What happened to Christy Giles and Hilda Marcela Cabrales? Details explored ahead of 48 Hours on ID
Model Christy Giles and architect Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola were found unconscious outside two different Los Angeles hospitals after a night out in November 2021. The two women had gone to a warehouse party, where they reportedly met Hollywood producer David Pearce.
They then followed Pearce and his friends to his apartment. Hours later, masked men dropped off Christy Giles and Cabrales-Arzola at two different hospitals. Giles was declared dead soon after, while Cabrales-Arzola passed away days later from multiple organ failure caused by drug intoxication.
According to CBS News, both women were found to have fatal mixtures of drugs in their systems, and charges were brought against Pearce and his group. The case will be featured on CBS's 48 Hours in an episode titled Dead Girls Don’t Talk. It is scheduled to air on Saturday, March 29, 2025, at 10:00 PM ET/PT.
Exploring the deaths of Christy Giles and Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola
According to CBS News, on the evening of November 12, 2021, Christy Giles and Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola began their night at the Soho House in West Hollywood. They later attended a warehouse party in East Los Angeles, where they allegedly met David Pearce, his roommate Brandt Osborn, and their friend Michael Ansbach.
The group went to Pearce's Beverly Hills apartment at around 3 a.m. Around 35 minutes into his arrival, Cabrales-Arzola requested a ride-hailing service, suggesting an intent to leave. However, according to CBS News, the women never exited the apartment.
Close to 11 hours after the incident, Christy Giles was transported and left outside Southern California Hospital in Culver City, where she was confirmed dead. Approximately an hour and a half later, Cabrales-Arzola was left at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center in critical condition. She died 11 days later as a result of drug intoxication and multiple organ failure.
Investigation and charges
According to CBS News, law enforcement initiated an investigation into the deaths of Christy Giles and Cabrales-Arzola. Toxicology reports indicated that Giles had cocaine, fentanyl, ketamine, and GHB—a drug commonly termed a "date r*pe drug"—in her system.
Cabrales-Arzola tested positive for cocaine and MDMA (ecstasy) and had a high level of fentanyl. These findings, along with digital evidence and witness statements, led to the arrest of David Pearce.
Initially charged with manslaughter, Pearce later faced first-degree murder charges after the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner ruled both deaths as homicides. He was also charged with several counts of s*xual assault related to incidents involving other women between 2007 and 2020.
Legal proceedings and conviction
According to CBS News, in February 2025, David Pearce was found guilty of first-degree murder in the killings of Christy Giles and Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola. He was also found guilty of several r*pe and s*xual assault charges involving seven other women over 14 years.
On March 13, 2025, Pearce was sentenced to 148 years to life in state prison. His co-defendant, Brandt Osborn, had been charged with two counts of accessory after the fact. The jury did not reach a verdict in Osborn's trial, and a mistrial was called.
Watch 48 Hours on Saturday, March 29, 2025, on CBS.
