D4VD Murder Case: What Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s Autopsy Revealed About Her Death

New details have come to light in the case of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the 14-year-old girl whose dismembered body was discovered in 2025 inside a Tesla linked to singer D4vd. In a press release issued April 22, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner concluded that Hernandez died from “multiple penetrating injuries caused by object(s),” officially ruling her death a homicide.

Here’s what the Celeste Rivas Hernandez autopsy report found.

According to the Associated Press, the autopsy faced limitations due to “extensive postmortem changes,” as the body had been dismembered and was in an advanced state of decomposition when it was found in two bags in the trunk of a Tesla parked in the Hollywood Hills in September.

Investigators identified “two penetrating wounds of the torso with smooth edges that may represent sharp force injuries.” One injury to the upper abdomen pierced the liver, while another wound to the left side of the chest caused damage to her ribs. The tube top she was wearing appeared to have been cut in three separate places.

The report also indicated presumptive positive findings for benzodiazepines and methamphetamine/MDMA in her system, according to ABC News 11. Toxicology testing of the liver revealed a low level of alcohol, though the Associated Press reported this may have resulted from postmortem chemical changes and was not believed to be a contributing factor.

The medical examiner’s office stated that a deputy conducted the examination on Sept.10, 2025, at the Department of Medical Examiner’s Forensic Science Center. While the cause and manner of death were determined on Dec. 9, 2025, a court order requested by the LAPD had previously blocked the release of those findings.

As previously reported, Hernandez’s body was discovered on Sept. 8, 2025, in the front trunk of a vehicle registered to D4vd at a Los Angeles tow yard. Inside the trunk, they found a black cadaver bag containing a decomposed head and torso, according to court filings tied to a grand jury investigation. A second bag contained additional dismembered remains. A detective with the Los Angeles Police Department pronounced her dead at the scene.

Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey Ukpo said he was “grateful” to finally provide closure for Hernandez’s family with the autopsy findings.

“After several months, I am grateful this information can now be released, not only to the public, but also to the grieving family enduring loss,” said Dr. Odey Ukpo. “It is unfathomable they have had to wait this long to learn what happened to their daughter. The transparency of the information contained in our findings and reports is essential for empowering the community to make informed changes to affectively reduce fear and allowing the community to take informed action.”

Dr. Odey Ukpo added, “Making the Department’s information publicly available is not just about accountability, it is about social justice and prevention. By ensuring access to this information, we strengthen our ability to learn, to act, and ultimately to prevent the next tragic loss of life. I want to extend my gratitude to our partner agencies for taking the necessary step of filing an order with the court to make this disclosure possible.”

D4vd was charged with capital murder on April 20.

On April 20, D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke, was charged with capital murder in connection with Hernandez’s death. He has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, lewd and lascivious acts with a person under 14, and mutilating a dead body. His attorneys maintain that he is not responsible.

“Let us be clear — the actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death,” attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter said in a statement earlier this month following his April 16 arrest. “There has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed. David has only been detained under suspicion.”

Prosecutors allege D4vd killed Hernandez over their alleged sexual relationship.

Prosecutors allege that D4vd killed Hernandez after she threatened to report a sexual relationship that allegedly began when she was 13, which they claim he feared would damage his rising career. 

“Celeste was just a child, under 14 years old, when David Burke allegedly engaged in repeated lewd and lascivious sexual relations with her,” District Attorney Hochman said in a statement, according to a release from the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office published Monday. 

According to the release, “when she threatened to expose his criminal conduct and devastate his musical career, Burke allegedly murdered her, cut up her body, and stuffed her body in two bags that were placed in the front trunk of his car.” 

Prosecutors allege that Hernandez went missing after D4vd invited her to his home in the Hollywood Hills on April 23, 2025. He’s been charged with one count each of murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.

Hernandez’s parents spoke publicly for the first time on Tuesday, expressing gratitude to investigators and to the community of Lake Elsinore, California, for their support.

“Celeste was a beautiful, strong girl who loved to sing and dance. Every Friday night was movie night and we spent wonderful times together,” said Jesus Rivas and Mercedes Martinez. “We love her very much and she always told us that she loved us. We miss her deeply. All we want is justice for Celeste.”

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