A decomposing body found in a car registered to singer D4vd has been identified as a missing 15 year old girl, US authorities say.
Police officers discovered the remains of Celeste Rivas inside the boot of the impounded Tesla on 8 September, after responding to reports of a foul smell at the Hollywood tow yard in Los Angeles. Authorities said both the cause and time of her death remained unknown.
Rivas, from Lake Elsinore in California, was 13 at the time of her disappearance and was last seen on 5 April 2024, according to a missing person flyer cited by CBS, the BBC’s US partner.
Earlier, officers said the Tesla was likely to have been at the Hollywood tow yard for “a couple of days” before the remains were found. The car, which has a Texas licence plate, was towed from the Hollywood Hills after it was abandoned five days earlier. The vehicle is registered to 20 year old David Anthony Burke, the official name of singer D4vd.
Last week, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said the person whose remains were discovered was 5ft 2in tall, had wavy black hair and was wearing a tube top and black leggings. It added that the remains had a tattoo on the right index finger that read “Shhh.”
The remains were not intact and it appeared the girl had been dead for an extended period of time, according to law enforcement sources cited by NBC News.
D4vd, who has millions of followers on social media, is best known for his viral hits Here With Me and Romantic Homicide. He released his debut album in April and was on tour when the remains were found in the Tesla. The tour’s scheduled show in Seattle on Wednesday was cancelled.
Police say D4vd is co operating with the investigation.
Investigation Details and Timeline Questions
As investigators continue to piece together what happened, attention has focused heavily on the timeline between Rivas’ disappearance in April 2024 and the discovery of her remains in September 2025. Law enforcement sources have indicated that establishing when the teenager died is central to the investigation, but decomposition and the condition of the remains have made that determination difficult.
The discovery at the Hollywood tow yard came after staff reportedly noticed a strong odor coming from the impounded vehicle. Tow yard employees alerted authorities, prompting officers to inspect the Tesla, where they found human remains in the trunk. Officials have since confirmed that the vehicle had been sitting at the facility for only a short period before the discovery, though the exact duration is still being clarified.
Investigators are also examining how the car came to be abandoned in the Hollywood Hills days before it was towed. According to law enforcement accounts, the Tesla was left unattended before being removed by authorities as part of standard procedures for abandoned vehicles. This has raised additional questions about the movements of the car in the days leading up to its impoundment.
Identification and Forensic Findings
The identification of Celeste Rivas Hernandez was confirmed through forensic methods after the discovery, with officials relying on a combination of physical characteristics and investigative records. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s description, including height, hair type and clothing, helped confirm her identity alongside missing persons reports filed after her disappearance.
The presence of a distinctive tattoo reading “Shhh” on her right index finger has also been noted as a key identifying detail. Forensic specialists have reportedly been working to determine how long the body had been in the condition in which it was found, though officials have not released a definitive estimate.
Law enforcement sources cited in US media reports have said that the remains were significantly decomposed, suggesting the possibility that the victim had been deceased for an extended period before discovery. However, authorities have stressed that scientific analysis is still ongoing and that conclusions about the timing and cause of death will require further testing.
D4vd’s rising profile in the music industry has intensified public interest in the case. Known for viral success on streaming platforms and social media, he had recently completed a debut album release and was in the middle of touring when the discovery was made. Several scheduled performances were subsequently cancelled, including a show in Seattle.
Police have stated that the singer is cooperating with investigators, though they have not publicly commented on the nature or extent of his involvement in interviews or evidence gathering. At this stage, no charges have been filed, and authorities have not indicated whether any suspects are formally being considered.
The case remains under active investigation, with multiple agencies involved in reviewing forensic evidence, vehicle history, and communication records connected to both the victim and the registered owner of the car. Officials have said that further updates will be provided as the medical examination and investigative processes continue.
For now, many questions remain unanswered, particularly around how Celeste Rivas ended up in the vehicle, what led to her death, and whether criminal responsibility will ultimately be established as the case moves forward.
This article was first published on BBC
