Dismembered Teen's Death Cause Revealed

Los Angeles County’s medical examiner said 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez died from multiple penetrating injuries and ruled her death a homicide. (me.lacounty.gov) The county said Hernandez was found at 11 a.m. on Sept. 8, 2025, in the front trunk of a vehicle at a Los Angeles tow yard. A deputy medical examiner examined her body on Sept. 10, 2025, and the office said it reached its death finding on Dec. 9, 2025. (me.lacounty.gov) The cause stayed sealed for months because a court order sought by the Los Angeles Police Department blocked its release, according to the medical examiner. The office published the finding on April 22, 2026, after that order was lifted. (me.lacounty.gov) The update came two days after Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced murder and other charges against singer D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke. Prosecutors said Burke, 21, was charged with first-degree murder, lewd acts with a child under 14 and mutilation of human remains. (da.lacounty.gov) Police and prosecutors say Hernandez was 14 when she was killed, even though the medical examiner’s release listed her as 15. NBC Los Angeles reported she was last seen on April 5, 2024, after being reported missing from the Lake Elsinore area. (nbclosangeles.com) Authorities first found her remains after tow yard workers reported a strong odor coming from an impounded Tesla Model Y in Hollywood. NBC Los Angeles reported officers opened the front trunk and found a decomposed head and torso, severed limbs and other body parts inside bags. (nbclosangeles.com) ABC News reported the newly unsealed autopsy found two penetrating wounds to Hernandez’s torso, including an injury to her liver, and noted evidence of traumatic injury. The same report said the place and date of injury were listed as unknown. (abcnews.go.com) Burke has denied the allegations through counsel. After his arrest, his legal team said he had been detained “under suspicion” and that they would “vigorously defend” his innocence; he later pleaded not guilty in court. (abc7.com, spectrumlocalnews.com) Hernandez’s family said through an attorney that they were “absolutely devastated” by the autopsy findings and asked for privacy as they processed them. The medical examiner’s release ended a seven-month public gap between the discovery of her remains and the disclosure of how she died. (abcnews.go.com, me.lacounty.gov)