt force traumatic injuries observed at autopsy are generally not considered acutely life threatening on their own,” the medical examiner wrote in the autopsy report. “However, based on the circumstances of how Ms. Mooney was found, these injuries suggest she was likely involved in violence physical altercation prior to her death.” Therefore, it is “uncertain” what role drugs or alcohol may have played in her death, if any, the report reads.
Maleesa Mooney.Jourdin Pauline Instagram
Jourdin Pauline Instagram
According to the victim’s sister, Jourdin Pauline, Mooney wastwo months pregnant.
“She was super excited and I know she really wanted a kid, and it’s something that she has always talked about,” Pauline, 24, told PEOPLE earlier this month. She also said her late sister’s boyfriend was “heartbroken” about the incident.
Before discussing Mooney’s pregnancy, Pauline said their family did not have many details because of the ongoing investigation.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
“From what we saw at the coroner and mortuary, my sister was in a struggle and it’s devastating. It’s a very monstrous act. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone,” Pauline said. “A lot of things just don’t make sense to us."
She also recalled when her family showed up to Mooney’s apartment after the welfare check.
“It was honestly so chilling,” she said. “I’ve never experienced anything like that before. Different parts of the carpet were ripped up and the refrigerator was gone. Whatever happened that night was very scary and traumatic. I know she was so scared. I just hate to think about it.”
Nichole Coats.GoFundMe
GoFundMe
Mooney was found deceased two days after another model in the downtown L.A. area was found deceased in her apartment. Despite similarities in the two cases, police have saidthey are not related.
On Tuesday, theautopsy report for Nichole Coats, 32, was released. Her body was discovered after her relatives were unable to reach her and requested a welfare check.
Coats died on Sept. 10 from “cocaine and ethanol toxicity,” according to theLos Angeles County Medical Examiner.
source: people.com
