David Pearce, a Hollywood producer, was convicted on February 4, 2025, for the 2021 murders of model Christy Giles and architect Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola. The case drew significant attention due to the role of cellphone location sharing in the investigation.
On November 13, 2021, after attending a party in East Los Angeles, Giles and Cabrales-Arzola were found unconscious outside separate hospitals. Giles was dropped off at Southern California Hospital in Culver City, while Cabrales-Arzola was left at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center. Both women had been drugged with substances including fentanyl, leading to their deaths.
Their families became concerned when they noticed the women’s phones moving to unfamiliar locations. Giles’ husband, Jan Cilliers, observed her phone’s location at an unrecognized address, which turned out to be Pearce’s home. This information, along with surveillance footage and other evidence, led to Pearce’s arrest.
Pearce was also found guilty of multiple sexual assaults between 2007 and 2020, involving seven different women. He faces up to life in prison, with sentencing scheduled for March 13, 2025.
For a detailed account of the investigation and trial, you can watch the “48 Hours” episode titled “Dead Girls Don’t Talk.”