LOS ANGELES (AP) — The tragic case of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez has taken a grim turn with the release of an autopsy report that indicates her death was a homicide. The report, which had been sealed for several months, reveals that the girl died from penetrating injuries.
The autopsy report was unsealed after Los Angeles prosecutors agreed to its release following a long legal battle that began when Hernandez's dismembered body was discovered in the trunk of a car parked in Hollywood Hills in September.
David Burke, known by his stage name D4vd, has been charged with Hernandez's murder, along with additional charges of lewd acts with a minor and mutilating a dead body. His defense argues that he did not cause her death and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
According to prosecutors, D4vd allegedly killed Rivas Hernandez out of fear that she might disclose their sexual relationship, which began when she was just 13 years old, threatening to derail his burgeoning career.
The autopsy detailed severe injuries to Rivas Hernandez's torso, which were likely inflicted by a sharp object, while two fingers and parts of her arms and legs were missing by the time her body was discovered.
LA County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey C. Ukpo expressed gratitude that the autopsy findings could finally be shared publicly, stating, It is unfathomable they have had to wait this long to learn what happened to their daughter. D4vd, who gained popularity for his viral song 'Romantic Homicide', released his debut album just days before the alleged timeframe of Rivas Hernandez's murder.
