The family and friends of a young woman who was found dead in her downtown Los Angeles apartment held a vigil in her honor on Sunday as investigators continue to look into her death.
Adorned in pink clothing and illuminating the night with candles, loved ones of 31-year-old Maleesa Mooney gathered to remember the realtor.
“Sweet soul. The sweetest person, always willing to help everybody,” one mourner at the vigil said. “She didn’t deserve anything like this. She was a beautiful person.”
Mooney was found dead in her apartment on Tuesday after officers conducted a welfare check on her. Although the coroner’s office did not release a cause of death, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is investigating the case as a homicide.
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“This is heartbreaking,” Mooney’s sister, Jourdin Pauline, said. “I wish I wasn’t here doing this. I wish this wasn’t the case at all.”
After singing songs and saying prayers, mourners released pink balloons into the night’s sky. The theme of the vigil was pink, after Mooney’s favorite color.
“This is something she would have loved, despite the circumstances,” Pauline said. “Her birthday is next month so we’re going to keep this gong because she deserves to be celebrated in every single way. We need justice for my sister.”
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Central Bureau Homicide detectives declined to speak about the case on camera, but they say they believe Mooney was killed inside of her apartment. The investigation is ongoing.
