The investigation into the death of teenager Celeste Rivas Hernandez has taken dramatic new turns, with the Los Angeles Police Department obtaining a court order preventing the release of her autopsy details, while a private investigator has disclosed findings that challenge disturbing claims about the state of her remains.
Discovery and Disturbing Allegations
Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who vanished after running away from her Lake Elsinore home in April 2024, was found dead on September 8 inside an impounded Tesla registered to musician D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke. The grim discovery came just one day after what would have been her 15th birthday.
In the subsequent days, detectives raided Burke's $4.1 million Hollywood Hills rental property, seizing what they described as 'several items of evidence', though no further details were released.
Over the weekend, anonymous law enforcement sources told TMZ that Rivas's remains had allegedly been frozen, decapitated, and cut into pieces. The outlet reported that body parts were still 'partially frozen' when recovered from the Tesla, which had been sitting in an impound lot for more than 48 hours.
Private Investigator Challenges Narrative
Steve Fischer, a private investigator hired by the property's landlord to independently review the case, told the Daily Mail he found no evidence supporting claims about a freezer large enough to 'store a body' at Burke's home.
'The freezer still had its shelves installed, along with food and beverage items that had clearly been there for months,' said Fischer. 'I tested key areas of interest in and around the home with Luminol and BlueStar for blood evidence and did not get any positive results.'
Fischer added that he uncovered no evidence suggesting a violent crime had occurred at the rental home, though he previously indicated finding strange items that could potentially be used to dispose of a body.
Legal Battle Over Transparency
Amid the escalating speculation, the LAPD has obtained a court order forbidding the LA County Medical Examiner's Office from releasing any details from the girl's autopsy. Her case has also been removed from the Medical Examiner's website.
The security hold means that no records or details associated with the case, including the cause and manner of death, can be released until the order is lifted.
In a prepared statement, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey Ukpo appeared to speak out against the order. '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 Ukpo.
'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 effect.'
LAPD Capt. Mike Bland told the Times that the purpose of the court order is to ensure the LAPD receives the information before the public does, emphasizing that this remains an ongoing investigation by the Robbery Homicide Division.
Unanswered Questions and Ongoing Investigation
For months, the LAPD has declined to publicly name the singer - or anyone else - as a suspect in the case, suggesting they are unsure whether any crime had taken place beyond concealment of a body. However, sources close to the investigation indicate that Burke is being treated as a suspect internally.
A police source told PEOPLE that Burke, 20, has not yet been interviewed by detectives, and there remains uncertainty about what crimes he and any potential accomplices may have committed.
'We are working to determine if her death was a murder or something else,' that source said, adding that the time of death for Rivas has also not been confirmed. 'Springtime is the closest we've come to determining the time of her death. Not before then.'
Detectives are also investigating whether more than one person may have been involved in the alleged dismemberment and disposal of Rivas's remains. TMZ reported that detectives are looking into a trip Burke made to a remote area of Santa Barbara County in spring 2025, in the middle of the night, where he reportedly spent several hours.
The LAPD has not confirmed any known ties between Rivas and Burke, but the matter is said to be central to the investigation. Sources close to the girl told the Daily Mail that the pair were in an illicit relationship, first making contact via social media when Rivas was just 11 or 12.
Fischer has been reviewing surveillance footage to piece together a timeline of the black Tesla's final movements. He told the Daily Mail the footage shows the car - dented and covered in mud - was last moved on July 29 and clearly shows the driver's face, whom he has identified but declines to name.
Burke moved out of the Hollywood Hills rental within days of the police raid, and his current whereabouts are not known. The singer has not issued any public statements about Rivas's death, nor has his prominent Hollywood crisis attorney, Blair Berk.
