'Dead Girls Don't Talk' — The Chilling Words That Led to a Murder Conviction

A night of partying in Los Angeles took a horrific turn when two young women were dropped off at different hospitals by masked men. One of them, later identified as Hollywood producer David Pearce, is now facing double murder charges as the jury deliberates his fate. What began as a fun night out ended in tragedy for a Hollywood model and her friend, shedding light on the darker, more dangerous side of L.A.'s party scene.

A Deadly Night Out

On Nov. 13, 2021, model Christy Giles, 24, and architect Hilda Cabrales-Arzola, 26, started their evening at Soho House in West Hollywood. Around 1 a.m., they left for an East L.A. warehouse party to see a DJ they both admired.

In hopes to keep the party going, Giles and Cabrales-Arzola joined David Pearce and two other men from the warehouse party to Pearce's apartment on Olympic Boulevard around 5 a.m. However, something seemed off when they arrived. According to their text message exchange, the women attempted to leave and even called an Uber, but they never made it out.

Nearly 12 hours later, Giles and Cabrales-Arzola were dumped outside different hospitals in the city, allegedly by Pearce and his roommate Brandt Osborne. Toxicology reports revealed that Giles had ingested a lethal mix of drugs, including cocaine, fentanyl, and the date-rape drug GHB, while Cabrales-Arzola was also found to have high levels of cocaine and fentanyl in her system.

Giles was found unresponsive outside Southern California Hospital in Culver City and was pronounced dead of an overdose, while Cabrales-Arzola was left at a different hospital, Kaiser Permanente, fighting for her life for over a week before succumbing to organ failure after days in a coma. Autopsy reports revealed lethal amounts of heroin and other substances in their systems, raising suspicions about foul play. Hospital surveillance footage revealed Pearce's car lacked license plates when he transported the women to hospital.

A Web of Deception: Pearce's Denial vs. Prosecutors' Case

Pearce has maintained that he had no direct involvement in the women's overdoses. During his trial, he testified that the women supplied their own drugs and that their deaths were tragic but accidental. His defense team argued that Pearce panicked when the women lost consciousness, leading him and Osborne to dump their bodies outside hospitals instead of calling 911.

However, prosecutors painted a much darker picture of Pearce, arguing that he has a history of drugging and assaulting women and that Giles and Cabrales-Arzola were the latest victims of his predatory behavior. Pearce's DNA was found on both women, including under Cabrales-Arzola's fingernails, suggesting they were drugged and sexually assaulted.

Additionally, seven women have come forward with allegations that Pearce lured them into situations where they were given drugs and assaulted, strengthening the prosecution's case against him.

Key Witness Testimony

During the trial, Michael Ansbach, the prosecution's key witness, stated that Pearce provided laced cocaine at the apartment, which made him so ill he took charcoal tablets the next day to detox. Giles and Cabrales-Arzola used the same batch and never recovered.

Ansbach also stated that Pearce discouraged taking the women to a hospital, fearing legal consequences and reportedly told his roommate, "Dead girls don't talk," according to PEOPLE. Pearce was charged with murder, while Osborn faces charges for being an accessory after the fact for assisting in the transportation of the victims. Ansbach was initially arrested with Pearce and Osborn, but was not charged.

Jan Cillers, Giles' husband, told PEOPLE, "This is just the beginning of the battle," he said. "Even though no amount of justice is ever going to bring her back, hopefully it stops these guys from doing anything else to any other woman."

The Jury's Verdict

On Feb. 4, 2025, the jury found David Brian Pearce guilty on all charges in case, including two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Christy Giles and Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola. He was also convicted of multiple sexual assault charges involving seven victims. Pearce now faces a possible sentence of 148 years to life in state prison and will be required to register as a sex offender for life; his sentencing is scheduled for March 13.

Meanwhile, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision on the two accessory after the fact charges against Osborn. He is set to return to court for a pretrial hearing on March 13.

For the families of the victims of David Pearce, justice is finally served.

References: Wild Night Turns Tragic: 2 Young Women Dead of Overdoses, a Hollywood Producer Charged with Double Murder | Women met him in an L.A. rave's 'drug room.' He says their deaths weren't his fault | Jury Resumes Deliberations for Man Charged in Drug Deaths of Model, Friend | February 5, 2025: Hollywood Producer Convicted of First-Degree Murder in Fentanyl Drugging of Two Women in Beverly Hills in 2021