Man became 'obsessive' with pregnant model found dead and gagged in fridge
Magnus Humphrey had become 'obsessive' about Maleesa Mooney and had made comments about marrying her even though their relationship only lasted five days, a court heard this week
A man accused of murdering a pregnant model who was found bound and gagged in her refrigerator had become "obsessive" despite knowing her for just a few days.
Magnus Humphrey, 43, and Maleesa Mooney, 31, were involved romantically for five days before her death in September 2023 after being introduced by his estranged brother. The victim's friend, Kiersten Dossett, testified at a Los Angeles court hearing on Thursday that the man would say about Maleesa: "That's my girl, that's my woman."
In the five days that they were together, the model and Humphrey rarely were "more than one foot apart", Ms Dossett testified, adding that the alleged killer also made comments about marrying Maleesa. The victim, who attended a family barbecue with Humphrey, was found dead in her refrigerator.
She was two months pregnant when her body was found. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, her body was found bound with electrical cords and fabric from a cheetah-print dress, according to images displayed in court and testimony by LAPD forensic analysts and detectives.
Witnesses said Humphrey allegedly shoved a piece of clothing three inches into her mouth. Evidence presented in court also showed that the victim had clumps of hair removed from her head and bruising on her body, suggesting she had been whipped and beaten.
The model's cause of death was determined to be "homicidal violence" likely caused by asphyxiation, said Brice Hunt, a medical examiner with the Los Angeles County coroner's office. It is unclear whether Maleesa was alive when she was placed in the refrigerator.
Deputy District Attorney Antonella Nistorescu described the murder as "a cold, calculated, premeditated act of violence" at the court hearing. While no motive has been suggested, Ms Nistorescu claimed the paid may have had a dispute over money.
On Thursday, Deputy Public Defender Michael Lambrose denied his client held any responsibility for the killing. He argued that while DNA and video evidence proved Humphrey was at the crime scene and that he had had sex with the victim, that didn't prove he killed 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," he said. By the end of the hearing, a judge ruled there was enough evidence for Humphrey to stand trial for the torture and murder of Maleesa.
The LA Times reported that Humphrey is eligible for the death penalty, but the district attorney's office has not made a decision about whether to seek capital punishment.