Celeste Rivas case: Teen’s body reportedly found ‘partially frozen’ in D4vd's Tesla
Celeste Rivas Hernandez's body 'partially frozen' when discovered
Disturbing new details have been revealed in the case of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
LOS ANGELES - Editor’s note: The details in this story may be disturbing to some readers. Discretion is advised.
LOS ANGELES – New details have emerged in the case of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the 15-year-old whose body was found in a Tesla registered to singer D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke.
What we know:
TMZ reported that the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner may not be able to determine a cause of death because Rivas Hernandez's body was found in a frozen state.
Sources told the entertainment news outlet that the body was allegedly decapitated, the limbs had been removed and cut into pieces, while the torso was intact. The body parts were reportedly "partially frozen" and thawing out before they were discovered by authorities on Sept. 8. Her dismembered remains were found after employees at a Hollywood tow yard reported a foul odor coming from the Tesla.
TMZ reported that D4vd has been viewed as a suspect in the case, although he has remained cooperative in the investigation.
However, a recent report from People alleged that D4vd has not been cooperative since the beginning.
In early October, the singer hired Blair Berk, a top Hollywood criminal defense attorney, amid the investigation. While he has reportedly been viewed as a suspect, no arrests have been made.
RELATED: D4vd hires Hollywood's top criminal defense attorney amid Celeste Rivas death investigation
Security hold placed on the Medical Examiner's case
The case details for Rivas Hernandez have been removed from the medical examiner’s website, which TMZ’s Harvey Levin said is likely due to a security hold.
This was later confirmed by officials, who said on Friday, Nov. 21, the LA County Medical Examiner received a court order from the Los Angeles Police Department to place a security hold on the case. Therefore, no records or details, including the cause and manner of death can be posted on the website until further notice.
"The Department’s mission is to have full transparency with the community by providing information about our cases to empower people to make changes that save lives," said Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey Ukpo. "Since becoming the department head, I’ve worked on eradicating the practice of placing security holds on Medical Examiner cases simply by law enforcement request. The practice of security holds is virtually unheard of in other counties and has not been proven to improve outcomes in the legal system. We are dedicated to serving our community with full transparency; however, the law precludes us from doing so while the court order remains in this case."
A previous request for a security hold was denied in September.
Celeste Rivas case: Hold placed on info regarding cause of death
The LA County Medical Examiner said police have obtained a court order preventing the release of any information regarding the investigation into the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose body was found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to singer D4vd.
Second Suspect Identified
Mark Geragos revealed on a recent episode of the "2 Angry Men" podcast with Levin that a second suspect has been identified, who allegedly has a connection to dismembering the teen’s body. "They’ve got this thing down to a timeline that’s almost down to the minute triangulated down to the location," Geragos said. "It’s social media, cell phone, Tesla… it’s other GPS tracking devices."
The statements made by Geragos mirror what a private investigator hired in the case has reported. Steve Fischer, the P.I. hired by the owner of the Hollywood Hills home where singer D4vd once resided, said the timeline has been key in the case. From what Fischer pieced together, the last photos of the teen were taken in January 2025.
RELATED: Celeste Rivas Hernandez case: Private investigator reveals date last photos of teen were taken
As more details emerge, those close to the case allege there were more people involved.
"They have believed since the beginning there was more than one person involved," Geragos said.
Last month, Fischer revealed surveillance footage made it "very clear" who was the last person to park D4vd’s Tesla in a Hollywood Hills neighborhood, near the home the singer was leasing, before it was towed.
The identity of the alleged second suspect has not been publicly released.
Teen’s Body Possibly Dismembered in Santa Barbara County: TMZ
Levin reported on the podcast that D4vd took a trip to a remote part of Santa Barbara County for several hours. "What we were told by multiple sources is they believe more than one person dismembered the body," Levin said. "They may have done this in Santa Barbara County and the reason there may be another suspect is there’s cell phone data. But I think more important, there might be Tesla video."
"The LAPD, we’re told, has gained access to that data and clearly that video," Levin said. "I don’t think they took Celeste to Santa Barbara County and killed her, if that’s indeed what happened to Celeste. Whatever happened probably happened somewhere else, maybe in L.A., and the body was taken to Santa Barbara County and maybe the body was dismembered there. Now, what I can’t answer is how does it then end up in his trunk? And that’s what I can’t figure out," Levin said.
"I’m told it wasn’t just the trip itself, it was the confirmation of the social media," Geragos said.
The backstory:
The Tesla registered to D4vd was towed after authorities said it was parked illegally in the affluent Bird Streets neighborhood of the Hollywood Hills. On Sept. 8, workers at a Hollywood tow yard detected a foul odor coming from the vehicle.
Rivas Hernandez was reported missing from Lake Elsinore on April 5, 2024, when she was 13.
D4vd was on tour at the time her body was discovered. However, the "Withered" world tour was canceled in the wake of the investigation. In addition, he has since moved out of the Hollywood Hills and transferred the deeds of his Texas homes to his mother.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: D4vd moves out of $20,000 a month Hollywood Hills rental amid homicide investigation
D4vd has yet to release a statement
The other side:
Since the teen’s body was discovered, D4vd has gone silent. He has not released a public statement or posted on his social media channels since the launch of the investigation.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Celeste Rivas: Video from former teacher could be 'smoking gun' in case
- Celeste Rivas believed to be 19-year-old USC student, D4vd's friends say: report
- D4vd explains idea for his music's murderous alter ego in resurfaced clip
The Source: The information in this article is based on reports from TMZ, the "2 Angry Men" podcast, and People, as well as statements made by legal experts Mark Geragos and Steve Fischer. These sources provide detailed insights into the investigation surrounding Celeste Rivas Hernandez's case and the involvement of singer D4vd.