A big development is now unfolding in the investigation into the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez that involves a Grand Jury. Notably, it seems that officially, the case is, in fact, a murder investigation. It was mentioned before, but not in much detail. Read on for more details.
A Grand Jury Hearing
According to a report from the Los Angeles Times, an LA County grand jury is now hearing evidence in the case. Ashleigh Banfield from News Nation confirmed the change on Friday. She said “The investigation into the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez is in fact a murder investigation.”
Plus, she reminded viewers that the LAPD’s own petition described it as “an investigation into murder.” Obviously, in the case of a grand jury, they can compel witness testimony and subpoena documents. So, it seems that it’s a way to assist the prosecutors in actively building a case. However, the district attorney’s office declined to comment, citing a policy of not discussing grand jury proceedings.
Tension Between Departments
Still it seems that a murder investigation is progressing amid a conflict between the LAPD and the Medical Examiner’s office. The police successfully petitioned a court to seal the autopsy results, arguing that revealing it all could “endanger the lives of witnesses and or compromise the investigation.”
Actually, it was their second attempt after a judge rejected an initial request. Harvey Levin of TMZ reported on some department rivalry, noting, “The medical examiner and the LAPD have not gotten along for several years.” And, he found it important to note that the Medical Examiner’s office released a public statement requesting transparency. Apparently it seldom happens.
The Freezing Story
There were reports of the body being frozen. In fact, our last report suggested that the LAPD dissed the idea. However, journalists haven’t ditched it completely. Levin referred to a Medical Examiner’s document that described the victim’s fingers as “waterlogged,” preventing fingerprint identification. Interestingly, that lines up with reports that the body was partially frozen when discovered in early September.
Moving on, Levin mentioned a mysterious trip the suspect, David (D4VD) , took to Santa Barbara in the spring. Actually, that was also previously mentioned, but it seems very important and he added, “The LAPD is making a big deal of this mysterious trip.” So, he speculated that possibly, the cops believe “the body was in some way dismembered” there.
The Timeline Is Puzzling As Well
Obviously the timeline of the case makes folks wonder if Celeste died in the spring, then where was her body for four months? And, Levin admitted, “I’m perplexed by it.”…