Investigators focus on timeline gaps, digital evidence, and key witnesses as the probe into Celeste Rivas’ death and the Tesla registered to singer d4vd intensifies.

September 21, 2025 — The investigation into the death of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas has become one of the most closely watched in recent U.S. true-crime headlines. After her decomposed body was discovered in a Tesla registered to singer David Anthony Burke (aka d4vd), law enforcement has laid out a strategy aimed at answering key unresolved questions about her disappearance, death, and possible connections to the vehicle owner.

What We Know So Far

Celeste Rivas was reported missing in April 2024 from Lake Elsinore, California.

On September 8, 2025, a severely decomposed body was found in the front trunk (“frunk”) of a Tesla impounded in Hollywood after a foul odor was reported. The Tesla is registered to d4vd.

The medical examiner confirmed the body was that of Celeste, and stated she appears to have been deceased inside the vehicle for an extended time.

The cause and manner of death remain undetermined. While LAPD is treating the incident as a death investigation, they have not formally classified it as a homicide until more evidence emerges.

Key Questions Being Posed

The police strategy seems structured around answering a set of critical questions:

When did Celeste die?
Determining the time of death is essential — how long she was in the vehicle, whether she died inside it, or whether she was placed there after death. This helps establish a timeline of events.

How did Celeste come into possession of (or come to be placed in) that vehicle? Who last had access?
An important line of inquiry: the Tesla in question is one among several cars owned by d4vd, and multiple people may have used them. Investigators are exploring who had control or access to the specific vehicle during the period when the car was abandoned in Hollywood Hills.

What is the connection (if any) between Celeste and d4vd?
Investigators are examining photos, social media posts, tattoos, and other evidence that might tie Celeste to d4vd (or demonstrate an acquaintance or relationship). But so far, no definitive public evidence ties d4vd to wrongdoing. He has not been named a suspect but is cooperating.

What evidence can surveillance, digital data, or forensic analysis provide?
To answer who, when, and how, the LAPD is seeking video from the neighborhood (including alleys), locating Ring-cams or other surveillance systems, collecting data from devices seized (computers, phones), and analyzing forensic evidence from the scene and the body.

Why was the car abandoned, and how long before it was discovered?
Understanding where the car was parked, how long it remained there before being reported or towed, and whether it passed through areas with surveillance are all focal points. This helps construct movement paths, possible witnesses, and exposure to risk.

Image Credit: Unsplash

Police Strategy in Action

Here are the tactics law enforcement is using based on available information:

Executing Search Warrants — Authorities searched a home in Hollywood Hills associated with d4vd, seizing electronics & computers for forensic scrutiny.

Surveillance & Video Gathering — Police are canvassing the area where the car was parked, speaking with neighbors, checking surveillance from houses, alleyways, and possibly short-term rentals to locate video capturing the car’s path or who drove it.

Tracing Personal Items & Identifiers — Tattoos, clothing, photos, and other identifying markers are under review to confirm identity and possible connections. Celeste had a “Shhh…” tattoo on her finger; similar tattoos observed in images of d4vd have drawn public interest.

Assessing Access & Ownership — Determining who had use of the Tesla, who drove or parked it, or whether multiple people used the car, to understand potential chain of custody / opportunity.

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What Is Not Yet Known

The police have not named d4vd as a suspect in public statements.

The cause of death has yet to be released. Toxicology and autopsy reports are pending.

Exact timeline when Celeste was last seen alive, where she was, with whom, remains under investigation.

Implications & What to Watch

If surveillance or digital evidence (e.g. photos, social media, device metadata) connect Celeste to someone who had access to the Tesla, that might lead to persons of interest.

Forensic results (time of death, toxicology, etc.) will be key in either confirming or ruling out possible scenarios (such as accidental, foul play, or other causes).

Depending on what evidence emerges, charges might be filed or persons implicated.

Public interest, media coverage, and reputational stakes for d4vd are high; legal strategy and public statements will likely be sensitive.

Conclusion

While many questions remain in the Celeste Rivas case, investigators have begun to lay down a methodical strategy aimed at uncovering when, how, and by whom she died. So far, the evidence has raised more questions than answers — but the pieces are being collected: surveillance footage, digital traces, forensic analysis, access to the car, and mapping Celeste’s final movements. Whether these will lead strongly toward a suspect or suspects remains to be seen.