While it has remained a quiet topic in West Hollywood of late, the death of Gemmel Moore is back in the national and international news.
“He gave me my first injection of crystal meth” is the lead-in to the headline of a story on the U.K.’s Daily Mail website, referring to an allegation about Ed Buck, a prominent Democratic Party donor who lives in West Hollywood.
“Justice for Gemmel Moore? Family wants answers in escort’s death at Dem donor’s home” is the headline on FoxNews.com.
The Daily Mail is the United Kingdom’s second most popular newspaper, with 1.4 million subscribers. FoxNews.com is said to rank in 41 in an analysis of the most heavily trafficked websites in the United States.
The focus of both stories is the progress of the L.A. Sheriff’s Department’s investigation into the cause of Moore’s death. Moore, 26, is an African-American sex worker who was found dead on July 27 in the Laurel Avenue apartment of Buck, a prosperous 64-year-old white man. The L.A. County Coroner’s Office ruled the death an accident related to an overdose of methamphetamine, a highly addictive and dangerous drug.
Supporters of Moore and members of his family have complained about the length of the investigation, which began in August. That’s when the Sheriff’s Department agreed to take a look into the incident after complaints from Moore’s family and West Hollywood City Councilmember Lindsey Horvath and L.A. City Councilmember Mike Bonin. Jasmyne Cannick, a a writer and media commentator on political, race and social issues who has worked with Moore’s family, has presented evidence from other young black men alleging that Buck paid them to come to his apartment and do drugs and engage in sexual activity.
Fox News interviewed Lt. Joe Mendoza, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office homicide bureau, who said “We don’t want to move forward with anything else without every single piece of information.”
Mendoza noted that investigators “worked with the district attorney’s office to give immunity to witnesses for unrelated minor crimes so they can speak freely,” which had been demanded by Moore’s family and Bonin and Horvath. He said they already have interviewed a number of witnesses and are trying to get access to others who may have had encounters with Buck.
“We’re just in a holding pattern until we can get those people interviewed.”
Mendoza said the investigators will turn over their findings to the district attorney or perhaps a grand jury once their work is complete.
The Daily Mirror reported on the coroner’s report, which said drug-related materials were found in Buck’s apartment and focused on statements from Moore’s diary, which was found in Buck’s apartment and turned over to his family by investigators.
“‘I honestly don’t know what to do. I’ve become addicted to drugs and the worst one at that,” reads a December 2016 entry in the diary.
‘Ed Buck is the one to thank. He gave me my first injection of crystal meth it was very painful, but after all the troubles, I became addicted to the pain and fetish/fantasy.’
‘My life is at an alltime [sic] high right now & I mean that from all ways. I ended up back at Buck [sic] house again and got munipulated [sic] into slamming (injecting drugs) again. I even went to the point where I was forced to doing 4 within a 2day [sic] period. This man is crazy and its [sic] sad. Will I ever get help?’
‘If it didn’t hurt so bad, I’d kill myself, but I’ll let Ed Buck do it for now.'”
The Daily Mirror story also focused on Buck’s donations to Democratic Party candidates, who include Hillary Clinton, Gov. Jerry Brown, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and all members of the West Hollywood City Council except for Horvath.
Advocates for Moore’s family have demanded that recipients of donations from Buck give that money to a fund called Justice for 4 Gemmel Moore.
Cannick and Nana Gyamfi, a lawyer also working for Moore’s family, stated in a recent press release that “to date Congressmember Karen Bass has returned her money in addition to Democratic attorney and Congressional candidate Bryan Caforio. Stonewall Democratic Club returned some of the money Buck gave to them and West Hollywood Councilmember John D’Amico returned $25 of the thousands he received from Buck.”
Supporters of Moore have criticized State Sen. Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) is being criticized for not giving his donations from Buck to the Justice for Gemmel fund and instead giving the money to a non-profit organization focused on the Sacramento area.
As he has in the past, Ed Buck’s attorney denied to Fox and the Daily Mirror that Buck was complicit in Moore’s death.
“These are merely accusations. This situation has turned into an attack on Mr. Buck’s personal life,” Amster told Fox News.
Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on websites
Randy,
In fact, I do know a great deal about the legal system. This case would never reach a Courthouse. The people sued would tell all the family needs to know in a deposition which is not in court. If they have nothing to hide, they would be happy to answer questions under oath. If you want justice, you would agree that the City Council members who received money be Deposed.
I think the Ed Buck matter will be a major election issue and quite possibly “clean house” in City Council which will improve the image, integrity and credibility of the City Leadership which is desperately needed.
It certainly will be. I’ve heard of a group who fill focus on this issue with Democrats who haven’t returned the contributions. They have already raised $25,000 to make this happen. First, they will be focusing on Democrats in California but a sub-text will be WEHO since it gets so much media attention. D’Amico and Meister should be prepared for the worse. While D’Amico would have to return thousands, probably already spent on drinks at the Abbey, ol Meister only has to come up with $2,000 bucks to return to Ed Bucks. Maybe that’s gone on cleaning up Homeless feces… Read more »
Randy, Your naivety is charming, but yes it is very possible that City Council members are covering it up. Sue anyone of them who received money and the truth will come out. Same goes for the Detectives who handled the case and if you want to hit the motherload, sue Ed Buck himself. If no one did anything wrong, they would be happy to answer questions under oath with the penalty of perjury.
My naivety is charming? You have to do more than name in them in a lawsuit for taking campaign contributions for the “truth to come out.” There has to be some evidence of a cover up. Getting them up on the witness stand might not reveal a thing. I think our litigious society is out of control. Of course, I want justice for this young man’s family, as much as can be had in a civil case. But to simply call every Councilmember to the stand because he or she took a campaign donation? Like that, in itself, makes them… Read more »
erik, who is “everybody involved?” Are you implying some sort of cover up by city officials? Just because they took campaign donations does not make them complicit in this young man’s death. It doesn’t make them know what happened in that apartment that night. It doesn’t mean they knew Buck was involved in this type of activity. People hold secrets, and there are plenty of functional drug addicts out there. I, myself, have been surprised by people I later found out were closet crystal addicts. I think the Sheriff’s department messed up big time, by not charging him with possession,… Read more »
This story is getting very old. Unless the Family files a lawsuit, nothing will ever be done. I’m beginning to believe they don’t want anything done. A lawsuit is very powerful. The Discovery process will start immediately .Sue any one of the people involved they will rip the case wide open in depositions and discovery. Then sue everyone involved. File a lawsuit or move on. I compassionately wish the family the best, but know what it will take and they are not doing it.
It would be wise for the advocates on behalf of Gemmel Moore’s family to get themselves in the right lane and on to the straight and narrow pronto. Funds should return to the source, they cannot redirect according to the family’s personal sense of ethics. Some knowledgeable, altruistic soul needs to drive this effort as it will be a monster. To Alison: no one has convicted EB in the media, the story is leaking out as it is. He personally set all the forces in motion long ago putting himself and others at risk with highly toxic, irresponsible behavior on… Read more »
It seems that the Democrats failed the warnings that Milo or Fox would pick this up re the Ed Buck scandal. DeLeon lying was problem the trigger. http://anti-elite.com/__trashed-2/ By not returning the campaign donations, the political hacks will be the subject of racisim and an obvious Democra party coverup that didn’t work. So when are the four council members In West Hollywood going to return their donation? Or have they already spent it? Meister and Heilman just have to fork up a couple of thousand but for Duran and D’Amico its big bucks. Like over $50,000. Is it time to… Read more »
It seems the family and friends of Mr. Moore have already convicted EB in the media. DEMANDING politicians to return donations, not to Mr. Buck, but to a fund for Mr. Moore is disingenuous. Personally, I believe that nobody can force another, unless at gunpoint, to take drugs.
No small feat being even more sleazy than Ed Buck but Fox News and UK Daily Mail have once again proven that it can be done.
Potentially lethal for anyone even tangentially attached through the long arm of campaign donations. Failure to return said donations before the dam breaks, has broken or is breaking will prove to be a HUGE miscalculation and will undoubtedly be used to diminish the Democratic Party. Anyone that had their antennae down upon ever meeting EB will wish they hadn’t. Toxic is as Toxic does.