Death Of Model Found In Downtown Los Angeles Ruled An Accident

LOS ANGELES, CA — A model whose body was found in her Downtown Los Angeles apartment within two days of another slain model from "cocaine and ethanol toxicity," the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said Tuesday.

The death of Nichole Coats has been classified as an "accident." Family members of Coats who found her contend she died a violent death, however, and the discovery of slain model just blocks away just two days later triggered concern that a predator may be preying on beautiful women.

Coats was found dead inside her apartment in the 700 block of Grand Avenue on Sept. 10. Police had conducted a welfare check on the 32-year-old around 10 a.m. that day, but no one responded at her apartment. About two hours later, police were called and someone reported finding a body at the home.

Coats' aunt May Stevens said she found her niece's bloodied body. “I couldn’t recognize her,” she told KTLA. “I believe it was murder, I really do... I feel that there’s a predator loose.”

“I think it was foul play,” Coats' mother Sharon Coats told People magazine. “The police aren’t doing anything. They want to make it seem like there was no foul play. I just don’t buy it. I just want to rule it out.”

Two days after Coats was found dead, another model, 31-year-old Maleesa Mooney, was found dead in her apartment in the 200 block of South Figueroa Street, less than three miles away.
Mooney's cause of death has been listed as "homicidal violence," and her manner of death has been listed as "homicide," the medical examiner's office reported.

Police released few details of the investigations, other than to say that Mooney's death was being investigated as a homicide and Coats' death was "being handled as a death investigation."

"Since both cases remain active investigations, details about either case will not be released," the LAPD said in a statement in September. "However, based on the investigations thus far, there is no evidence to suggest that the deaths of Ms. Coats and Ms. Mooney are related to one another."

No arrests have been reported, police said Tuesday.

Anyone with information on either case was urged to call Dets. Pierce or Marcinek of the LAPD Central Bureau Homicide Division at 213-996-4150, or 877-LAPD-247. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS or go to www.lacrimestoppers.org.h funeral expenses.

Mooney was the sister of Guyanese pop singer Jourdin Pauline, who posted a tribute to her sibling on Instagram shortly after the death.

"My heart is crushed, I can't believe you won't be here with us anymore. You were so loving and so kind to everyone. You made sure if you ate everyone around you was too. You opened your arms to people who didn't deserve you as a friend. You're the best thing to happen to almost everyone's lives you touched!!!"

City News Service contributed to this report.