31-year-old Maleesa Mooney was reportedly pregnant when she died, and her death resulted from “homicidal violence.”
According to reports, Mooney was one of two models whose body was found in a luxury apartment in Los Angeles, prompting concerns about potential homicides.
The LA County Medical Examiner’s Office has since updated the initial “deferred” classification for the cause of her death to “homicidal violence,” now designated as “Cause A.”
“Other significant conditions” were also cited in the official report.
According to Mooney’s sister, Jourdin Pauline, the cause of death was likely marked as “deferred” because she was severely beaten, making it hard to determine the exact cause of death.
Pauline disclosed that her sister was two months pregnant at the time of her death and had a strong desire to become a mother.
“I can’t imagine what my sister went through, and it pains me to even think about it,” she told KTLA.
Mooney was found dead in her South Figueroa Street apartment on September 12, and another model, Nichole Coats, aged 32, was discovered deceased two days earlier in her South Grand Avenue apartment. Coats’ death is not considered a homicide.
Police say there is no evidence linking the two deaths despite their similarities in careers and the proximity of the residences.
So far, Mooney’s family has received limited information from the ongoing investigation, which has not led to any arrests.
“It’s honestly so stressful,” Pauline told the outlet. “I have thousands and thousands of scenarios in my head of what could have happened because we don’t know.”
She said she is still frustrated with the prolonged wait for information.
“This person is still out there, and the police are not telling us anything,” she told KTLA. “What is the holdup? What did the guys see? Can you share it with us? Suspects? Surveillance video that you do have? Show us something, tell us something so we can look out for it.”
On Thursday, Nichole Coats’ mother, Sharon Coats, expressed anger with the police for not investigating her daughter’s death as a homicide and ruling out foul play.
Sharon Coats found it impossible to believe the Medical Examiner’s Office’s statement that Nichole had been dead for three to five days before her body was discovered because she had seen her daughter alive just two days earlier.
“It’s like they don’t care. I’m not going to let this be a cold case. I will keep voicing my opinion regarding what happened,” she said.
Coats’ family has not received updates from investigators since her death.
