Celeste Rivas Hernandez' death was caused by "multiple penetrating injuries," medical examiner says
The cause of death for Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the alleged victim of singer D4vd, has been revealed.
According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, Hernandez died by "multiple penetrating injuries caused by object(s)." Her death has now been officially ruled as a homicide. The medical examiner's report, obtained by CBS LA, describes two penetrating wounds to the torso.
"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 Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey Ukpo. "It is unfathomable they have had to wait this long to learn what happened to their daughter."
The autopsy was conducted on Sept. 10, 2025, just two days after the 14-year-old's body was discovered in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to D4vd, whose real name is David Burke.
Authorities found a decomposed head and torso in a cadaver bag inside a Tesla stored at the yard, court documents said. In another bag inside the car, dismembered body parts were found.
The Rivas Hernandez family shared a statement through their legal representatives after the medical examiner's findings were released.
"The Rivas Hernandez family is absolutely devastated by the findings contained in the Medical Examiner's Report involving the horrible and gruesome death of their beloved daughter," the statement said. "These findings have caused profound emotional pain for the family. They respectfully ask for privacy, understanding, and patience as they process this information."
The statement noted that family members would not be in attendance during Burke's hearing scheduled for Thursday.
Burke, 21, was arrested last week and charged on Monday, more than one year after Hernandez was last seen. On April 3 of last year, according to prosecutors, Hernandez entered Burke's home in the Hollywood Hills and was never seen again.
In a news conference on Monday, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced charges against Burke, including first-degree murder with special circumstances, lewd and lascivious acts with an individual under 14 and mutilating a body.
The delay of the medical examiner's report was requested by the LAPD and granted by a court last November. At the time, the LAPD said the pause was due to ensuring "detectives from Robbery-Homicide Division learned of important information surrounding her death before the media and the public."
During Monday's news conference, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said the cause of death was difficult to determine due to the body's condition.
"The condition of her remains delayed the medical examiner's ability to be able to determine her cause of death. The substantial amount of time that passed between her death and the discovery meant that crucial evidence had degraded or disappeared," McDonnell said.
The chief medical examiner disagreed with the court order last fall, and when releasing the report on Wednesday, he apologized for the delay.
"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," Ukpo said. "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."
McDonnell on Monday reiterated that speculation brought on through social media could have hampered the investigation, making the delay necessary.
"I want to be clear about something: My duty is not to fuel speculation. It's to deliver justice," McDonnell said.