LOS ANGELES – The body of Celeste Rivas, the 15-year-old missing teen found dead in the trunk of singer D4vd’s Tesla, was released back to her family on Tuesday, Sept. 23, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.
What we know:
According to the medical examiner’s report, Rivas’ date of death is Sept. 8 and her place of death is listed as “vehicle.” The cause of her death is “deferred,” which means it is pending additional investigation.
The backstory:
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Rivas’ dismembered remains were discovered in a Hollywood towyard on Sept. 8 — a day after her 15th birthday.
Employees had called police to report a strong odor emanating from the car.
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When police arrived, they discovered the body wrapped in a bag inside the Tesla’s trunk.
The LAPD said the Tesla was impounded and towed to the yard by the city Department of Transportation because it was parked on a public street for more than 72 hours.
Neighbors said the Tesla had been moved several times over the past three months before it was found on Bluebird Avenue.
On Sept. 17, detectives with the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division served a search warrant at a Hollywood Hills home believed to be occupied by D4vd. It is located not far from where the Tesla was found. A computer and several bags of evidence were recovered from the home. D4vd has reportedly removed his belongings from the $20,000 a month rental.
Dig deeper:
Rivas was 13 when she was reported missing last year in Lake Elsinore.
TMZ’ Charles Latibeaudiere told FOX 11 they received a tip and reached out to Rivas’ mom, who told them that all she knew was that her daughter was dating someone named “David”, although she’d never seen the boy. Rivas’ mother told the publication her daughter had been missing for more than a year, and she was suspicious of the remains found in the Tesla.
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Rivas and D4vd both shared matching “Sshhh…” tattoos on their index fingers.
At this time, police have not named D4vd as a person of interest or suspect in the case and say he is cooperating with the investigation.
What we know:
Amid the ongoing investigation, D4vd canceled the remainder of his “Withered” world tour both in the U.S. and abroad. He was also dropped by Crocs and Hollister just days after he was announced as the face of their “Dream Drop” collaboration.
Additionally, all promotion of his music has been pulled by UMG and Interscope. A deluxe version of his album was meant to come out last week when the news broke.
As the investigation continues into Rivas’ death, many continue to analyze D4vd’s songs, with some people drawing parallels between his lyrics and violent imagery as possible breadcrumbs to the missing teen’s murder.
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Resurfaced video of D4vd’s interview with Mahogany back in March has resurfaced and is making the rounds online.
In the video, D4vd explains the origin of his alter ego in his most popular song, “Romantic Homicide.”
In the interview, D4vd described himself as an anime fan and at one point was writing his own manga series about a detective with a murderous alter ego solving the very murders he committed. The detective’s name was Itami, which means “pain” in Japanese.
“A big part of that manga was an evil version of me named ‘Itami,’ which means ‘pain’ in Japanese, and he wears a blindfold. He’s basically an agent of chaos and kind of my alter ego,” said the singer.
Some noted the resemblance of the woman in the video to Rivas, and the date of its release coinciding with Rivas’ birthday.
TMZ reports in a song leaked in Dec. 2023 titled “Celeste_Demounfin,” D4vd sings about a girl named Celeste.
“Oh Celeste / The girl with my name tattooed on her chest / I hear her voice each time I take a breath / I’m obsessed.”
Burke and Rivas also shared matching “Sshhh” tattoos on their right index fingers.
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Some are also pointing to another music video in which a body is being dragged and put into the trunk of a car.
Last week, an alleged former teacher of Rivas’ was caught on camera allegedly showing a photo of her to his students. He also identified another student of his standing with D4vd in a viral photo taken near where Rivas lived.
The teacher, who remains unidentified, told TMZ that both students attended Lakeland Village Middle School in Lake Elsinore, where he no longer works.
“When I taught her, she met this dude on social media. He was a rapper in LA,” he said in the video, referring to Rivas and D4vd. “He came and got her. She ran away from home. She was gone for, like, a month. The cops found her in Hollywood, brought her back to our school.”
After Rivas allegedly told her classmates the story, she disappeared again in May 2024, he said. Following this second disappearance, the teacher said his students told him the artist, presumably D4vd, was being blackmailed.
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That was the last time he heard about Rivas.
The teacher told TMZ he shared the story with his students as a “cautionary tale” about the dangers of social media.
What we don’t know:
Rivas’ cause of death is under investigation.
The nature of her relationship with D4vd is unknown.
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And while some have suggested a possible connection between his music and the crime, no official link has been established.
What they’re saying:
D4vd has not commented on the investigation.
Rivas’ family has also remained relatively quiet as the case remains open.
What you can do:
If anyone has any information about this investigation, they are urged to contact Robbery-Homicide Division (213) 486-6890 or LA Crime Stoppers at (213) 484-6700.
What’s next:
Rivas’ funeral is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 4, according to a GoFundMe reportedly organized by a family member. Further details on the service were not released.
FOX 11 has reached out to GoFundMe to confirm the validity of the fundraiser.
The Source: Information for this story is compiled from multiple sources, including the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner’s website, official statements from the Los Angeles Police Department, TMZ, and previous FOX 11 reports to provide additional context.
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