The Medical Examiner's Report of Celeste Rivas Hernandez's Autopsy Reveals Multiple Injuries

Content warning: This article contains details some readers may find disturbing.

Ever since D4vd, aka David Anthony Burke, was arrested on April 16, 2026, on suspicion of the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, social media has been outraged. Celeste, who was a runaway, was reported missing multiple times by her parents, according to various reports. Not to mention, court documents revealed that the teen was also living with and engaged in a consensual relationship with the 21-year-old artist.

Once her body was found in a Tesla owned by the rapper, many people believed that the discovery was the smoking gun. However, the artist remained unscathed until authorities took him into custody. Since Celeste’s body was reportedly in decomposition upon discovery, many people are wondering about the events that led to her death.

Per an autopsy report obtained by People, the medical examiner revealed that Celeste suffered a brutal death. Her death has been ruled a homicide after the report states that she suffered from multiple penetrating wounds in the torso area: one on the upper left chest that left multiple ribs fractured and one on the right side of the abdomen that damaged her liver.

The report also shares that she sustained “bilateral dismemberment of upper and lower extremities and multiple additional skin defects."

The evidence falls right in line with investigators sharing that her body parts were found in multiple bags. With cases of dismemberment and decomposition, it can take time to get a true, full picture.

“This is a very difficult case because of the decomposition,” Dr. Priya Banerjee, a board-certified forensic pathologist who looked over the report, told CNN. “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.”

CNN also reports that the cause of the skin abrasions couldn’t be determined due to the advanced state of decomposition. While alcohol was also found in Celeste’s system, the cause is unclear since it could be due to decomposition or indigestion.

Although Burke was initially arrested due to suspicion of murder, he is now facing multiple felony counts, including continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains. Additionally, the BBC shares that Burke’s felony murder charge stands, with special circumstances that include lying in wait, murder for financial gain, and murder of a witness to an investigation.

Although Burke has pleaded not guilty, the potential sentence he faces is life-changing. If convicted, the rapper could spend the rest of his life behind bars or even be sentenced to death.

At this time, there is no word on when the trial will start.