In a heartbreaking development that has stunned the music industry and gripped the nation, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has identified the decomposed body found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to rising singer D4vd as that of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas, a teenager reported missing from Lake Elsinore, California, since April 2024. The discovery, made on September 8, 2025, at a Hollywood tow yard after reports of a foul odor, has thrust the 20-year-old artist, born David Anthony Burke, into the center of a chilling investigation. As details emerge about Rivas’ tragic fate and D4vd’s connection to the case, fans, family, and authorities are grappling with unanswered questions, a deepening mystery, and the profound loss of a young life cut short.

Celeste Rivas, a vibrant 15-year-old from Riverside County, was last seen on April 5, 2024, when she was just 13. Described by friends as “bubbly and sweet,” with dreams of becoming a makeup artist, Rivas was a typical teen who loved TikTok, fashion, and spending time with her tight-knit group of friends. Her disappearance sparked a desperate search, with her mother, Maria Hernandez, distributing missing person flyers across Lake Elsinore, a city 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles. The flyers noted Rivas’ distinctive features: 5 feet 2 inches tall, 71 pounds, with wavy black hair and a unique tattoo on her right index finger reading “Shhhh…” That tattoo, along with forensic analysis, became the key to identifying her remains, offering a bittersweet resolution to a family’s year-long nightmare but raising haunting questions about how she ended up in the singer’s car.

D4vd, whose stage name is pronounced “David,” burst onto the music scene in 2022 with his viral hit “Romantic Homicide,” a melancholic track that amassed over 179 million YouTube views and propelled him to sign with Darkroom and Interscope Records. Born in Queens, New York, and raised in Houston, Texas, the 20-year-old singer-songwriter carved a niche with his blend of indie, R&B, and alt-pop, earning accolades for songs like “Here With Me” and his debut album Withered, released in April 2025. Before music, he was a Fortnite streamer, turning to songwriting after copyright issues forced him to create original tracks for his videos. His meteoric rise, fueled by TikTok’s algorithm and a loyal fanbase, made him a darling of Gen Z, with 3.8 million followers on the platform and a world tour, the “Withered World Tour,” in full swing when the grim discovery was made.

The Tesla, a black 2023 model registered to D4vd in Hempstead, Texas, was found abandoned in the Hollywood Hills, parked on a quiet street for over a month, according to neighbors. Reported for violating parking rules, it was towed to Hollywood Tow Service on September 6, where it sat for two days before workers noticed a foul odor emanating from the front trunk, or “frunk.” On September 8, LAPD officers arrived and discovered Rivas’ severely decomposed remains wrapped in a plastic bag, a detail that underscored the grim reality of her prolonged time in the vehicle. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed her identity on September 17 through forensic testing, noting she was wearing a tube top, black leggings, a yellow metal chain bracelet, and stud earrings. Her cause of death remains “deferred,” pending further investigation, with authorities unable to determine the time or manner of her passing due to the body’s condition.

The investigation has cast a shadow over D4vd’s burgeoning career. The singer, who was performing in Minneapolis on September 9 as part of his tour, canceled a scheduled show in Seattle on September 17, hours after Rivas’ identity was confirmed. His representative issued a brief statement: “D4vd has been informed about what’s happened and is fully cooperating with the authorities.” Sources close to the investigation revealed that the Tesla was one of several vehicles owned by the artist, often used by associates, complicating efforts to pinpoint who had access to it. On September 18, LAPD executed a search warrant at a Hollywood Hills home where D4vd had reportedly stayed, seizing a computer and other items. Neighbors recalled seeing the Tesla parked in various spots near the property, first in front of the house, then moved to other street locations, suggesting it had been a fixture in the area for weeks.

The case took a particularly poignant turn with revelations from Rivas’ family. Her mother, Maria, told reporters she suspected the remains were Celeste’s after hearing descriptions of the body’s distinctive tattoo. In a tearful interview, she revealed that Celeste had been dating someone named “David” before her disappearance, a name that raised eyebrows given D4vd’s real name, David Anthony Burke. Adding intrigue, both Rivas and D4vd reportedly share a similar “Shhhh…” tattoo on their right index fingers, a detail that has fueled speculation about a possible connection. While celebrities like Rihanna and Lindsay Lohan also sport the same tattoo, the coincidence has sparked intense online debate, with fans and amateur sleuths dissecting D4vd’s social media for clues. A leaked photograph allegedly showing D4vd near Lake Elsinore before Rivas vanished further intensified scrutiny, though no direct link has been confirmed.

The public response has been a mix of grief, outrage, and confusion. Social media platforms, particularly X, have exploded with hashtags like #JusticeForCeleste and #D4vdCase, amassing millions of posts. Fans of D4vd, who affectionately call him “the TikTok troubadour,” are divided: some defend his cooperation with police, pointing to his clean public image and lack of criminal history, while others question his silence beyond the official statement. “He’s not that kind of guy,” one fan tweeted, sharing a clip of D4vd’s emotional performance of “Withered” in Chicago. Others are less forgiving, with comments like, “How does a body end up in your car, and you say nothing? Explain, David.” The tragedy has also hit the music industry hard, with brands like Crocs and Hollister dropping D4vd from their “Dream Drop” campaign, cropping his face from promotional images released just days before the news broke.

For Rivas’ family, the pain is immeasurable. A GoFundMe page, created by a relative named Gisel Vera, has raised over $20,000 for funeral expenses, with a statement reading, “Celeste was a beloved daughter, sister, cousin, and friend. Her family is heartbroken and devastated by this tragic loss.” Her brother, Matthew Rivas, shared that Celeste was on her way to see a movie with him when she vanished, a memory that haunts him. “She was my little sister, always laughing, always shining,” he said, his voice breaking. Friends have remained tight-lipped, overwhelmed by grief, but tributes on social media paint a picture of a girl full of life, whose love for makeup tutorials and dance videos lit up their feeds.

The investigation remains fluid, with no arrests or suspects named as of September 19, 2025. The LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division is leading the probe, following leads that include analyzing Rivas’ movements in the months before her death and examining photos posted online for potential ties to D4vd. Authorities have clarified that the case is not yet classified as a homicide, as the coroner has not determined the cause of death. This ambiguity has only deepened the mystery, with theories ranging from foul play to an accidental tragedy. The Tesla’s prolonged abandonment—parked for over a month in the Hollywood Hills—suggests it may have been overlooked during D4vd’s tour, but questions linger about who drove it last and how Rivas’ remains ended up inside.

D4vd’s career, once on an upward trajectory, now faces uncertainty. His tour, set to continue with stops in San Francisco and Los Angeles, hangs in the balance, with ticket platforms listing upcoming shows as “pending confirmation.” A leaked song titled “Celeste,” posted online shortly after the identification, has added fuel to the speculation, though its authenticity remains unverified. The lyrics, reportedly melancholic and cryptic, have fans wondering if it’s a tribute or a coincidence. Meanwhile, the singer’s social media has gone silent, with comments disabled on recent posts, a stark contrast to his usual engagement with fans.

The tragedy of Celeste Rivas has resonated far beyond Hollywood, highlighting the vulnerability of missing teens and the complexities of fame in the digital age. For her family, the focus is on justice and closure, as they mourn a girl whose light was extinguished too soon. For D4vd, the road ahead is fraught with scrutiny, as he navigates a narrative that intertwines his art with an unthinkable loss. As the investigation unfolds, the world watches, waiting for answers that may bring peace to a grieving family and clarity to a case that has left millions in shock.