After months of speculation and delays, officials have announced that the teen girl found in singer D4vd's car died from multiple penetrating injuries.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner's office on Wednesday announced that they'd ruled Celeste Rivas Hernandez's death a homicide, noting that the 14-year-old died of injuries caused by an undisclosed object or objects.
She was found dead in the front boot of a Tesla registered to TikTok star D4vd, 21, in September. The singer is facing several charges in her death, including murder.
D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, has pleaded not guilty. His attorneys say they will vigorously defend his innocence.
The musician's defence team has said it believed the actual evidence will show that David did not kill Celeste and he was not responsible for her death. We will vigorously defend David's innocence, his attorneys claimed.
Burke is due back in Los Angeles court on Thursday at 0830 local time (1630 BST).
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.
Prosecutors allege the teen was killed and her body dismembered sometime on or around 5 May 2025, charging documents have said, at least four months before her body was discovered.
Chief Medical Examiner Dr Odey Ukpo expressed gratitude that this information can now be shared, noting how long the family had to wait.
The medical examiners disclosed in their report that stab wounds were present on her abdomen and chest. It further detailed the presence of shredded blue plastic found in some of her wounds and that her body was located in a black zippered bag within the Tesla.
A toxicology report indicated traces of methamphetamine, MDMA, and low alcohol levels in her system, but none seemed to contribute to her death.
Rivas Hernandez's family released their first public statement this week after Burke's arraignment, thanking the community for support. Her parents remembered her as a loving daughter and expressed their desire for justice.
Family attorney Patrick Steinfeld mentioned the family's devastation upon hearing the grim details revealed in court.
It has been reported that Rivas Hernandez was last seen visiting Burke's Hollywood Hills home on 23 April 2025, after which she went missing and was ultimately found deceased in September.
The case has captured the attention of many, raising questions about safety and justice in the community.
