Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who singer d4vd is charged with killing, died of ‘multiple penetrating injuries,’ autopsy finds

By Andi Babineau, CNN

(CNN) — The 14-year-old girl singer d4vd is charged with killing and dismembering died of “multiple penetrating injuries,” according to an autopsy report released Wednesday.

The findings shed more light on Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s death months after the teen was discovered in the front trunk of d4vd’s Tesla last September in Los Angeles. The vehicle had apparently been abandoned in the Hollywood Hills and was towed to a police impound lot, where an employee noticed a foul smell coming from the trunk and alerted authorities.

Details of how Celeste died and who was under investigation remained hidden as authorities convened a grand jury and shielded investigative findings from the public.

Celeste had been reported missing by family and friends multiple times beginning in early 2024. She and d4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, appeared together in a Twitch livestream that January, and between then and March 2024, he was photographed getting out of a black Tesla near the seventh grader’s home. Celeste was also photographed backstage at one of his Los Angeles shows in June 2024. She was last seen alive going to d4vd’s home in April 2025.

The singer was arrested last week and has denied all wrongdoing, pleading not guilty on Monday.

Though it is unclear exactly when Celeste died, the report’s release comes months after the autopsy that ruled her death a homicide last December was ordered sealed at the request of law enforcement.

Autopsy results indicate ‘sharp force injuries’

Celeste’s remains were in a zippered body bag and she had two wounds that “may represent sharp force injuries” – one to her chest and another to her abdomen, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office. Additional skin abrasions are noted, though the medical examiner could not determine the causes because of the severe decomposition of the body.

Her arms and legs had been dismembered, and multiple blue plastic fragments were “embedded in the cut surfaces,” and submitted into evidence, the report details. Two fingers had also been removed from her left hand.

Board Certified Forensic Pathologist Dr. Priya Banerjee, who reviewed the report that was made public and is not involved with the case, said the injuries described were most consistent with stabbing and the girl was likely dismembered after she died.

“This is a very difficult case because of the decomposition,” Banerjee said. “It looks like likely a knife made (the wounds) but I can see why they use the wording they did, given the condition of the body.”

A tattoo reading “Shhh….” was documented on the inside of her right index finger, according to the medical examiner’s report, similar to the tattoo d4vd has on his finger.

Alcohol was also detected in her system, though the medical examiner notes it’s unclear whether it’s present because of ingestion or decomposition.

“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-Coroner Dr. Odey Ukpo said in a statement. “It is unfathomable they have had to wait this long to learn what happened to their daughter.”

An attorney for Celeste’s family released a statement saying the autopsy results have caused “profound emotional pain for the family.”

“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 says. “They respectfully ask for privacy, understanding, and patience as they process this information.”

CNN has reached out to attorneys for d4vd for comment on the report.

D4vd pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of first-degree murder with special circumstances, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 years old and mutilating human remains.

Prosecutors allege he had a sexual relationship with Celeste and killed her “when she threatened to expose his criminal conduct and devastate his musical career,” according to LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.

“The actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death. We will vigorously defend David’s innocence,” d4vd’s attorney, Blair Berk, said in a statement after his arraignment.

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CNN’s Alaa Elassar, Zoe Sottile, Norma Galeana, Elizabeth Wolfe, Thomas Bordeaux, Allison Gordon, Kyung Lah, Matt Friedman, Nadia Kounang and Jack Hannah contributed to this report.