Celeste Rivas Hernandez Case – Confusion & A Gag Order

Big news emerged this weekend regarding the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Previously, reports claimed her body was dismembered and frozen. However, the LAPD later denied these claims. What seems more confusing is a new gag order. 

LAPD Contradict News Reports

News Nation host Ashleigh Banfield reported the new developments on Monday night. In the podcast, she explained that sources originally told outlets the young runaway’s body was “decapitated.” Not only that, but Celeste’s limbs had been “removed from her torso.” More recently, sources claimed that Celeste “had been stored in a freezer.”

However, Ashleigh Banfield noted that “LAPD Captain Scott Williams” directly contradicted everything. Speaking with People magazine, he said, “Celeste was not decapitated.” He also called the freezing idea nonsensical. And, he noted her body was in a car trunk for weeks in sweltering heat.

A Gag Order

Meanwhile, Ashleigh related how the “Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s office” revealed a “court order” now barred them from speaking. Importantly, the LAPD itself requested this “security hold.” Consequently, the ME’s office can’t comment on the autopsy or cause of death. Banfield noted this gag order coincided with the frozen body reports.

While the investigation continues, it seems that perhaps police officially consider Celeste’s older boyfriend, singer David, AKA D4vd a suspect. Citing TMZ, Ashleigh also talked about how investigators are looking at a second person who may have been “involved before, during and after Celeste’s death.” Apparently, police focus on D4vd’s late-night trip to a remote location in Santa Barbara County. Possibly, they believe someone killed Celeste Rivas Hernandez there.

Freezing Causes Complications

Forensically, the freezing theory presents complications. News Nation guest Dr. Michelle DuPre, a retired forensic pathologist, explained it was “possible that the body was frozen.” However, she clarified that after five weeks in the heat, no evidence of freezing would remain.

Of interest, she said that freezing damages cells and “speeds up decomposition once it starts to thaw.” Therefore, finding subtle evidence like signs of strangulation would become “much, much more difficult.”

Confusion and secrecy where folks would expect transparency seems strange. Notably, she felt that the LAPD’s gag order on the medical examiner seems unusual. Well, the gag order only heightens more speculation, leaving the public with more questions than answers.

Responses In The Comments

In the comments section plenty of true crime followers agreed that they have a lot more questions. One of them opined, “The authorities of LA seem like a joke.”

Here are a few more responses from the discussion area:

• This whole case is just so confusing?? Why are they protecting the David guy??? So much EVIDENCE points straight at him.
• If you were not confused before, you are now. [What] happened to this poor girl?
• Another sweep, sweep job…any case locked down in usually dodgy…
• When they try to hide everything this is what you get. All kinds of made up conspiracy theories.

What are your thoughts on the gag order on the ME office about Celeste Rivas Hernandez? Are you shocked to hear that the LAPD claim there was no dismemberment? Let us know in the comments below, and come back here often for all your true crime news and updates.