D4vd has been classified as a suspect in the Celeste Rivas case. What investigators are now checking and which findings are crucial – read here.
D4vd is being treated by the police as a suspect in the case of teenager Celeste Rivas, who was found dead – several media outlets reported this independently, citing a source close to the Los Angeles Police Department.
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D4vd: Cooperative or uncooperative?
As TMZ reported, there are no official documents that classify D4vd as a suspect – but “investigators consider D4vd to be a suspect,” according to a source. “NBC News” also consistently refers to an insider “with direct knowledge of the investigation,” according to whom D4vd was identified as a suspect. It remains unclear whether this is the same source.
“NBC Los Angeles” also reports that D4vd, whose real name is David Burke, was uncooperative, according to the source. Burke’s lawyers have not yet responded to a request from NBC for comment. A spokesman for the singer had previously emphasized that he was “cooperating fully with the authorities.”
Cause of death still not officially confirmed
According to the coroner’s office, the cause and circumstances of Celeste Rivas’ death remain “open.” This means that it is still not officially confirmed whether Celeste Rivas’ death was a murder. However, TMZ, citing a source, has reported that police are treating Rivas’ death as a homicide, although the medical examiner’s office has not yet made a final determination on the cause or circumstances of death. The investigators are probably still waiting for the toxicology results.
Body found in September, missing for over a year
On September 8, the LAPD found a dismembered and badly decomposed body in a Tesla at a tow yard in Hollywood, later identified as Celeste Rivas. The car was registered D4vd.
Rivas had previously disappeared for over a year. She was last seen in Lake Elsinore, California on April 5, 2025 and was subsequently reported missing. She was said to have been dead for several weeks by the time her body was found. She would have been 15 years old the day before she was found.
Relationship unconfirmed
In an interview with TMZ, Rivas’ mother explained that she immediately thought the discovery of the Tesla was suspicious because her daughter’s boyfriend was supposedly named David. There was also speculation on social media about a possible relationship between D4vd and Celeste, who must have been 13 or 14 years old at the time.
What was also brought up is the fact that D4vd has a tattoo of the letters “Shhh” on one finger – as does Celeste Rivas. However, this motif is widespread among celebrities and music enthusiasts. While indications of possible connections between Rivas and Burke initially accumulated, an actual relationship or even a personal acquaintance was never confirmed beyond doubt.
Manager’s house examined for traces
Nevertheless, D4vd repeatedly became the focus of the investigation. In September, in connection with the murder investigation, the police searched the rental house of D4vd’s manager, where D4vd also apparently lived. Unconfirmed sources suggested that police may be considering the house as a possible crime scene.
The house, which is not far from where the body was found, was rented to Josh Marshall, D4vd’s manager, at the time the body was found. According to TMZ, the LAPD homicide unit searched the building for traces of blood and took a computer and several bags of evidence.