The body of missing girl Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found in the trunk of a Tesla owned by the artist D4vd (David Anthony Burke) more than a month ago. The police have not yet named a suspect or made any arrests in the ongoing investigation.
On September 8th, workers at a towing yard in Los Angeles found the body after they noticed a bad smell coming from the car that had been towed. The car, which had been towed from the Hollywood Hills neighborhood near a place D4vd had been renting, had the badly decomposed body of Rivas in it. Rivas had been reported missing in 2024.
After finding the evidence, authorities used a search warrant to examine the Hollywood Hills home where D4vd was said to be residing. They found things like security footage. After that, the singer left the property. D4vd is working with the police, even though he hasn’t been designated a suspect yet. He is said to have engaged a top defense counsel.
The Death Cause Puzzle
The lack of a clear cause of death for Rivas Hernandez is a major reason why no arrests have been made yet. Because of how badly the body is decomposing, officials have said that the forensic process is complicated and could take “a few months” to finish.
Chad D. Cummings, a lawyer, talked to The Mirror US and gave an explanation for the delay. He said that detectives are probably “playing the long game,” concentrating on the large amount of evidence they have collected, especially the security footage from D4vd’s Hollywood Hills house. Cummings said that the film, which is probably “time-stamped, motion-activated, and stored offsite,” is being used to “map every entry and exit” at the property.
Another former federal prosecutor said that the lack of an official cause of death ruling, like “homicide,” makes it hard for the authorities to move forward with a normal prosecution. The Los Angeles Police Department has stated that they are still looking into the reason and manner of Rivas Hernandez’s death. They say they don’t know for sure if anyone is “criminally responsible for her death beyond hiding her body.”
D4vd’s Role in the Investigation
D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, is working with the police, but he hasn’t been designated an official suspect, so there’s no way for him to be formally “cleared.” Cummings said that this status makes the singer “exposed” to a lot of media attention because there are no public replies. “He has no safety net.” The expert told Mirror US, “He is a cooperating civilian surrounded by sealed evidence, federal risk, and a body in his car.” The LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division is still looking into the matter and following up on several leads to figure out when Rivas Hernandez died.