Los Angeles authorities disclosed on April 22 that the teenager whose remains investigators say were found inside the trunk of a Tesla registered to musician D4vd died from "multiple penetrating injuries," according to a medical examiner's report released that day.
The report attributed two penetrating wounds to the torso and noted "dismemberment of the upper and lower extremities." It added that the torso wounds may have been "sharp force injuries," but it did not identify specific objects that could have caused those wounds. Examiners also said the autopsy was constrained by "extensive postmortem changes," and listed the time of death as unknown.
Prosecutors previously told the court that the dismembered body of Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found in September in the trunk of a Tesla linked to D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke. Authorities have said Celeste, then 14 years old, went to the musician's Hollywood Hills home in April 2025 and subsequently disappeared. Investigators had kept details of the manner of death from the public while the inquiry proceeded.
On Monday, the day a judge ordered the autopsy report be released, David Burke appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and related charges. At that arraignment, defense attorney Blair Berk told the court: "We believe the actual evidence will show David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez, nor was he the cause of her death."
D4vd gained widespread attention in 2022 when songs he recorded on his phone for his Fortnite gaming videos went viral on TikTok. The track "Romantic Homicide" helped him secure a recording deal with Interscope Records, and he performed at the Coachella music festival in 2025.
The autopsy report adds forensic detail to an investigation that remains active. While it documents severe trauma and dismemberment, it stops short of specifying the instruments involved and cannot provide a time of death because of postmortem changes. The judge's decision to make the report public followed court proceedings in which the defendant entered a not guilty plea and his attorney disputed the prosecution's account.
Contextual notes: The information above is drawn from the medical examiner's report and public statements made in court. Investigators and prosecutors have continued to develop their case while some details remained restricted pending the inquiry and legal filings.