The Wild, Horrific Murder of Stephanie Moseley

Horrific details are still emerging about the death of Stephanie Moseley, an actress, dancer and choreographer whose husband Earl Hayes murdered her before killing himself, in a domestic violence incident that turned fatal. What further complicates the case is the involvement of Floyd Mayweather, a known domestic abuser.

News broke on Monday afternoon that Hayes killed his wife and then himself after allegedly discovering that Moseley had been cheating on him. L.A. police (the SWAT team was also called) found both of them shot to death in their Fairfax apartment—Moseley in the bathtub and Hayes in the bedroom.

Reports on the murder have referred to Moseley as a “VH1 star”—she had a bit role in the network’s hit cheerleader series, Hit the Floor—or as “Twilight star,” because she also had a small role in the film. Yahoo states that she was a backup dancer for Beyoncé, Britney Spears and Chris Brown, among others. For context, Moseley has over 95,000 followers on Instagram.

Adding to the tragedy, Mayweather was allegedly FaceTiming with Hayes when the murder happened and may have witnessed part of it. Los Angeles police are looking to interview the boxer about the incident. TMZ reports:

According to our Floyd sources, Earl said he was going to kill his wife. The champ was pleading with him to get a grip … to no avail. Floyd will not say how much he saw, but he acknowledges he was a witness and heard everything.

Another weird twist: that same night, Mayweather, after having just witnessed a murder and a suicide, decided to attend an L.A. Clippers game, where TMZ reports that he “appeared to be in a pretty decent mood considering the circumstances… shaking hands and talking with Clippers stars Chris Paul and Jamal Crawford before they took on the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center.”

Hayes was formerly signed to Mayweather’s record label and reports allege that Mayweather may have riled his friend up before the shooting by advising him to dump Moseley “because she was bad for his career.” According to TMZ:

As we reported, Hayes was distraught over what he believed was repeated infidelity, including a fling he said Stephanie had with Trey Songz.

One Mayweather source says Floyd challenged Hayes, saying he was weak for not leaving her.

The details are troubling enough, as is the possibility that an already disturbing Mayweather potentially contributed to Hayes’ unstable mental state and/or the abuse of his wife. All the celebrity associations make the story even stranger. As mentioned, Trey Songz’s name is in the middle of things after TMZ reported that Hayes accused Moseley of cheating with the singer:

Sources connected with Hayes tell us … around 2 years ago he separated from Stephanie because of what he says was her affair with Songz. They got back together but, as one friend put it, “He was crushed and never got over it.” We’re told he frequently brought up Songz.

Besides Trey, Chris Brown and Ashley Tisdale were among the celebs who tweeted their condolences. Eva Marcille, actress and former America’s Next Top Model winner, was friends with Moseley and told KTLA:

“Stephanie was an absolute angel. She really was. She brought so many people into my life. She’s connected so many people. She’s just loved. She will never, ever, ever, ever be forgotten.”

Marcille also said “the couple had typical issues but nothing that would have led to violence,” according to the L.A. Times. A friend of Hayes’, Burrell Wilks, added:

“No one seen this coming — because, again, Hayes is not a violent guy. We’re all devastated. We’re at a loss for words on this one.”

The story continues to get wilder. The latest is the release of an incredibly disturbing rap song called “Suicide” that seems to foreshadow the murder-suicide. The song was reportedly recorded by Hayes in 2010 for a mixtape. The majority of the lyrics involve suicidal thoughts:

“So slit your wrist, jump off a cliff, crash into some shit/ If anyone ask why you did it tell them life was a -itch/ So shoot your girlfriend and when you get surrounded by cops/ Fuck doing life, shoot it out and do your time on the spot/ Just do it you fucking rookie pussy what is you nervous/ Death holds a purpose they’ll see that at your funeral service.”