Investigators trying to determine Celeste Rivas’ cause of death were clear from the start that the 14-year-old girl’s remains were “severely decomposed” when found hidden in singer D4vd’s Tesla in September. Now, it appears the medical examiner has reason to believe the remains were “refrigerated” somehow before they were wrapped in a black bag in the vehicle’s trunk, a source with knowledge of the investigation tells Rolling Stone.
The source says investigators are “exploring” the theory that the remains were either frozen or refrigerated before the transfer, and they’ve called in outside experts to opine on what potentially happened before a final autopsy is released. It wasn’t immediately clear how freezing or refrigeration might play into a final ruling, but it could make pinpointing a date of death much more difficult.
Rolling Stone reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department for comment.
TMZ was first to report the development in the criminal investigation on Sunday. Citing sources connected to the probe, the outlet said Rivas’ body had been “partially frozen” and apparently had been thawing out while stowed in the Tesla. According to the outlet, Rivas’ head was severed and her limbs were “cut into multiple pieces.” The cause of death “will most likely be ‘undetermined,’” TMZ reported.
Earlier this week, sources told NBC News and ABC7 that D4vd is now considered a suspect in the death of Rivas. The platinum-selling singer, born David Anthony Burke, has not been charged with any crime, and his lawyer has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
Burke was out of state on a national concert tour when police made the grisly discovery of Rivas’ remains on Sept. 8. The girl’s body was found after staff at a tow yard in Hollywood reported that the vehicle was “emanating a foul odor and attracting flies,” according to a search warrant affidavit obtained by Rolling Stone.
Rivas, who would have turned 15 years old the day before she was discovered, had been reported missing by her family on multiple occasions in 2024, according to online missing person fliers. The teen’s mother reportedly told TMZ that her daughter had a “boyfriend” named David, and photos and video purportedly showing Rivas and Burke together or at the same events have circulated on social media.
The impounded Tesla was towed from an affluent area in the Hollywood Hills known as the Bird Streets. Neighbors there previously told Rolling Stone that it had been seen in various locations around the neighborhood as far back as May. They said the vehicle had been sitting in the spot from which it was towed for at least three weeks.
After Rivas was identified, law enforcement searched a house on Doheny Place, around the block from where the car was towed. The home’s owner later confirmed to Rolling Stone that the residence had been rented to Burke’s manager, Josh Marshall, last year, starting in February 2024.
Burke, 20, has not commented publicly on the teen’s death. A day after the remains were found, he performed at a show in Minneapolis. The rest of his tour was later canceled, and fashion companies Crocs and Hollister pulled back on a campaign that featured Burke modeling a collaboration between the popular brands.