Celeste Hernandez died of multiple penetrating injuries before her remains were found in a Tesla linked to singer D4vd, and toxicology testing found a low level of ethanol but no confirmed drug finding that investigators said contributed to her death. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide.
The medical examiner's report says Hernandez, 14, died from "multiple penetrating injuries caused by object(s)" and described two penetrating wounds to the torso, including injuries to the liver and chest, along with severe trauma to her body. The office said the findings were completed in December 2025, but remained sealed while investigators worked the case.
The toxicology section of the report said liver tissue showed a "low level of ethanol," which investigators said may have come from postmortem change or ingestion and did not appear to be a factor in the death, according to People.
Initial screening was also presumptively positive for benzodiazepines, methamphetamines, and MDMA, but the report said further testing was needed, and later confirmation did not detect some of those substances.
Hernandez's remains were found on Sept. 8, 2025, in the front trunk of an impounded Tesla at a Los Angeles tow yard, according to earlier reporting and the medical examiner's timeline. Authorities said the vehicle was linked to D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, the BBC reported.
Prosecutors announced this week that Burke has been charged with murder in connection with Hernandez's death. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office also said additional charges involve alleged sexual abuse of a minor and mutilation or disfigurement of human remains.
The case had remained under seal for months because investigators said the condition of the remains made it difficult to determine the cause of death right away. Officials have said the body's condition limited what could be learned at first, and the medical examiner noted that even basic details such as eye color could not be determined, as per the Los Angeles Times.
