On an inconspicuous street in Arleta, retiree David Gee’s yard is renowned, not for a stunning garden or a towering tree, but because Murray lives there.
Murray is a 2.5-ton replica of the monolithic Moai figures on Easter Island. The originals were carved by the indigenous people of Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, in the Polynesian islands sometime between 1200 and 1500, historians say.
Murray, while no kid himself, is quite a bit younger than his distant relatives.
“He’s sturdy and he hasn’t complained for all these years,” Gee joked. “He’s not much of a talker at all. And he’s waterproof.”
Moai statues on Easter Island(Photo by Tom Getz)
Towering at 7.5-feet tall, Murray the Moai was a surprise gift for David Gee from his wife, Diedra Gee.
She had Murray fabricated out of volcanic rock in 2007, right in time for Christmas. However, Murray tends to be much more popular on Halloween, when neighborhood kids come to visit.
“I had always been fascinated by the Moai and I used to tease my wife that we needed one,” David Gee said.
Diedra Gee was able to pull off the feat because she worked at an industrial pumice company at the time, which provided her with the connections and ability to obtain the materials.
“I had gotten him gag gifts before and since, but never as elaborate as that,” Diedra Gee said.
Murray, a 2.5-ton replica of the Moai on Easter Island, sits in David Gee’s yard in Arleta on Feb. 2, 2024. Murray was fabricated out of volcanic rock in 2007 and is approximately 7.5 feet tall. (Photo by Delilah Brumer)
As much as they love Murray, he’s now a rocky dilemma for the Gee family.
They’ve retired and are planning to move to a smaller house, but Murray can’t just climb into the backseat of their car.
In fact, he is so difficult to transport that they’ve decided they can’t take him along.
Not surprisingly, for that same reason, they haven’t found anyone else who wants to adopt him — yet.
“We’re still hoping someone will take him,” said David Gee, “and give him a loving home.”
He added, however: “The market for secondhand Moai is limited in L.A.”
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