D4vd charged with murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez
Musician D4vd is facing murder charges following his high-profile arrest in the slaying of teen Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
Editor’s note: This story contains graphic descriptions that some readers may find disturbing.
The cause of death for Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the teen found “dismembered and badly decomposed” in the trunk of a car registered to singer D4vd, has been released after seven months.
Rivas Hernandez died from “multiple penetrating injuries” in an alleged homicide, the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner announced Wednesday, April 22.
Her remains were examined by a deputy medical examiner on Sept. 10, two days after she was discovered inside the front trunk of the vehicle, which had been impounded in a Los Angeles tow yard for several days.
The deputy medical examiner determined that Rivas Hernandez suffered “two penetrating wounds” to her right abdomen and left chest as well as dismemberment in multiple areas, according to the medical examiner’s report obtained by USA TODAY.
A day before the medical examiner’s findings were released, Rivas Hernandez’s family released a statement remembering her as “a beautiful, strong girl who loved to sing and dance.”
“Every Friday night was movie night and we spent wonderful times together. We love her very much and she always told us that she loved us. We miss her deeply,” the statement read. “All we want is Justice for Celeste.”
Why Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s cause of death was released after 7 months
The announcement comes two days after D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, made his first courtroom appearance in the case and pleaded not guilty to criminal felony charges of first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains. He is jailed without bail.
During his April 20 arraignment, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ordered for the medical examiner’s report for Rivas Hernandez to be released, according to The New York Times.
The cause and manner of Rivas Hernandez’s death were determined Dec. 9. However, the Los Angeles Police Department asked a judge to place a security hold on the case, preventing details from being released until now.
“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,” Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey Ukpo said in a statement.
“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,” Ukpo said.
Ukpo said that providing access to information about Rivas Hernandez’s death helps “strengthen our ability to learn, to act, and ultimately to prevent the next tragic loss of life.”
Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s remains presented a challenge for medical examiner
During the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office’s April 20 press conference, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said the condition of Rivas Hernandez’s remains hindered the medical examiner’s process for determining her cause of death.
The teen’s body showed “severe postmortem changes,” the medical examiner’s report states.
Though the DA’s office has said Rivas Hernandez was 14, as her 15th birthday would have been Sept. 7, the medical examiner’s case identifies her as 15 years old.
An LAPD detective said Sept. 8 in an investigator’s narrative included in the medical examiner’s report that, per a preliminary investigation, an “abandoned black Tesla” Model X with a Texas license plate was reported by a passerby on Aug. 26. The car was cited by the LA Department of Transportation on Sept. 3 and towed on Sept. 5.
Three days later, on Sept. 8, “a manager noticed a foul odor emanating from the vehicle and reported it” to an LAPD detective who arrived on the scene and “discovered a large, black, zippered body bag with handles.”
Rivas Hernandez was not immediately identifiable due to the state of her remains. On Sept. 16, dental radiograph comparison identified the body as Rivas Hernandez’s.
She had been missing for nearly a year and a half when the remains were discovered in the car, separated into two bags, according to District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
“When [Rivas Hernandez] 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,” Hochman said. “This horrific and gruesome murder committed by the charged sexual predator is shocking and appalling. To Celeste’s loved ones, we will get the justice you seek and deserve.”