Authorities in Los Angeles have identified the decomposing body found in a car registered to singer David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, as that of a missing 15-year-old girl. The grim discovery was made on 8 September after police were called to a tow yard in Hollywood following reports of a foul odor coming from a Tesla that had been impounded.
The victim has been identified as Celeste Rivas, a teenager from Lake Elsinore, California, who was last seen in April 2024. At the time of her disappearance, she was just 13 years old. Investigators said the Tesla had been abandoned in the Hollywood Hills and later towed to the yard, where it remained for several days before the body was found inside the trunk.
According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office, the remains were in an advanced state of decomposition, suggesting Rivas had been dead for a considerable period of time. The description noted the victim was 5ft 2in tall, with wavy black hair, and was wearing a tube top and black leggings. A small tattoo reading “Shhh” was also found on her right index finger, aiding in identification.
Law enforcement sources cited by NBC News reported that the remains were “not intact,” further complicating efforts to determine the cause and time of death. Investigators have not yet released details on how long the girl may have been deceased before her body was discovered.
The Tesla in which the remains were discovered carries Texas license plates and is officially registered to 20-year-old Burke, who rose to fame as D4vd through his viral tracks Here With Me and Romantic Homicide. Police confirmed that the singer has been cooperating fully with the investigation.
At the time of the discovery, D4vd was on tour promoting his debut album, which was released in April. His scheduled performance in Seattle last week was abruptly canceled following news of the investigation. Fans expressed shock on social media as details surrounding the case emerged, though police have not suggested any wrongdoing on the part of the artist.
The unsettling case has raised questions about how the car came to be abandoned and who may have placed the body inside. Authorities have yet to clarify whether there is any connection between Rivas and the vehicle’s registered owner, or if the car may have been accessed by other individuals before it was impounded.
As the investigation continues, police are appealing for anyone with information about Rivas’ disappearance or the abandoned Tesla to come forward. The case remains under active review by both the Los Angeles Police Department and the county medical examiner’s office.
