Dismembered remains in pop star D4vd’s Tesla identified as missing 15-year-old

The dismembered remains found inside the front trunk of a Tesla registered to pop singer David Anthony Burke, known as D4vd, have been identified as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas, who disappeared from Lake Elsinore, California, in April 2024, authorities and media reports said.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed the victim’s identity earlier this week, according to media reports. Los Angeles Police Department investigators discovered the decomposing remains after receiving complaints about a foul odor coming from the impounded vehicle; the body was placed in a bag inside the car’s front trunk, police said.

Police said the Tesla, which bore Texas license plates, had been abandoned in the Hollywood Hills before being towed to an impound lot where officers later detected the odor. The vehicle is registered to Burke, a 20-year-old musician who is currently on a world tour, but investigators have not said who was driving or in possession of the car when the body was placed inside.

Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division are handling the investigation. Detectives have not released details on a cause of death or whether any arrests have been made. Police said it remained unclear whether the vehicle had been lent to someone, stolen, or otherwise used by another party prior to the discovery.

Media reports and law enforcement descriptions matched details provided by Rivas’s mother to outlets. The mother told TMZ that she believed her daughter fit the police description and said Rivas had a boyfriend named David. Authorities had described the victim as a female about 5 feet 1 inch tall, weighing roughly 71 pounds, with black hair and a tattoo on her right index finger that read "Shhh..." Police said the remains were found wearing a tube top, black leggings, a metal stud earring and a metal bracelet in the shape of the letter "W." ABC7 Los Angeles earlier reported that the victim was believed to be between 14 and 15 years old.

Burke’s representatives notified him of the discovery, and a spokesperson told local media that he was cooperating with investigators while continuing tour commitments. Burke, who rose to prominence with songs including "Here with Me" and "Romantic Homicide," has not posted to his Instagram grid since promoting a deluxe edition of his debut album in early September.

The case has drawn attention because of Burke’s public profile and the unusual circumstances of the discovery. Police reiterated that the presence of the vehicle in the impound lot preceded the discovery of the remains and that the investigation is active. Detectives urged anyone with information about Rivas’s disappearance or the circumstances surrounding the vehicle to contact the LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division.

Rivas was reported missing from the Lake Elsinore area in April 2024. Authorities have not publicly connected her disappearance to any suspects or provided a timeline linking the abduction to the later discovery in Los Angeles. The investigation continues as the medical examiner completes any further examinations required for the death investigation and as detectives pursue leads related to the vehicle’s movements and custody prior to the impoundment.