Celeste Rivas’ cause of death has just been revealed … and the medical examiner in Los Angeles says she was killed by multiple penetrating injuries with unspecified objects, and her death was ruled a homicide.
The M.E. says there are “2 penetrating wounds of the torso with smooth edges that may represent sharp force injuries. The wound — [3/4 inch length and 1.5 inches deep] — on the upper abdomen penetrates the liver, and the wound on the left chest — [9/16 inch length and 2 inches deep] penetrates one of the left intercostal spaces, with disruption of the adjacent ribs’ cortical surfaces.”
It’s interesting that the M.E. uses the word “may,” which is something the defense will jump on.It should also be noted that the M.E. says there were “multiple superficial linear abrasions on the right dorsal hand.” It does not say whether or not these could be defensive wounds.The M.E. also says that her left ring and pinky fingers were amputated, but the body diagram shows that her right pointer finger with the “Shhh” tattoo was intact.
This will also be an interesting issue at trial … the autopsy report says there is a “presumptive positive” for methamphetamine and MDMA, but there was another screening, which says methamphetamine was inconclusive and MDMA was not detected. The report says Celeste may have had alcohol in her system, but it did not contribute to her death.