In a case that has gripped both the music world and the wider public, the tragic discovery of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas' decomposed body inside a Tesla registered to rising singer D4vd has set off a labyrinthine investigation in Los Angeles. The story, which began with a missing person report in April 2024, has now raised urgent questions about celebrity, security, and the unpredictable intersections of fame and misfortune.
Celeste Rivas, a teenager from Lake Elsinore, California, vanished in April 2024. According to NBC Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Times, she was just 13 at the time of her disappearance. For nearly 18 months, her family and local authorities searched for answers. That search ended in heartbreak on September 8, 2025, when her remains were found inside a black Tesla at a Hollywood tow yard, as reported by ABC News and The Hollywood Reporter.
The vehicle, impounded after being abandoned for several days in the Hollywood Hills, was registered to David Anthony Burke—better known by his stage name, D4vd. The 20-year-old singer-songwriter, whose meteoric rise began with viral hits on TikTok and Spotify, found himself at the center of a police investigation that has yet to yield clear answers.
The circumstances of Rivas’ death remain shrouded in mystery. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office, in a statement cited by The Hollywood Reporter, said, "The deceased was found severely decomposed inside a vehicle. She appears to have been deceased inside the vehicle for an extended period of time before being found." The body was reportedly discovered after a foul odor led tow yard employees to inspect the Tesla’s trunk. The remains were found inside a bag, adding another layer of grim uncertainty to the case, as detailed by the Los Angeles Times.
Identification came through a distinctive tattoo on Rivas’ right index finger that read "Shhh..."—a detail her mother recognized and relayed to TMZ, which was later confirmed by the medical examiner. She was wearing a tube top and black leggings, with wavy black hair, a stud earring, and a yellow metal chain bracelet at the time of discovery, according to the official report. The cause and manner of death are still pending, with the medical examiner’s office noting that the examination is taking longer than usual due to the advanced decomposition of the remains.
The Tesla at the center of the investigation is just one of several vehicles owned by D4vd, as confirmed by a senior LAPD source to ABC News. The car, which bore Texas license plates, had reportedly been used by various people at different times—a fact that has complicated the investigation. Law enforcement sources told reporters that the vehicle had been abandoned in the Hollywood Hills about five days before it was impounded. The LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division is leading the case, but as of now, it has not been officially classified as a homicide since the cause of death remains undetermined.
In the wake of the discovery, D4vd canceled the remaining dates of his U.S. tour, including high-profile shows in Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, as documented by ABC News and The Hollywood Reporter. The European leg of his "Withered" world tour, which was scheduled to begin on October 1, also appears to be in jeopardy, with many dates now listed as canceled. The cancellations followed a search of D4vd’s Hollywood Hills residence, where police executed a warrant and collected electronic devices and computers, according to sources cited by the Los Angeles Times.
Despite the swirling speculation, authorities have made it clear that D4vd is cooperating fully with investigators. "Local authorities have not implicated d4vd in her death," reported NBC Los Angeles. No person of interest has been named, and the investigation continues to focus on retracing Rivas’ final days and any potential connection to the singer. Detectives are reviewing photos from 2024 and examining any digital traces that might shed light on why Rivas was in the area and how she ended up in the vehicle.
The singer’s representatives and legal team have not responded to repeated requests for comment from multiple outlets, including The Hollywood Reporter and ABC News. At the same time, brands associated with D4vd, such as Crocs and Hollister, have distanced themselves, removing campaign content featuring the artist while the investigation is ongoing. "We are aware of this developing story. With respect to the current situation, we have removed campaign content featuring D4vd while the investigation continues," the brands said in a joint statement to Footwear News.
D4vd’s rise to fame has been nothing short of meteoric. Born in Queens, New York, and raised in Houston, he first gained attention with the song "Romantic Homicide," which went viral on TikTok and reached No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. His debut album, Withered, released in April 2025 on Darkroom and Interscope Records, peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 and has racked up more than 521 million streams on Spotify. The tour supporting the album was marked by theatrical flourishes—fans were greeted by a casket and guest book at the venue entrance, and D4vd would sometimes perform in a shirt covered in bloody handprints and a blindfold, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Celeste Rivas’ family, meanwhile, is grappling with unimaginable grief. Her brother, Matthew Rivas, told NBCLA that the family was aware she knew D4vd. He recalled that on the day she disappeared, she was supposed to go see a movie with him but never returned. The family has not issued a public statement beyond confirming their loss, and a GoFundMe page has been set up to assist with funeral expenses.
As the investigation unfolds, the story has sparked widespread debate about the responsibilities of public figures, the vulnerabilities of young fans, and the unpredictable consequences of online fame. For now, many questions remain unanswered. Why was Celeste Rivas in that car? How did her life intersect with D4vd’s orbit? And what, if anything, could have been done to prevent such a tragedy?
With the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division continuing its work and the medical examiner’s office still determining the cause of death, the case remains open—and the search for the truth continues.
