D4vd murder case advances after medical examiner describes odor
A Los Angeles judge ordered D4vd to stand trial after testimony about Celeste Rivas’ remains and the Tesla where they were found.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
The D4vd murder case is headed for trial after a Los Angeles judge heard five days of testimony, including a medical examiner’s account that the odor from Celeste Rivas’ remains could be detected before they reached the autopsy room, TMZ reported.
Dr. Grant Ho of the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner testified that the smell from the teen’s dismembered and decomposing remains was noticeable down a hallway before the remains were brought in for examination, according to TMZ.
The testimony came during D4vd’s preliminary hearing, where prosecutors presented evidence tied to the discovery of Rivas’ remains inside a Tesla at a Hollywood tow yard last September, TMZ reported.
What happened in the D4vd murder case hearing?
Over five days, 12 witnesses gave detailed testimony in the preliminary hearing, according to TMZ. At the end of the proceeding, the judge ordered the case to move forward to trial, which TMZ reported must begin within 90 days.
A preliminary hearing is a court proceeding where a judge decides whether prosecutors have presented enough evidence for a felony case to continue. It is not a trial, and it does not decide whether the defendant is guilty.
TMZ reported that photos of Rivas’ remains were shown in court during the hearing. The medical examiner’s testimony focused in part on the condition of the remains and the odor associated with decomposition.
The smell has been a central detail in the case because, according to TMZ, it helped lead to the discovery of Rivas’ remains in the first place. Prosecutors have said the Tesla where the remains were found contained 11 air fresheners, TMZ reported.
D4vd is charged with murder with special circumstances, according to TMZ. That allegation makes him eligible for the death penalty, though prosecutors have not decided whether to seek capital punishment, TMZ reported.
He is also charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains, according to TMZ.
D4vd has pleaded not guilty to the charges, TMZ reported. The case now moves into the trial phase after the judge’s ruling at the close of the preliminary hearing.
Rivas’ death and the discovery of her remains have drawn attention because of the unusual circumstances alleged by prosecutors: a decomposing body found in a vehicle at a tow yard, multiple air fresheners inside that vehicle, and now courtroom testimony from the medical examiner about the odor before the autopsy.
The next major step is the trial, where prosecutors will have to prove the charges to a jury. D4vd’s not guilty plea means the allegations remain unproven unless and until a conviction is reached in court.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.