Celeste Rivas lawyer says court photos showed severe decomposition
Attorney Patrick Steinfeld said images shown at D4vd’s hearing were devastating for the 14-year-old’s family as the singer fights murder charges.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
2 min read
Graphic courtroom photos of Celeste Rivas’ remains left her family in tears during D4vd’s preliminary hearing Tuesday, according to the 14-year-old’s family attorney.
Patrick Steinfeld, who represents Celeste’s family, told TMZ after the hearing that the images shown in court depicted remains in such an advanced state of decomposition that they were difficult to recognize as human. He described the body as having liquefied and said it looked like “mush.”
Steinfeld said the evidence presented against D4vd, whose legal name was not provided in the report, appeared “damning” based on what he saw in the courtroom. The singer has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
The hearing included exhibits that Steinfeld said were “extremely painful” for Celeste’s family to watch. He told TMZ that Celeste’s mother, Mercedes Martinez, sobbed during the proceeding and did not recover emotionally while it continued.
One image was so difficult to interpret, according to Steinfeld, that Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman asked an LAPD detective what was being shown. Steinfeld said the detective identified the image as Celeste’s head. He added that, in his view, the remains were in such a condition that a person looking at the photo would not readily identify them as a body.
Prosecutors allege D4vd killed Celeste after luring her to a rental home in the Hollywood Hills. According to the prosecution allegations reported by TMZ, they claim she was going to reveal their relationship.
Authorities also allege Celeste’s dismembered body was later left inside a Tesla registered to D4vd. The case has drawn attention because of the singer’s profile and the grim allegations involving a minor.
D4vd is charged with first-degree murder with special circumstances, according to the report. The special circumstance allegations include lying in wait, committing the crime for financial gain, and killing a witness to an investigation.
He is also charged with lewd and lascivious sexual acts with a person under 14 years old and mutilation of a human body. D4vd has denied the allegations in court by entering a not guilty plea.
Steinfeld told TMZ that if D4vd is convicted, he believes the singer should receive life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The preliminary hearing is part of the court process in which prosecutors lay out evidence as they seek to move the case forward. The charges remain allegations unless and until proven in court.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.