D4vd Charged With Killing After Autopsy Finds Celeste Rivas Hernandez Died of Multiple Penetrating Injuries

Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the 14-year-old girl singer D4vd is charged with killing, died from “multiple penetrating injuries,” according to an autopsy report released Wednesday by the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office.

“The 14-year-old's family issued a statement through their attorney, saying they are devastated by the findings of the report”

ABC7 Los Angeles

The BBC reported that the medical examiner ruled her death a homicide and said the 14-year-old died of injuries caused by an “undisclosed object or objects.”

ABC7 Los Angeles

CNN similarly said the autopsy found she died of “multiple penetrating injuries,” and described “two wounds that “may represent sharp force injuries” — one to her chest and another to her abdomen.

AP said the autopsy ruled her death a homicide and found “two penetrating wounds of the torso with smooth edges that may represent sharp force injuries,” including one wound on her upper abdomen that penetrated the liver and another on the left chest that damaged her ribs.

Multiple outlets described the condition of her remains, including that she was found in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to D4vd, with the body in a black zippered bag.

The BBC said forensic teams found shredded blue plastic in some of her wounds, and CNN said multiple blue plastic fragments were “embedded in the cut surfaces.”

The cause-of-death findings were released after months of delay, with the BBC noting investigators had examined her body in September and determined the cause and manner of death on 9 December but were barred from releasing it publicly as police investigated the case.

Prosecutors allege that Celeste Rivas Hernandez was killed and dismembered on or around 5 May 2025, and that her body was later discovered in September in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to D4vd.

The BBC said she was found dead in the front boot of a Tesla registered to TikTok star D4vd, 21, in September, and that prosecutors alleged the teen was killed and her body dismembered sometime on or around 5 May 2025.

AP News

The Times reported that Burke was arrested last week seven months after Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s body was found in a Hollywood tow yard, and that prosecutors said the singer invited Celeste to his home in April 2025 and then she was “never heard from again.”

The Times also said Hochman laid out charges at a press conference on Monday, including first-degree murder with special circumstances, and that if convicted Burke faces life in prison without parole or the death penalty.

CNN said Celeste’s death was ruled a homicide in the report released Wednesday, and that the findings shed more light on her death months after she was discovered in the front trunk of d4vd’s Tesla last September.

NewsNation said the medical examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by “multiple penetrating injuries caused by object(s),” and said D4vd was formally charged Monday with her murder.

Multiple outlets described D4vd’s legal name as David Anthony Burke or David Burke and said he pleaded not guilty, with the BBC quoting his attorneys saying they would “vigorously defend his innocence.”

The autopsy report described penetrating injuries to Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s torso and severe postmortem changes, with CNN saying her remains were in a zippered body bag and that she had two wounds that “may represent sharp force injuries” — one to her chest and another to her abdomen.

“- Published After months of speculation and delays, officials have announced that the teen girl found in singer D4vd's car died from "multiple penetrating injuries"”

BBC

AP said one wound on her upper abdomen penetrated the liver and another on the left chest damaged her ribs, and it also described that the examination was limited by “extensive postmortem changes.”

CNN said her arms and legs had been dismembered and that multiple blue plastic fragments were “embedded in the cut surfaces,” and it added that two fingers had also been removed from her left hand.

ABC7 Los Angeles said the report listed the cause and manner of death as “multiple penetrating injuries caused by object(s),” ruled the manner a homicide, and stated that one stab wound was on her “right abdomen with (an) injury to (her) liver,” and a second stab wound was on her “left chest.”

ABC7 also reported that her body weighed just 71 pounds when it was found dismembered in the front trunk of the Tesla and that the report said “multiple fragments of blue plastic material are found embedded in the cut surfaces.”

People reported that toxicology analysis detected a “low level of ethanol,” and said the report concluded it “does not appear to be contributory to the cause of death.”

People also said the official autopsy report concluded she died from “multiple penetrating injuries,” and described two penetrating wounds to her torso and bilateral dismemberment of her upper and lower extremities.

As the autopsy findings were released, Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s family issued statements describing grief and demanding justice.

The BBC quoted her parents Jesus Rivas and Mercedes Martinez saying, “Celeste was a beautiful, strong girl who loved to sing and dance. Every Friday night was movie night and we spent wonderful times together,” and they added, “All we want is Justice for Celeste.”

CNN

The BBC also quoted family attorney Patrick Steinfeld saying the family was “devastated after hearing the gruesome details that came out in David Burke's arraignment.”

Prosecutors framed the case around the timeline and alleged motive, with Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman telling reporters that Celeste went to Burke’s home in the Hollywood Hills on 23 April 2025 and “she was never heard from again.”

The Times reported Hochman alleged Burke was “lying in wait” after inviting Celeste to his home in April 2025 and said the murder was committed for financial gain, with Burke’s motive “to maintain his very lucrative musical career that Celeste was threatening on that particular night”.

Defense attorneys insisted the evidence would show Burke did not kill Celeste, with the BBC quoting their statement that they would “vigorously defend his innocence,” and saying they believed the “actual evidence will show that David did not kill Celeste.”

CNN quoted Burke’s attorney Blair Berk saying, “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. We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”

Several reports focused on why the medical examiner’s findings and investigative details were delayed, and how officials explained the decision to keep information from the public.

“Editor's note: This article contains details that some may find disturbing”

FOX 11 Los Angeles

The BBC said investigators at the medical examiner's office had examined Rivas Hernandez's body shortly after she was found in September and determined the cause and manner of death on 9 December but were barred from releasing it publicly as police investigated the case.

FOX 11 Los Angeles

The BBC also quoted Chief Medical Examiner Dr Odey Ukpo saying, “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,” and added that it was “unfathomable they have had to wait this long to learn what happened to their daughter.”

People reported that a judge ordered the report sealed late last year at the request of law enforcement, and that prosecutors agreed this week to allow its release, while also describing that the medical examiner’s office opposed the restriction and said it prevented the agency from serving the community with full transparency.

People quoted Ukpo saying, “The department’s mission is to have full transparency with the community by providing information about our cases to empower people to make changes that save lives,” and said he had been working on eradicating “the practice of placing security holds on medical examiner cases simply by law enforcement request.”

NewsNation said police said the state of the body slowed the investigation, degraded evidence and fueled misinformation that detectives had to debunk.

The Times added that LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said crucial evidence “had degraded or disappeared” in the months between Celeste’s death and the day her body was discovered.