Timothy Dean, 55, is the second body to be found in Ed Buck’s apartment in the last two years.
While Dean’s death has been ruled accidental by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, it is the second methamphetamine overdose death to occur in Buck’s home. In July 2017, 26-year-old Gemmel Moore’s corpse was the first.
A homicide investigation was opened due to indications that Buck may have supplied Moore with the drugs, but was dropped due to “insufficient evidence.” Despite that, Moore’s mother, LaTisha Nixon, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against multiple parties, including Buck, Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey, and the assistant district attorney.
Nixon claims to have found journal entries by Moore that claim Buck purposely addicted him by injecting the drug into his body. The suit accuses Buck of wrongful death, sexual battery, assault, battery, negligence, civil rights violation, hate violence, and drug dealer liability.
Journalist and activist Jasmyne Cannick publicized the journal, then brought forward a 30,000 signature petition demanding that Buck be indicted. “This lawsuit helps to protect a very vulnerable population of gay black men by exposing details of Buck’s predatory and racially-discriminatory actions against gay black men,” said human rights and criminal defense attorney Nana Gymafi, who serves as co-counsel for Nixon.
Cannick warned that another man would be found dead in Buck’s apartment. Tragically, she was right. Seymour Amster, Buck’s attorney, said that Moore and his defense “categorically deny all allegations of wrongdoing, and look forward to litigating this matter in a court of law.”