Pregnant Model Maleesa Mooney's Cause of Death Revealed

Model Maleesa Mooney, the sister to Guyanese pop star Jourdin Pauline, was found dead in her downtown Los Angeles apartment on Sept. 12. She was 31.

By Gabrielle Chung Oct 05, 2023 8:00 PMTags
Watch: Model Maleesa Mooney's Cause of Death Revealed

More details surrounding Maleesa Mooney's mysterious death have emerged.

Nearly a month after the 31-year-old's body was found inside her Los Angeles apartment, the L.A. County Department of Medical Examiner has ruled that she died from homicidal violence. Her case file, which was reviewed by E! News, also lists "other significant conditions" under her cause of death.

A model and a real estate agent, Maleesa was two months pregnant when she died, according to her sister, Guyanese pop star Jourdin Pauline.

"I can't imagine what my sister went through," Jourdin told KTLA Oct. 4, "and it pains me to even think about it."

Officers were called to perform a welfare check on Maleesa at residence in the downtown area around 3:54 p.m. Sept. 12, per the Los Angeles Police Department. Her cousin, Bailey Babb previously said that family members contacted the police expressing their concerns for Maleesa's wellbeing after noticing that she had abruptly dropped all communication.

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"When a week went by, we just knew something was off," Bailey told KTLA last month. "Her messages weren't delivering and we knew something was up because we all have a special relationship with Maleesa."

An arrest has not been made and an investigation is ongoing.

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Maleesa's friends and family are now "fighting for justice," according to a GoFundMe campaign set up on behalf of her mom Margaret McDonald. "Even though she was taken in a vicious, senseless and heinous way," the fundraiser's description read, "we would like to remember Maleesa in all of the glorious ways God divinely made her to be."

The message continued, "Maleesa was an extremely sweet and generous soul. She saw the good in everyone and lit up every room she entered. Maleesa was just as smart as she was beautiful and had one of the most compassionate and giving hearts you'd ever meet."

Mooney's body was discovered two days after fellow model Nichole Coats was also found dead in her downtown L.A. apartment. However, according to NBC News, investigators believe the two cases are unrelated.

Police are asking those with information connected to Maleesa's murder to contact LAPD detectives Pierce or Marcinek at 213-996-4150, or to submit an anonymous tip online or by calling 1-800-222-8477.

(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)

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