Suvechha Sarkar
CBS’ ’48 Hours: Christy and Hilda’s Last Dance’ revisits a tragic night in November 2021, when 26-year-old Hilda Marcela Cabrales Arzola and 24-year-old Christy Lee Giles went out to party in Los Angeles, California. The following day, they were dropped off outside two different hospitals. Shortly after, both women unfortunately passed away. The investigation revealed that the person responsible for the double homicide was a producer, David Brian Pearce. The episode also features interviews with Hilda and Christy’s loved ones, as well as the officials who revealed that David’s friend, Brandt Osborn, was involved in the crime.
David Pearce First Met Hilda Cabrales Arzola and Christy Giles at a Warehouse Party
David Pearce was born on February 17, 1982, and began his acting career at the age of 16. After working as an actor on ‘Dawson’s Creek,’ he further booked ‘Young Americans.’ Over the years, he shifted his trajectory to establish his own small production company, Granite Rock Films, where he served as a Producer and Filmmaker. In 2006, he worked as a producer on ‘The Valley of Tears’ and ‘American Experience.’ David was also an Associate Producer of ‘Tooth and Nail.’ Reports state that he also claimed to be a talent manager and music mogul. In November 2021, he came under the spotlight regarding the death of 26-year-old Hilda Marcela Cabrales Arzola and 24-year-old Christy Lee Giles.
On November 13, unconscious Christy and Hilda were reportedly dropped off at different hospitals, in a black Toyota Prius with no license plate, by two men. Shortly after, Christy passed away while Hilda was declared brain dead. On November 28, the 26-year-old’s family made the decision to take her off life support. Soon, the toxicology report revealed that they died from a drug overdose, mainly cocaine, and had fentanyl in their system. Court records suggest that Christy’s blood also had gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), which is a rape drug. According to reports, witnesses informed officials that the two men, who dropped the women off, had claimed that they found Christy and Hilda unconscious on the sidewalk while driving.
Investigation reportedly revealed that Christy and Hilda had attended a warehouse party on November 12. According to police records, Christy’s husband, Jan Cilliers, who was out of town, noticed the following morning that Christy’s phone location showed she was at 8641 West Olympic Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. Reports indicate that when Jan informed authorities about the incident, they tracked the location, which led them to the same Prius outside the address. It was uncovered that David lived at the address. As per investigative records, digital forensic experts examined the phones of both women and found that they had met David in the party’s VIP section. The police affidavit states that a witness from the party claimed that he saw David giving Christy and Hilda something like cocaine.
David Didn’t Face Any Charges Regarding the Double Homicide Until 2022
As the investigation continued, authorities discovered a text exchange between Hilda and Christy around 4:21 am on November 13, 2021. As per reports, Hilda wrote, “Do you want Coke?” to which Christy replied, “Yes,” which was followed by another text from Hilda, writing, “I’m in the kitchen. Let’s do a line.” Detectives then checked CCTV footage outside the warehouse, which captured the women leaving with three men 30 minutes later, per records. According to official reports, at around 5:11 am, surveillance footage near David’s apartment captured them arriving in a car. The three men were reportedly identified as David, his roommate Brandt Osborn, and their friend, Michael Ansbach. According to the affidavit, at around 5:30 am, Christy texted Hilda, “Let’s go,” while they were still inside the apartment.
Court records indicate that Hilda replied, “I’ll call an Uber 10 min away.” Further surveillance footage reportedly captured an Uber arriving, but it left after waiting for a while, suggesting that something had happened to Hilda and Christy during those few minutes. Further reports indicate that a witness contacted law enforcement, informing them that she had heard a woman moaning in pain around 10:30 am on November 13, and it continued until around 4:30 pm. Another CCTV footage showed Brandt and David carrying unconscious Christy out of the apartment and into the black Prius 11 hours after she had arrived, as per reports. Official records specify that the footage also captured the two men using sunglasses and masks to disguise themselves before driving the 24-year-old to the hospital.
According to reports, two hours later, David and Brandt transported Hilda to another hospital in a similar manner. Meanwhile, several women had accused David of sexual assault. In December 2021, he was arrested and charged with unrelated offenses of three counts of forcible rape and two counts of sexual penetration by use of force. He was also charged with one count each of rape of an unconscious person and sodomy by use of force. In that same month, Michael and Brandt were also arrested under suspicion of being accessories to manslaughter. Both Brandt and Michael were reportedly released later. Michael was never officially charged by the prosecution in this case. In June 2022, David was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Shortly after, Brandt was also charged with two counts of accessory after the fact.
David is Incarcerated at a California Prison, While Brandt is Out on Probation Today
Following David’s arrest, the prosecution later added three additional unrelated sexual assault charges in 2022. In January 2025, his jury trial finally commenced. During the trial, the prosecution insisted that the defendant provided Christy and Hilda with drugs and had sexually assaulted women who were incapable of providing consent. According to court records, they emphasized that he showed disregard for human life by failing to seek immediate medical care for Hilda and Christy. They also presented testimonies of women who alleged similar encounters with David.
On the other hand, the defense claimed that Christy and Hilda voluntarily consumed drugs, and he didn’t provide them with drugs. They reportedly pointed out that the prior accusers’ testimonies were unrelated to the case. On February 4, 2025, David was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in the double homicide case. Additionally, he was found guilty of three counts of forcible rape, two counts of sexual penetration by force, and one count each of sodomy by force and rape of an unconscious woman in the unrelated sexual assault cases. David was sentenced to 146 years to life in prison on October 29, 2025, and was registered as a sex offender.
The jury trial for Brandt also began in January 2025, but it ended in a mistrial when the jury deadlocked the following month. A new pretrial hearing was scheduled for November 18. Ultimately, on November 24, 2025, he entered a no-contest plea deal on two counts of accessory after the fact. Right after, he was sentenced to two years of probation and 480 hours of community service. Following the judgment, he appears to be maintaining a low profile. David is currently incarcerated at the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo, California.
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