New details emerge in murder of L.A. model found stuffed inside her own refrigerator

"Magnus Humphrey had known Maleesa Mooney only for a few days, but the Minnesota man had already become "obsessive" about the model, who lived in a downtown L.A. apartment. "That's my girl, that's my woman," he would say about Mooney during the five days they spent together in September 2023, according to her friend, Kiersten Dossett. The two were rarely "more than one foot apart," she said. Humphrey made comments about marrying Mooney, 31, who joined him at a family barbecue during their weeklong relationship."

"A clearer picture of Mooney's final days emerged over the last week in a downtown L.A. courtroom, where prosecutors displayed a series of gruesome images and put forth witnesses who suggested that confusion about the nature of her and Humphrey's brief relationship may have played a role in her killing. A judge ruled Thursday there was enough evidence for Humphrey, 43, to stand trial for torturing and murdering Mooney, who was two months pregnant when her body was found."

"Her body was 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. Humphrey allegedly shoved a piece of clothing three inches into her mouth, the witnesses said. Mooney's cause of death was determined to be "homicidal violence" likely caused by asphyxiation, according to Brice Hunt, a medical examiner with the Los Angeles County coroner's office."

Maleesa Mooney, a 31-year-old model who was two months pregnant, was found bound and gagged inside her refrigerator. Magnus Humphrey, 43, had a brief, intense relationship with Mooney days before her death and exhibited obsessive behavior. Law enforcement presented gruesome images and testimony showing Mooney was bound with electrical cords and fabric and had clothing shoved into her mouth. A medical examiner determined the cause of death as homicidal violence likely from asphyxiation. A judge ruled there is enough evidence for Humphrey to stand trial for torture and murder.

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