Model found bound, beaten, gagged and wedged in a refrigerator in her downtown LA apartment has ‘no apparent cause of death’ – despite medical examiner saying she died of ‘homicidal violence’

The death of a Los Angeles model found beaten, bound, gagged and pinned in a refrigerator remains a mystery, the LAPD’s lead detective said, after an autopsy revealed no apparent cause of death.

Maleesa Mooney, 31, was found dead in her home on September 12. Her family called the police after not hearing from her for a week.

The medical examiner concluded on October 5 that she died from “homicidal violence,” but could not specify exactly how she died.

David Marcinek, lead LAPD detective on the case, told KTL that he has never been involved in a murder in which the coroner listed ‘homicidal violence’ as the cause of death.

David Marcinek, the LAPD’s lead detective on the case, said he had never worked a case where “homicidal violence” was the cause of death

The report calls her death “homicidal violence” and reveals “blunt traumatic injuries” to her body, with traces of cocaine and alcohol found by toxicology tests.

Marcinek said they believe she died from the “totality” of her injuries.

She had cocaine and alcohol in her system when she died, but her sister’s claim that she was pregnant at the time was refuted by the coroner.

Marcinek said the team has received many tips and reviewed security camera footage, but no arrests have been made so far.

He would not say whether they have identified a person of interest, but said it was an isolated incident.

The preliminary investigation found no signs of forced entry and it remains unclear whether Mooney knew the killer or how they entered the building.

Mooney’s sister, Jourdine Pauline, said she died after a “struggle,” and that her death was not quick.

She said NewsNation: ‘She was confused, both her ankles were broken… her hands, her legs.

‘These are very gruesome details. She was definitely confused. It didn’t happen that quickly.’

The medical examiner said they cannot determine “what role, if any, drugs or alcohol played in her death.”

But they said the blows she received were not enough to kill her.

“The traumatic blunt force injuries observed at autopsy are generally not considered acutely life-threatening in themselves,” the medical examiner wrote.

“However, based on the circumstances under which Ms. Mooney was found, these injuries indicate that she was likely involved in a physical altercation prior to her death.”

The model was last seen on September 6: her body was found on September 12

Jourdin Pauline, her pop star sister, who has 1.3 million followers on Instagram, said she recently found out her sister was expecting a child, but the coroner said she was not pregnant

Mooney pictured with a friend. She was apparently beaten so severely that the funeral director cried and told the family that it was too traumatic for them to look at the body.

Mooney was last seen on surveillance footage at her Skye apartment on Bunker Hill on September 6.

Her concerned family requested a welfare check.

Mooney worked as a real estate agent at the Beverly Hills-based agency Nest Seekers and had moved into her new home only a month before her death, her family said.

The family knew something was wrong when iPhone text conversations with Mooney changed from blue to green, indicating a change in Wi-Fi and data services.

“When a week went by, we just knew something was wrong,” Bailey Babb, Mooney’s cousin, told KTLA

“Her messages weren’t getting through and we knew something was going on because we all have a special relationship with Maleesa,” Babb said.

Mooney was reportedly beaten so severely that the funeral director cried and told the family it was too traumatic for them to look at the body, Pauline said.

“All I know is that it was a torturous act,” she added.

“They (the suspect) did multiple things to her body, you know? The police cannot even determine what exactly took her.

“Why would anyone do this to her, you know?

‘It’s just really a mess. We just have to find the people who want to do this. What did my sister do to deserve that?’