D4vd case: autopsy delay fuels questions after 15-year-old Celeste Rivas found in Tesla

Authorities are under mounting pressure to explain why singer D4vd has not been arrested after investigators found a dismembered body inside a Tesla registered in his name. The remains were identified as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas and were found in a bag in the car's front trunk at a Hollywood impound lot on September 8. The car had never been reported stolen, and Rivas had been missing for more than a year. Rivas reportedly shared a matching tattoo with D4vd, and her mother told investigators her daughter's boyfriend was allegedly named David. The 19-year-old musician, best known for his breakout hit Romantic Homicide, initially continued touring but has since canceled the remainder of his shows. Police also raided a home connected to him. While authorities pursue leads, D4vd has not been named a suspect, a development lawyers say is not unusual at this stage of an investigation.

Authorities have not publicly charged D4vd in connection with Rivas's death. Legal experts told The Daily Mail that the lack of an arrest or formal designation of a suspect often hinges on the autopsy results. Kevin Angelo Brown, a criminologist and professor at Arkansas State University, said prosecutors must confirm the death is a homicide before filing murder charges. He noted that if the autopsy concludes the death was natural or a suicide, prosecutors would need to pursue a different legal route. He added that transporting a body in a car could raise other charges such as obstruction of justice or improper disposal, but those offenses typically rely on forensic confirmation before a homicide case can proceed. Yosi Yahoudai, co-founder and managing partner at &Y Law, echoed the point, emphasizing that without a confirmed cause and manner of death, naming suspects or seeking arrests would be risky and potentially inadmissible.

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Time also complicates such cases. Brown noted that when the body is found long after death, investigators may have more difficulty assembling sufficient evidence to secure an arrest, partly because suspects may have had time to discard or alter key traces. The police are believed to be gathering forensic evidence from the vehicle and from items seized in the raid, including electronics. Investigators are likely testing for DNA, fingerprints, digital communications, and physical traces such as blood. Narrowing down the date of Rivas's death will be critical to ruling suspects in or out, as it could establish an alibi or a direct link to D4vd. At this stage, experts say much of the information available is circumstantial—the tattoo match, a rumored romantic relationship, and an unreleased song referencing Celeste raise questions but do not constitute proof of wrongdoing.

For now, officials say cooperation from D4vd could influence public perception, and it may affect the speed and direction of the investigation. Brown emphasized that while collaboration can help create a narrative of innocence in the court of public opinion, it does not shield a suspect from charges if forensic or documentary evidence supports them. Yahoudai suggested that investigators might deliberately withhold certain information to avoid tipping off anyone who could provide statements or alter their conduct in ways that would hinder the case. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner is conducting the autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death, and the results could shift the trajectory of the investigation and any potential charges. As the case unfolds, legal observers cautioned that a future trial could hinge on how sharply forensic findings align with digital traces, witness statements, and the music and public imagery surrounding the artist.