Topline: A Los Angeles Police Department captain reveals the condition of the missing teen’s body when found in a Tesla belonging to musician d4vd.
Published: November 25, 2025 7:00 pm ET
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Celeste Rivas Hernandez, David Anthony Burke aka d4vd (via GoFundMe/Getty)
LOS ANGELES, CA —A Los Angeles police captain refuted online rumors about the condition of Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s body when discovered in musician d4vd’s Tesla.
Capt. Scot Williams, who leads the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division, told People magazine that speculation about the teen being frozen or decapitated was false.
“Celeste’s body was not frozen,” Williams said. “She was not decapitated. The whole frozen thing doesn’t even make sense. Her body was in the car for weeks.”
Williams added that even if the body had been frozen before being placed in the vehicle — for which there is no evidence — the conditions in Los Angeles would have made that impossible.
“Even if she had been frozen solid when she was put in the car, five or more weeks in the trunk of a car in sweltering heat in the middle of summer would not have resulted in a partially frozen body being discovered on September 8,” he said.
Rivas Hernandez, who had been reported missing from her Lake Elsinore home on April 5, was found Sept. 8, one day after her 15th birthday. Her remains were located in an impounded Tesla in the Hollywood Hills, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
A police source confirmed to People that Burke was identified last week as a suspect in the case. No charges have been filed, and investigators say the singer has not been cooperative. Burke’s representative previously told NBC Los Angeles that he was “fully cooperating” with authorities.
D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, was reportedly on tour when the girl’s body was found. Detectives served a search warrant in September at a Hollywood Hills residence where Burke had been staying. The cause and manner of Rivas Hernandez’s death remain undetermined.
On Nov. 24, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner announced that a court order had placed a security hold on the case, blocking the release of records including the autopsy report. Officials said information will be made public once the order is lifted.
Williams said Rivas Hernandez had likely been dead for several weeks before her body was found, highlighting the challenges investigators faced. The LAPD continues to examine the five-month gap between her disappearance and the discovery of her remains.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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LAPD Captain Refutes Claim That Celeste Rivas-Hernandez’s Body Was ‘Frozen’
A Los Angeles Police Department captain reveals the condition of the missing teen’s body when found in a Tesla belonging to musician d4vd.
By Kate Byrd
Published: November 25, 2025 7:00 pm ET
Celeste Rivas Hernandez, David Anthony Burke aka d4vd (via GoFundMe/Getty)
LOS ANGELES, CA —A Los Angeles police captain refuted online rumors about the condition of Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s body when discovered in musician d4vd’s Tesla.
Capt. Scot Williams, who leads the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division, told People magazine that speculation about the teen being frozen or decapitated was false.
“Celeste’s body was not frozen,” Williams said. “She was not decapitated. The whole frozen thing doesn’t even make sense. Her body was in the car for weeks.”
Williams added that even if the body had been frozen before being placed in the vehicle — for which there is no evidence — the conditions in Los Angeles would have made that impossible.
“Even if she had been frozen solid when she was put in the car, five or more weeks in the trunk of a car in sweltering heat in the middle of summer would not have resulted in a partially frozen body being discovered on September 8,” he said.
Rivas Hernandez, who had been reported missing from her Lake Elsinore home on April 5, was found Sept. 8, one day after her 15th birthday. Her remains were located in an impounded Tesla in the Hollywood Hills, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
A police source confirmed to People that Burke was identified last week as a suspect in the case. No charges have been filed, and investigators say the singer has not been cooperative. Burke’s representative previously told NBC Los Angeles that he was “fully cooperating” with authorities.
D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, was reportedly on tour when the girl’s body was found. Detectives served a search warrant in September at a Hollywood Hills residence where Burke had been staying. The cause and manner of Rivas Hernandez’s death remain undetermined.
On Nov. 24, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner announced that a court order had placed a security hold on the case, blocking the release of records including the autopsy report. Officials said information will be made public once the order is lifted.
Williams said Rivas Hernandez had likely been dead for several weeks before her body was found, highlighting the challenges investigators faced. The LAPD continues to examine the five-month gap between her disappearance and the discovery of her remains.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
LAPD Captain Refutes Claim That Celeste Rivas-Hernandez’s Body Was ‘Frozen’
A Los Angeles Police Department captain reveals the condition of the missing teen’s body when found in a Tesla belonging to musician d4vd.
By Kate Byrd
Published: November 25, 2025 7:00 pm ET
Celeste Rivas Hernandez, David Anthony Burke aka d4vd (via GoFundMe/Getty)
LOS ANGELES, CA —A Los Angeles police captain refuted online rumors about the condition of Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s body when discovered in musician d4vd’s Tesla.
Capt. Scot Williams, who leads the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division, told People magazine that speculation about the teen being frozen or decapitated was false.
“Celeste’s body was not frozen,” Williams said. “She was not decapitated. The whole frozen thing doesn’t even make sense. Her body was in the car for weeks.”
Williams added that even if the body had been frozen before being placed in the vehicle — for which there is no evidence — the conditions in Los Angeles would have made that impossible.
“Even if she had been frozen solid when she was put in the car, five or more weeks in the trunk of a car in sweltering heat in the middle of summer would not have resulted in a partially frozen body being discovered on September 8,” he said.
Rivas Hernandez, who had been reported missing from her Lake Elsinore home on April 5, was found Sept. 8, one day after her 15th birthday. Her remains were located in an impounded Tesla in the Hollywood Hills, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
A police source confirmed to People that Burke was identified last week as a suspect in the case. No charges have been filed, and investigators say the singer has not been cooperative. Burke’s representative previously told NBC Los Angeles that he was “fully cooperating” with authorities.
D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, was reportedly on tour when the girl’s body was found. Detectives served a search warrant in September at a Hollywood Hills residence where Burke had been staying. The cause and manner of Rivas Hernandez’s death remain undetermined.
On Nov. 24, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner announced that a court order had placed a security hold on the case, blocking the release of records including the autopsy report. Officials said information will be made public once the order is lifted.
Williams said Rivas Hernandez had likely been dead for several weeks before her body was found, highlighting the challenges investigators faced. The LAPD continues to examine the five-month gap between her disappearance and the discovery of her remains.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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