Autopsy reveals 14-year-old Celeste Hernandez died of stab wounds in musician D4vd murder case

The autopsy report for 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was released Wednesday, revealing she died from multiple penetrating injuries caused by sharp objects, with the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruling her death a homicide. The teenager's dismembered remains were discovered in September 2025 inside the trunk of a Tesla registered to musician D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke. Burke was arrested and charged in April 2026 with first-degree murder, lewd and lascivious acts with a minor, and mutilating a body.

According to the medical examiner's findings, Celeste suffered at least two stab wounds—one to her right abdomen that penetrated her liver and another to her left chest that damaged the intercostal spaces and adjacent ribs. The report indicates the wounds had "smooth edges" consistent with sharp force injuries. Her body, found in an advanced state of decomposition after months in the vehicle during summer heat, weighed just 71 pounds at autopsy. The remains were so deteriorated that the head was partially skeletonized and the left eye was absent. In addition to the stab wounds, Celeste's arms, legs, and two fingers from her left hand had been amputated.

The release of the autopsy report came after months of legal delays. The Los Angeles Police Department had obtained a court order in November 2025 to seal the medical examiner's findings, citing potential risks to the investigation. The judge-ordered security hold prevented the public release of autopsy details until this week. Prosecutors alleege Celeste was killed on or about April 23, 2025, when she was last seen at a Hollywood Hills home with Burke, and that her body was dismembered approximately two weeks later.

According to the criminal complaint, prosecutors have built their case through forensic and digital evidence, though the autopsy report itself does not include direct evidence linking Burke to the death. The report did note the presence of benzodiazepines and methamphetamine/MDMA in her system, though alcohol was noted as not being a factor in her cause of death. Celeste came from Lake Elsinore, a quiet southern California town roughly 80 miles from the Hollywood Hills area where Burke lived. She had been reported missing multiple times in the year before her death, though she had also been spotted at some of D4vd's concerts.

The family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez released a statement following Burke's arrest, expressing their grief and desire for justice. "We miss her deeply. All we want is justice for Celeste," they said in their first public comment on the case.