Los Angeles County’s chief medical examiner is urging greater openness in autopsy cases tied to celebrity and other high-profile deaths, saying sealed reports can leave families waiting too long for answers, according to ABC News.
Dr. Odey Ukpo made the comments after the autopsy findings in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez were released with a note calling it “unfathomable” that her parents had to wait months to learn how she died. Her autopsy had been sealed by court order during the investigation that led to murder charges against singer D4vd, who has pleaded not guilty.
Ukpo said his office believes the public should know key facts as soon as possible and argued that withholding autopsy details does not help investigations. He said the agency determined Hernandez died from stab wounds and that releasing that information helps clarify what happened.
The medical examiner said he would also like to discuss the autopsies in the deaths of director Rob Reiner and his wife, photographer Michele Singer Reiner, if allowed. Those reports remain under a court-ordered security hold, and authorities have said the hold is meant to protect sensitive investigative information.
Ukpo, who became chief medical examiner-coroner in 2023, leads an office that handles about 13,000 sudden, unexpected and premature deaths each year. He said the office’s work should remain independent from law enforcement and prosecutors, even in cases that draw intense public attention.
