Shocking Discovery in Hollywood: Singer D4vd Under Scrutiny After Teen’s Decomposed Remains Found in His Tesla – Investigation Deepens, But No Arrest Yet
Updated: September 23, 2025
A routine foul odor complaint at a Hollywood tow yard on September 8, 2025, has spiraled into a chilling investigation linking rising alt-pop sensation D4vd (real name David Anthony Burke) to the death of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a missing teen from Lake Elsinore, California. The severely decomposed and dismembered body – wrapped in plastic and stashed in the front trunk of a black Tesla registered to the 20-year-old singer – was identified by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office on September 17, confirming it belonged to Rivas, who vanished on April 5, 2024, at age 13. While police stress the case remains a “death investigation” pending a cause of death, eerie connections – from matching tattoos to alleged intimate photos – have ignited global speculation, tour cancellations, and demands for justice from Rivas’s grieving community.
The Gruesome Find: From Tow Yard Stench to Nightmare Revelation
Workers at Hollywood Tow, near Mansfield Avenue and Romaine Street, gagged over a “thick sour presence” emanating from the abandoned Tesla, which had sat impounded for two days after being towed from the upscale Bird Streets in the Hollywood Hills. Southern California’s relentless heat had accelerated decomposition, leaking fluids from the sealed frunk (front trunk). Officers pried it open to discover the horror: Rivas’s remains, about 5-foot-1 with wavy black hair, clad in a tube top and black leggings, plus a distinctive “Shhh…” tattoo on her right index finger – a detail her mother flagged to TMZ as a match.
The body, estimated to have been inside for “an extended period” – possibly over a month based on decomposition – was hacked apart and bagged, complicating autopsy efforts. Toxicology and full analysis are ongoing, with no official cause or manner of death yet ruled – a key reason no homicide classification or arrests have followed. The Tesla, sporting Texas plates and registered to Burke in Hempstead, TX, had been spotted drifting between curbs in the exclusive neighborhood for days, blending into LA’s “abandoned riches” before towing.
Rivas, described by neighbors as “always quiet, nice” – often grabbing chips and soda en route to school – was last seen walking with her backpack near a bus stop in Lake Elsinore, 70 miles southeast of LA. Flyers blanketed her street, but leads dried up until this bombshell. Her family, who told TMZ her boyfriend was “named David,” has since gone silent amid grief, though a vigil in Lake Elsinore on September 22 drew dozens chanting “She deserves justice.”
D4vd’s Shadow: Tattoos, Lyrics, and Leaked “Confessions” Fuel Suspicion
Burke, a Houston native who exploded from TikTok bedroom sessions to 33 million monthly Spotify listeners with brooding hits like “Romantic Homicide” (lines: “In the back of my mind, I killed you and I don’t even regret it”) and “Here With Me,” now faces a microscope on his “morbid” aesthetic. Stage props like caskets, bloody handprint merch, and condolence guest books – once edgy theater – now scream foreshadowing to online sleuths.
The “Shhh…” tattoo? Rivas had it; Burke’s appeared weeks post-disappearance, per fan timelines – though popularized by Rihanna, the synchronicity stings. Rumors of an unreleased track titled “Celeste” and a leaked demo with lyrics like “Run away from home, all in the name of love… Run into my loving arms. Why am I so afraid?” have gone viral, interpreted as a “confession” pressuring her to flee. Recent raids uncovered alleged intimate photos of Burke and Rivas on seized devices from a $20K/month Hollywood Hills rental he abruptly vacated – the same address where the Tesla was parked and later searched for 12 hours, yielding electronics and potential blood evidence.
X (formerly Twitter) erupts with theories: Was the car’s “midnight journeys” – shifting spots like a “scavenger hunt” – a panicked cover-up or taunt? Whispers of multiple victims, cult ties, or label complicity swirl in subreddits and Discord, amplified by Burke’s silence. Legal experts note no arrest grounds exist without a death ruling, but “receipts” like deleted DMs and vanished TikToks could change that.
Career Implosion: Tours Scrapped, Labels Scramble
The fallout hit like a blackout. Interscope/Geffen (under Universal) halted promo for Burke’s “Withered” deluxe edition, due September 19 – now scrubbed from streaming. Brands like Crocs and Hollister yanked campaigns; merch with “creepy” bloody prints vanished. His Withered World Tour – North America, Europe, Australia – collapsed: San Francisco, LA, and Grammy Museum gigs erased; refunds issued quietly. Insiders whisper of “scorched earth” PR: execs trading panicked calls, allegedly eyeing evidence buys to “control the narrative.”
A rep insists Burke is “fully cooperating” from tour spots, but cancellations scream damage control. LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division, handling high-profile cases, combs Rivas’s socials for her path to the Hills – flyers show her curly-haired innocence, now shattered. Neighbors recall the rental’s “noise complaints” and “shadowy figures,” plus a bizarre music video shot there weeks prior, showing a body in a trunk.
Justice for Celeste: Community Demands Answers
Rivas’s loved ones, heartbroken, decry the “ripple effect” on her future – a “sweet child” who deserved more than this abyss. As X buzzes with sleuthing (#CelesteRivas trends) and backlash (fans ditching streams amid “pedophile” accusations), the probe intensifies: Was this obsession turned deadly, or tragic coincidence? Police vow: “We’re getting to the bottom.” With life sentences looming if foul play’s proven, this “golden boy” tale darkens daily. The family deserves truth – and Hollywood’s secrets rarely stay buried. 👀
