Police are investigating the second death of a black man within 18 months to occur at the West Hollywood home of influential Democratic donor Edward Buck.

Authorities say an unresponsive black male in his 50s was found at 1 a.m. in circumstances similar to the July 2017 death of 26-year-old Gemmel Moore. Mr. Buck, who is white, was not charged after the first death and is not considered a suspect in the latest discovery.

“It is suspicious that this has happened twice now,” L.A. County Sheriff’s Lt. Derrick Alfred told local NBC affiliate KTLA.

Mr. Buck’s attorney, Seymour Amster, told reporters the latest individual was partying and taking “some substances” prior to arriving at the Laurel Avenue residence. The dead man was not publicly named.

Latisha Nixon, the 65-year-old mother of Moore, claims that men arrive at the house to take part in sexual fantasies.

“He has them wear these long white ‘under-johns.’ He takes pictures of them,” she said later in the summer of 2017, the station reported. “He hits them up with meth. The more meth that they smoke and inject, the more money that he gives them … It seems like everyone is turning a blind eye because my son was a gay black man and Ed Buck is a wealthy white politician.”

Mr. Amster disagrees.

“This is not a situation where Mr. Buck had caused the death,” he said. “This is a situation where Mr. Buck has had longtime friends who, unfortunately, do not handle their life well, then succumb when they are in the apartment of Mr. Buck.”

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