Mother of Gemmel Moore Receives $2 Million in Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Ed Buck
Ed Buck Ordered to Pay $2 Million in Wrongful Death Case
LOS ANGELES—A jury has awarded $2 million to LaTisha Nixon, the mother of Gemmel Moore, who was found dead in Ed Buck’s West Hollywood apartment nearly nine years ago. The decision stemmed from a wrongful death lawsuit against the prominent Democratic donor, who is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence for the overdose deaths of Moore and another man, Timothy Dean.
The case brought Nixon before the court after Buck failed to finalize a settlement agreement with her prior to a scheduled trial in 2024. Nixon’s allegations against Buck included wrongful death, sexual battery, assault, and human trafficking, among others, asserting that he engaged in unlawful conduct that ultimately led to her son’s death.
Buck was convicted in 2021 for providing fatal doses of methamphetamine to both Moore and Dean. During the trial, Buck contended that Moore, his friend and a long-time drug user, voluntarily participated in drug use. "Tragically, Mr. Moore accidentally died during a consensual round of drug use with Mr. Buck," his attorneys argued.
Outside the courthouse, Nixon expressed her emotions regarding the verdict. "I feel vindicated, I feel seen… It sends a signal to the predators that we know are out there," she stated.
The trial revealed a disturbing pattern in Buck’s behavior, showing he targeted young Black men, often vulnerable due to homelessness or addiction, for so-called "party and play" encounters in which he would inject them with drugs, sometimes without their consent. Moore died in July 2017, while Dean died in January 2019.
On July 27, 2021, a jury found Buck guilty of all nine felony counts against him after deliberating for less than a day. Evidence against him included testimonies from over 20 witnesses, detailing instances where they were pressured to allow Buck to inject them with methamphetamine.
Prosecutors framed Buck’s actions as a manifestation of a "fetish" for drugging men until they were incapacitated, a characterization refuted by the defense, which attributed the victims’ deaths to pre-existing medical conditions. Buck chose not to testify in his own defense.
Looking ahead, Buck is also facing a civil trial related to Dane Brown’s estate. Brown, who survived multiple overdoses at Buck’s residence and testified during the criminal trial, was found dead in South Los Angeles in November 2024.
