Where is David Brian Pearce now? Details explored ahead of 48 Hours on CBS
David Brian Pearce, a Hollywood producer once seen on red carpets, is now behind bars following a series of convictions related to drugging, s*xual assault, and murder. As of March 2025, Pearce is awaiting transfer to a California state prison after receiving a sentence of 148 years to life, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office (February 5, 2025).
He was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder for the 2021 fentanyl-related deaths of model Christy Giles and architect Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, both of whom were found outside separate Los Angeles hospitals.
In addition to the murder charges, David Brian Pearce was also found guilty of s*xually assaulting seven women over more than a decade, as per an ABC 7 report from February 2025.
The upcoming 48 Hours episode, titled Dead Girls Don’t Talk, airing on March 29 on CBS, will revisit the timeline of events and investigative breakthroughs that led to Pearce’s arrest and trial. The special includes firsthand accounts from victims, law enforcement officials, and the families of Giles and Cabrales-Arzola.
David Brian Pearce was convicted of two murders and multiple s*xual assaults involving seven women from 2007 to 2020
In February 2025, David Brian Pearce was convicted by a jury on two counts of first-degree murder for the overdose deaths of 24-year-old model Christy Giles and her 26-year-old friend, architect Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, which occurred in Beverly Hills in November 2021. He was also found guilty of multiple s*xual assaults committed against seven women between 2007 and 2020.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office (February 5, 2025), Pearce was found guilty of three counts of forcible r*pe, one count of s*xual penetration by use of force, one count of sodomy by force, one count of r*pe of an unconscious person, and one count of s*xual penetration by foreign object.
These charges stemmed from separate incidents involving different victims over a 13-year period. As per The Wrap (March 27, 2025), District Attorney Nathan Hochman stated:
“Today, a serial rapist was held accountable for the deaths of Christy Giles and Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, both of whom tragically died as a result of fentanyl poisoning, and the victimization of seven other women across Los Angeles.”
The convictions came after a high-profile trial where the prosecution laid out a detailed timeline of events beginning on the night of November 13, 2021.
Giles and Cabrales-Arzola had met Pearce, along with co-defendants Brandt Walter Osborn and Michael Ansbach, at a warehouse party in East Los Angeles. Surveillance footage and witness testimony confirmed the women later went with the men to Pearce’s Beverly Hills apartment.
Within minutes of arriving, Cabrales-Arzola attempted to book a rideshare, but neither woman left. Hours later, both were found unresponsive and separately dumped at different Los Angeles hospitals. Giles was declared dead on arrival; Cabrales-Arzola remained in a coma for 11 days before being taken off life support.
Toxicology reports revealed Giles had cocaine, fentanyl, ketamine, and GHB in her system. Cabrales-Arzola had also ingested fentanyl, MDMA, and other undetermined substances, leading to multiple organ failure, as reported by People, (February 4, 2025). The coroner ruled both deaths as homicides.
Testimonies presented during the trial painted a broader picture of David Brian Pearce’s past conduct. Prosecutors detailed a pattern of behavior where David Brian Pearce allegedly drugged women to facilitate s*xual assaults over more than a decade.
CBS News (February 5, 2025) reported that victims testified to receiving unknown substances at Pearce’s residence, resulting in memory blackouts. In some instances, Pearce was accused of recording these encounters without consent. A notable moment during the trial was when prosecution witness Michael Ansbach testified that Pearce had said:
“Dead girls don’t talk.”
The CBS 48 Hours special Dead Girls Don’t Talk (March 29, 2025) chronicled the events leading to the deaths and included exclusive interviews with surviving victims, investigators, and family members. The Wrap reported that one survivor, identified as Jackie, described her experience with Pearce, stating:
“I’m a fighter. That’s what I am.”
The jury deliberated for two and a half days before reaching their verdict. David Brian Pearce now faces up to 148 years to life in prison, with sentencing scheduled for March 13, 2025. His co-defendant, Brandt Osborn, faced two charges of being an accessory after the fact, but a mistrial was declared after the jury failed to reach a unanimous decision as per ABC7 (February 5, 2025).
The apartment where the assaults and alleged druggings occurred was under investigation. Surveillance footage, detailed in CBS News’ affidavit review, showed Pearce and Osborn carrying the unconscious women down the back stairs and disguising their identities before dropping them at hospitals.
No fentanyl was found in the apartment, but drug paraphernalia was recovered. Investigators later learned that Osborn told co-workers that the drugs had been hidden beneath cash in the car.
David Brian Pearce denied providing drugs to the women or assaulting them, maintaining that they were clothed and conscious when he moved them. He also claimed the deaths were accidental. However, the jury found the overwhelming pattern of behavior and forensic evidence such as his DNA under Cabrales-Arzola’s fingernails compelling.
Despite multiple previous arrests and allegations, David Brian Pearce had evaded serious legal consequences until the Giles and Cabrales-Arzola case brought renewed attention to his history. CBS News noted that Erica Bergman, who had interacted with Pearce years prior, had tried warning others online in 2013, citing similar experiences.
The February 2025 conviction marked a turning point in holding David Brian Pearce accountable not just for two tragic deaths but for a history of abuse, deception, and exploitation.
“This is a tragedy. But maybe this was the way to stop them,” said Hilda’s mother, Dr. Hilda Marcela Arzola-Plascencia.
As highlighted in 48 Hours, the impact on the victims’ families was immense.
Stay tuned for more updates.
