Hollywood Producer Gets 146 Years for Murders and Assaults

A Hollywood producer has been sentenced to 146 years to life in prison for the 2021 fentanyl overdose deaths of model Christy Giles and her friend, architect Hilda Cabrales-Arzola.

David Brian Pearce, 42, was convicted in February of two counts of first-degree murder, along with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault involving seven other women. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office confirmed the sentence on Wednesday, October 29.

“The defendant is a rapist and now he is a murderer,” prosecutor Seth Carmack said during the trial, according to KNX News.

The Deadly Night in 2021

Prosecutors said Pearce met Giles, 24, and Cabrales-Arzola, 26, at a warehouse party in East Los Angeles in the early morning hours of November 13, 2021. The women later accompanied Pearce and others to his Beverly Hills apartment around 5 a.m., where prosecutors say Pearce provided the victims with GHB and fentanyl.

Cabrales-Arzola reportedly called a rideshare within 35 minutes of arriving at Pearce’s apartment, but never took the ride. Hours later, both women were found outside separate Los Angeles hospitals.

Giles was discovered lifeless on the sidewalk outside Southern California Hospital in Culver City, while Cabrales-Arzola was found unconscious outside Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center. Police said both women were left there by Pearce and his roommate, actor Brandt Osborn.

Toxicology reports later showed that Giles had a lethal combination of cocaine, fentanyl, ketamine, and GHB in her system. Cabrales-Arzola’s blood contained cocaine, ecstasy, and other unidentified drugs. She suffered multiple organ failure and was removed from life support days later.

Mother’s Devastating Discovery

In a heartbreaking interview with CBS 48 Hours, Giles’ mother, Leslie Giles, recalled receiving the devastating call from hospital staff.

“I was just told, ‘I’m very sorry to inform you, Ms. Giles... But she was dropped off at our hospital on the outside, kind of like a bag of garbage,’” she said. “And I said, ‘What do you mean she didn’t make it?’”

The family later learned that the case was being treated as a criminal investigation, leading to Pearce’s arrest and eventual conviction.

Pattern of Abuse Spanning Years

Pearce’s conviction extended beyond the two murder charges. According to the district attorney’s office, he was also found guilty of sexually assaulting seven women between 2007 and 2021. Prosecutors said Pearce used drugs like GHB and fentanyl to incapacitate his victims, calling his behavior “predatory” and “calculated.”

Deputy District Attorney Seth Carmack told jurors that Pearce “drugged the women to facilitate the sexual assault,” adding that his actions showed a repeated pattern of targeting vulnerable women for exploitation.

Pearce was first charged in July 2022 in connection with the drug-related deaths of Giles and Cabrales-Arzola. Over the following two years, more victims came forward, leading to the expanded list of sexual assault charges.

Co-Defendant Faces Retrial

Pearce’s roommate, actor Brandt Osborn, was charged with two counts of being an accessory after the fact. He allegedly helped transport the unconscious women from Pearce’s apartment to the hospitals.

A judge declared a mistrial in Osborn’s case earlier this year, according to ABC7. Prosecutors are expected to pursue a retrial.

Justice After Years of Outrage

The deaths of Giles and Cabrales-Arzola sparked national outrage and renewed attention to the risks of drug-facilitated sexual assault in nightlife settings. Both women were remembered by friends and family as ambitious and full of life—Giles as a rising model and Cabrales-Arzola as a talented architect who had recently moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón praised the verdict, saying Pearce’s life sentence “ensures he will never harm another woman again.”

Pearce, who maintained his innocence throughout the trial, did not address the court at sentencing.

With his conviction, the years-long case that began with two mysterious deaths in 2021 has come to a close, though the pain left behind for the victims’ families remains immeasurable.