The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department is opening an investigation into the drug-related death of a young African-American man last month in the apartment of well-known WeHo political donor and activist Ed Buck.
The investigation, first reported by the Los Angeles Times, follows a call for an investigation by the young man’s mother, who lives in Texas. She has acknowledged that her son has worked as a prostitute and has alleged that Buck hired him and encouraged him to use drugs. The Sheriff’s Department said it is conducting the investigation out of “an abundance of caution.”
Her son, Gemmel “Juelz” Moore, 26, was found dead in Buck’s Laurel Avenue apartment on July 27. A report from the L.A. County Coroner’s Office states that the death was an accident and lists its cause as “methamphetamine use.”
The L.A. Times story quotes a Coroner’s Office spokesman as saying that drug paraphernalia was discovered in Buck’s apartment, contradicting earlier statements that it was not. The Sheriff’s Department recently told WEHOville that it had not investigated the apartment because the Coroner’s Office had found no evidence of illegal activity.
The allegations about Buck have caused a buzz in right-wing media and in West Hollywood political circles.
Locally, Buck, 62, is well-known as an organizer of Fur Free WeHo, a campaign to ban the sale of fur in West Hollywood, and CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING….
I see you have gone from attacking Ryan G of the old WEHO blog that was our only news source for local WEHO news, and Marco C who has become the new only other news source in WEHO, to bring the real facts to light. Your previous piece on this incident was full of side ways jabs at both Ryan and Marco. I’m glad your moving away from using you platform to throw jabs at your competition.
Some facts here – he died on 7/27; the coroner’s report a few days later – which is a government report – said accidental death – the sheriff’s follow up exam is only about two weeks later.
There could be culpability here, and if so should be examined. But anyone who claims this is anything but a pretty rapid, business as usual normal investigation is not being honest or accurate. This all looks professional, and by the books if not possibly even quicker than usual.
This appears sickening on almost every level. The community was recently subjected to the activities of Ms. Rex & Co. with endless smiling faces on Wehoville. Now from the same swamp comes Mr. Friendly Golden Retriever, a proud and prodigious digger of dirt on others. Karma can be an unrelenting opponent.
nothing to see here, look away. this is quintessential west hollywood under belly goings on.
i guess mr. buck was not rich enough to sweep this young man’s death under the rainbow carpet.
wait for the ‘died of natural causes’ overlay.
Finally! The Sheriff Dept. is pushed to investigate an incident that had a very bad smell around it. First, we are told that this young man died from a meth overdose. Supposedly there was no drug paraphernalia found in Buck’s apartment so the case was closed. Nothing to see here, right? Young black man dead in wealthy, well-connected white man’s apartment. Who called 911? How long had this man been dead before someone called 911? How did the Sheriffs think there was no evidence of “illegal activity” — except, of course, there must have been so much meth taken that… Read more »