A macabre Hollywood death mystery has stunned America after the mutilated remains of a missing teenage girl were discovered in a luxury car linked to a chart-topping singer.

Celeste Rivas Hernandez, described as a ‘studious’ and ‘intelligent’ schoolgirl, vanished from her suburban family home in May 2024, aged just 13.

Her decomposed body was discovered earlier this month in the Hollywood Hills, wrapped in plastic and hidden inside a Tesla registered in the name of David Anthony Burke, a viral music star known as D4vd.

While police have opened a homicide investigation, no arrests have been made and Burke, 20, has not been named as a suspect or person of interest.

Yet the chilling discovery has sparked frenzied speculation online and a torrent of conspiracy theories all obsessing over one question: what really happened to Celeste?

‘Sweet’ and ‘studious’ Celeste grew up in Lake Elsinore, a suburban city located 76 miles from where her decomposed remains were uncovered on September 8.

She had been reported missing from the family home in May 2024 aged 13 – after previous brief disappearances – and her whereabouts thereafter remained a mystery.

Her brother, Matthew Rivas, claimed she left home to see a film with Burke – whose songs have been streamed more than three billion times on Spotify – and never came back.

+7
View gallery

D4vd and late teen Celeste Rivas Hernandez said to be in a resurfaced picture together

+7
View gallery

D4vd attends the Coperni Womenswear Fall/Winter 2025-2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week

+7
View gallery

Celeste, described as a ‘studious’ and ‘intelligent’ schoolgirl, vanished from her suburban family home in May 2024, aged just 13

Mr Rivas claimed Burke would regularly pick his younger sister up in the same Tesla in which she would later be found dead.

Two sources close to Celeste’s family claimed Burke had been in an underage relationship with the teenager.

The Daily Mail previously revealed how one of those sources claimed the musician had first made contact with Celeste through social media when she was aged just ’11 or 12′.

Though Celeste’s body was discovered a day after her 15th birthday, officials described her body as ‘severely decomposed’, suggesting she died while aged just 14.

The dented black 2023 Tesla Model Y in which her body was found was impounded on September 5, having been abandoned a short distance from a four-bedroom mansion where Burke had been living.

Workers at a Hollywood tow yard raised the alarm after noticing a ‘foul odour’ coming from the vehicle.

The 5ft 2ins teen was found wearing a tube top with black leggings and a yellow bracelet with similar metal stud earrings.

+7
View gallery

Billie Eilish and D4vd attend Support + Feed’s 2023 fall fundraiser at APB/NikuNashi on October 24, 2023 in Los Angeles, California

+7
View gallery

D4vd and popstar Raye. The rapper, known as D4vd, shot to fame on TikTok after making soundtracks for video games

Celeste’s cause of death has not been revealed. Her partial remains have since been released back to her family.

Burke, 20, was on the US leg of his Withered World Tour when the grisly discovery was made.

The rapper, known as D4vd, shot to fame on TikTok after making soundtracks for video games.

His rapid rise culminated in national television appearances, a coveted slot at Coachella, and tours alongside singer SZA.

Images show the platinum-selling singer rubbing shoulders with the likes of Billie Eilish, Rosalia and producer Benny Blanco.

Burke, who received a $3m record advance aged 17, had been on a tour promoting his debut album, ‘Withered’, when Celeste’s body was found.

The rest of the schedule – including dates in Europe, the UK, and Australia – has now been suspended indefinitely.

When the discovery of Celeste’s remains were first made, a representative for the singer claimed he was helping police.

Burke subsequently hired powerhouse Hollywood lawyer Blair Berk, who has yet to issue a public statement.

+7
View gallery

Officials said Celeste had been ‘inside the vehicle for an extended period of time before being found’ and her reportedly dismembered body was ‘severely decomposed’

His 2022 song Romantic Homicide, which features the line ‘I killed you and I didn’t even regret it’ has subsequently rebounded up the music charts as fans and sleuths dissect his songs for hints.

Detectives now face the difficult task of piecing together the 16 months between Celeste’s disappearance and the grim discovery in Burke’s car.

Officials said Celeste had been ‘inside the vehicle for an extended period of time before being found’ and her reportedly dismembered body was ‘severely decomposed’.

Investigators are also examining the nature of the relationship between the teenager and the rapper, after family members alleged Celeste and Burke were romantically involved.

Both were reported to have matching tattoos reading: ‘Shhh…’ in red ink, though other stars have the same tattoo, including Rihanna and Lindsay Lohan.

Police have searched the $4.1m (£3.5m) Hollywood Hills mansion Burke had been renting – a property once occupied by Halle Berry – and removed electronics and boxes. The singer’s manager has since cancelled his $20,000-a-month lease.

No suspects or persons of interest have yet been publicly named and this week an LAPD spokesperson simply described the investigation as ‘ongoing’.

Burke, who boasts two million Instagram followers, has not been accused of any wrongdoing and is ‘fully cooperating with the authorities’.

However, he has been dropped from brand campaigns with footwear company Crocs and fashion brand Hollister.

In the absence of official answers, social media detectives have filled the vacuum.

+7
View gallery

Celeste’s mother claimed that her daughter had been dating someone called ‘David’

Some claim to have uncovered an unreleased track allegedly recorded by Burke titled Celeste Demo unfin. The song, leaked online, appears to reference a girl named Celeste – though its authenticity has not been confirmed.

The singer’s dark stage persona has fuelled intrigue, with D4vd performing alongside a casket and also featuring in a video in which one blood-soaked version of his body carries another into a trunk.

Numerous images have since emerged on social media, purporting to show Celeste and Burke together during the time she was reported missing.

One photo purports to show Burke and a teenage girl believed to be Celeste sitting side by side in a green booth.

Speaking to TMZ, unnamed friends who ‘frequently’ partied with Burke and Celeste said they believed the pair to be ‘romantically involved’.

They described the singer as ‘a very gentle person’ and said Celeste seemed to ‘mirror’ Burke’s shyness.

Celeste’s mother meanwhile claimed that her daughter had been dating someone called ‘David’.

Former Department of Justice prosecutor Neama Rahmani described the mounting evidence as ‘staggering’ and said it was ‘shocking’ no-one had yet been arrested.

He said: ‘Whenever they find a body in your car, that’s not good. And when it’s been dismembered, it’s even worse – and that’s without considering everything else we’ve heard in this case.

‘So it’s shocking to me that nobody has been arrested – but I expect that to change within days. It’s just a matter of time.’

He added: ‘There are so many possibilities here: that she died from other causes like an overdose, and someone tried to conceal it, but there’s also a lot of bad evidence in this case, too.

‘Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.’

Neighbours, meanwhile, painted a picture of two young people who kept to themselves.

A man who lives next to the Hollywood Hills home where Burke had been staying told how he often saw Celeste and the singer together.

‘They were with each other all the time. I thought they were just kids, like 18 or 19 years old. I had no idea anything was wrong.

‘Any time I tried to talk to them, they weren’t very engaging.’

Meanwhile, friends of the singer claim that Celeste had fake IDs and they believed her to be 19-year old who studied at the University of Southern California (USC).

TMZ reporter Charlie Neff said: ‘Everything he did in his life, she kind of seemed to follow.

‘No one really questioned much about her background…they just knew her as this college student who went to USC.’

The owner of the rental home, Mladen Trifunovic, said Burke’s manager had signed the lease but recently asked to end the agreement.

He said: ‘They didn’t want to be there anymore because of the ongoing circumstances. I had no idea what was going on until police searched the house.

‘This has all been such a big shock. I’m still trying to process everything, and I’m anxiously waiting for the story to conclude itself.’

Despite the feverish speculation, major gaps remain.

It is unclear when an autopsy will be completed and the precise cause of Celeste’s death known.

Her movements in the months after she went missing are also unclear. Some residents in Lake Elsinore reported seeing her after her disappearance was logged in May 2024.

It is also not known what Tesla’s inbuilt cameras may have recorded.

Detectives have reportedly seized electronic devices from the rented home but have not revealed what was recovered.

Police say they are ‘following up on several leads’ but Mr Rahmani warned progress may be slow.

He claimed it could take the LAPD up to eight months to prepare a report for a basic road or traffic accident.

‘Obviously, a murder is a very different type of case, but I haven’t dealt with a law enforcement agency as slow as LAPD

‘There is a lot of criticism of the LAPD for this exact reason’