DAs decision paves the way for the victims of prominent Democratic donor Ed Buck to safely provide statements to homicide detectives
Los Angeles, CA - Thursday, human rights attorney and legal consultant Nana Gyamfi announced that several victims have been granted immunity from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office in the Gemmel Moore homicide investigation. The announcement of immunity paves the way for the victims of prominent Democratic donor Ed Buck to safely provide statements to homicide detectives that may implicate Buck in the July 27 accidental methamphetamine overdose death of Gemmel Moore as well as other crimes against young Black gay men. Since the news of Moore’s death broke, several men have come forward recounting stories about Buck who they say has a Tuskegee Experiment like fetish which includes shooting drugs into young Black men that he picks up off the street or via dating hookup websites.
“We are pleased that the district attorney has finally provided a binding written agreement of immunity,” said attorney Nana Gyamfi. “Gemmel Moore’s family along with the community who helped pushed for immunity, expect that the information provided by these victims will be used to pursue criminal charges against Ed Buck for the murder of Gemmel as well as other sex, drug and related violent crimes against Black gay men. We also hope that the granting of immunity will encourage other victims of Ed Buck’s to step forward out of the shadows without fear of being prosecuted for doing what they’ve done to survive.”
“I’m crying tears of joy through this pain and heartache,” said LaTisha Nixon, mother of Gemmel Moore. “I’m so happy that the district attorney has granted immunity to these young men. I’m proud of everyone who has come forward to share their story with the police in the quest for justice for my son.”
Over the next week, Attorney Gyamfi will work with each victim to go in and meet with homicide detectives to give their statement.
26-year-old Gemmel Moore died of an accidental methamphetamine overdose on July 27 in the West Hollywood home of prominent Democratic donor Ed Buck. Moore was a Black gay male who worked as an escort. His death, was immediately classified as an accidental methamphetamine overdose by the coroner, but now the Sheriff’s Department’s homicide bureau is taking a closer look after his personal journal was published. In addition, numerous young Black gay men have stepped forward making allegations against Buck recounting similar stories about a man who they say has a Tuskegee Experiment like fetish which includes shooting drugs into young Black men that he picks up off the street or via dating hookup websites. Buck has been accused of being a sexual predator, kidnapping, forced drug use, injecting unconscious Black gay men with crystal meth, filing false police reports to cover his crimes, coercion and pimping and pandering by his victims.
In his journal, Moore wrote, “I honestly don’t know what to do. I’ve become addicted to drugs and the worst one at that,” a December entry reads. “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 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?”
His last entry, dated Dec. 3, 2016, reads: “If it didn’t hurt so bad, I’d kill myself, but I’ll let Ed Buck do it for now.
In online ads soliciting young Black gay men, Buck has referred to them as being a “6-foot” n-word. On his Facebook page, he joked with friends using the n-word.
“Just because he's rich, wealthy, well connected and white and his victims don't have rich parents, aren't white females, or girls trafficked in from other countries does not make them any less of a victim,” said Jerome Kitchen, a Black gay activist. “They deserve the same money, time, resources and protection given to women victimized in similar situations. Gemmel deserves a voice and his mother deserves to know what happened. The other victims who just happen to be young black gay male victims deserve just as much sympathy compassion and support as any other victim would receive a matter like this.”
Buck has given hundreds of thousands of dollars of Democratic causes and candidates over the years, including Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey. His Facebook page boasts dozens of photos of him with everyone from presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to Governor Jerry Brown, Los Angeles County Democratic Party and California Democratic Party chairman Eric Bauman and even Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
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