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Investigators trying to determine the cause of Celeste Rivas’ death made it clear from the start that the 14-year-old girl’s remains were badly decomposed when they were found hidden in singer D4vd’s Tesla in September. Now the coroner appears to have reason to believe that the remains were somehow refrigerated before being wrapped in a black bag in the trunk of the vehicle, a source with knowledge of the investigation told ROLLING STONE.
The source says investigators are exploring the theory that the remains were either frozen or refrigerated before being transported. They have brought in outside experts to provide an assessment of what may have happened before a final autopsy report is released. It was not immediately clear what role freezing or refrigeration might play in the final assessment, but this could make determining the time of death significantly more difficult. ROLLING STONE reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department for comment.
TMZ was first to report this development in the criminal investigation on Sunday. Citing sources familiar with the investigation, the media reported that Rivas’ body was partially frozen and appeared to have thawed while stored in the Tesla. According to the medium, Rivas’ head was severed and her limbs were cut into several pieces. The cause of death is most likely considered undetermined, TMZ reported.
D4vd is now considered a suspect
Earlier this week, sources told NBC News and ABC7 that D4vd is now considered a suspect in Rivas’ death. The platinum-selling singer, born David Anthony Burke, has not been charged and his lawyer has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
Burke was out of state on a national concert tour when police made the grisly discovery of Rivas’ remains on Sept. 8. The girl’s body was found after employees at a Hollywood tow yard reported that the vehicle gave off a foul odor and attracted flies, according to a search affidavit viewed by ROLLING STONE.
Rivas, who would have turned 15 the day before her discovery, had been reported missing by her family several times in 2024, according to online missing person reports. The teen’s mother reportedly told TMZ that her daughter had a boyfriend named David, and photos and videos purporting to show Rivas and Burke together or at the same events have been circulating on social media.
Vehicle found in Hollywood Hills
The seized Tesla was towed from an affluent area in the Hollywood Hills known as Bird Streets. Neighbors there previously told Rolling Stone that it had been seen in various locations in the neighborhood since May. They said the vehicle had been sitting at the location from which it was towed for at least three weeks.
After Rivas was identified, law enforcement officers searched a home on Doheny Place, around the corner from where the car was towed. The home’s owner later confirmed to Rolling Stone that the residence had been rented to Burke’s manager Josh Marshall last year, starting in February 2024.
Burke, 20, has not publicly commented on the teens’ deaths. The day after the remains were found, he performed at a show in Minneapolis. The remainder of his tour was later canceled, and fashion companies Crocs and Hollister pulled out of a campaign in which Burke modeled a collaboration between the popular brands.