Rapper D4vd is now considered a suspect in the death of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas, whose body was found in his Tesla. Authorities are classifying Rivas’s death as a homicide.
Meanwhile, a memorial for Rivas continues to grow outside her family home in Lake Elsinore, California. The tribute honors the teenager, who was found deceased in September.
Photographs obtained show a sign on a wire fence that reads "Justice for Celeste Rivas." Plush toys, including Minnie Mouse and Hello Kitty dolls, surround the display along with flowers.
Numerous prayer candles have also been placed on the street. The community previously held a vigil in the public thoroughfare in September.
Rivas was found dead on September 8, 2025. Her body was inside a Tesla belonging to D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke. The car had been abandoned near a home the musician rented in Hollywood, California.
Rivas was reported missing last year. Sources indicate she had been dating D4vd, who is 20 years old. Rivas’s mother confirmed her daughter had a boyfriend named David when contacted by TMZ.
D4vd was on tour when Rivas’s body was discovered. All remaining tour dates were subsequently canceled.
His record label, Interscope, halted all promotion for the deluxe album release of Withered. D4vd initially released the album in April; the deluxe version was scheduled for mid-September. D4vd has been releasing music since 2021, with his hit "Romantic Homicide" coming out in 2022.
In September, the Los Angeles Police Department searched D4vd’s rented residence. They seized a computer and several other items.
Rivas’s death certificate, issued September 29, listed the cause of death as pending. This was due to an ongoing investigation and awaiting toxicology results. An autopsy had been performed, and it was clarified that Rivas was not pregnant at the time of her death.
On November 18, TMZ reported that authorities consider D4vd a "suspect." They also view Rivas’s death as a "homicide." The investigation suggests D4vd made a trip from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara in the spring. He reportedly stayed for hours at a "remote" location in Santa Barbara County.
TMZ further reported on November 22 that the exact cause of death might never be determined. This is due to the condition of the body. Rivas had reportedly been decapitated, dismembered, and "partially frozen." The Tesla was moved to a tow yard after neighbors complained about an odor. It was there that Rivas’s body was found.
A police source informed NBC4 that D4vd "has not cooperated in the investigation."
D4vd has not publicly commented on the matter. He has hired prominent attorney Blair Berk for representation. Berk has previously represented high-profile clients including Mel Gibson, Harvey Weinstein, and Lindsay Lohan.
The Los Angeles Police Department stated, "This is an ongoing investigation and detectives are not commenting." No arrests have been made in connection with the investigation.