LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A 32-year-old model named Nichole Coats’s lifeless body has been discovered in her Downtown Los Angeles apartment on September 10.
The incident marks the second of a similar incident as another model named Maleesa Mooney, 31, was also found dead in the same area. The police are investigating Moone’s death as a homicide.
How did Nichole Coats die?
The Los Angeles Police Department said that in order to conduct a welfare check, the deputies went to the Eighth & Grand Apartments on Sept. 10. Coats’s father also went to check on her where they found her lifeless body lying on the bed.
Her father Guy Edward Coats Jr. said to KCAL News, “I went in and I turned the corner, I went over — she's covered up — I went over and touched her and said 'Nicole?,'" before adding, "I touched her arm and she was just like stone,” per CBS News.
Her parents also said that they were in touch only two days ago when she went on a date.
The model lived alone in her Downtown apartment. However, her family is suspicious about the circumstances of her death.
Coats’s cousin, Sheniya Mason said, "It just didn't look right to us.. Didn't look right how she was positioned in the bed,” per ABC 7.
She added to describe, “She was even unrecognizable... as if she'd been beat. They had to (identify) her by her tattoos.”
Coats’s aunt May Stevens said to KTLA News, “I couldn’t recognise her,” before adding the details, “I believe it was murder, I really do. One of her legs was up in the air in a kicking position. That’s not somebody who just laid in their bed and died.”
However, now the investigation is ongoing and LAPD Officer Drake Madison said that as of now he has “no idea” how she died.
He further stated, "We had no knowledge of any kind of homicide or other crime. On that, we couldn't locate anything. Anything may be the case," per Mirror.
Another deputy, Lt Ricardo Lopez of the coroner's office stated that, “The cause of death is deferred so we don’t have any cause of death to give you at this time. That’s subject to change, but at this time, no.”
However, Coats’ family members cannot ignore the similarities between the two deaths taking place within two days of each other in the same neighborhood.
How did Maleesa Mooney die?
On September 12, the 31-year-old Maleesa Mooney’s dead body was found in her apartment in the 200 block of South Figueroa Street. She rented the apartment just a month ago.
Mooney’s family members suspected something wrong happened when her iPhone text messages turned green from blue indicating her phone went offline. Her cousin Bailey Bobb even said that Mooney did not respond to the calls for an entire week.
When the family requested a wellness check, the LAPD deputies found her body in her apartment.
Mooney’s sister is a Guyanese pop star named Jourdin Pauline. Pauline wrote a tribute to her sister on her Instagram and said, “"This feels so surreal I keep waking up crying thinking I’m in a bad dream we will get justice for you my sister I promise you won’t be gone in vain" [sic].
Is there any connection between Nichole Coats and Maleesa Mooneys death?
While the cops are working to find out if there is any relation, they have not yet identified any connection between the two models’ deaths. However, Coats’s family cannot dismiss the similarity.
Linda St. Clair, one of Coats’ aunts, said referring to Mooney’s death, "That scared us all, before adding, "She wasn't far from where Nicole lived and they were the same age bracket and she was a model."
Another aunt of Coats, May Stevens said with conviction, “I just feel in my heart that there's some foul play somewhere," before adding, "Somebody's not saying something. Somebody's not talking."
