Teen's Body Found in D4vd's Tesla: New Timeline Reveals 9-Month Gap Before Discovery

Her body was found in the trunk of a Tesla. She hadn’t been seen since January. And now, nearly nine months later, the world is learning just how long Celeste Rivas Hernandez was missing — and how little is still known about what happened to her. The case, tied to rising pop artist D4vd — real name David Anthony Burke — has exploded into a chilling mystery that spans Hollywood Hills mansions, music industry machinery, and a silence so deep it feels intentional.

The Last Confirmed Day

Private investigator Steve Fischer, hired by the unnamed owner of a luxury home in Hollywood Hills, confirmed to ABC7 Eyewitness News that January 2, 2025, was the last verified time Celeste Rivas Hernandez was alive. No one has seen her since. No texts. No social media posts. No credit card swipes. Just silence. The body was discovered in the trunk of a Tesla Inc. vehicle registered to D4vd — weeks before October 24, 2025, the date the story broke. That means her remains sat in that car, possibly for months, while the singer and his team kept posting, performing, and promoting new music.

"He wants to understand exactly what may have happened and if his house played a role in any way," Fischer said, referring to the homeowner. That detail alone raises more questions than answers. Why would a private owner hire an investigator unless they suspected something? Why wasn’t the landlord alerted sooner? And why, if the body was found weeks ago, did it take until October for any of this to surface?

The House, The Manager, The Label

The Hollywood Hills home where D4vd lived was rented by his manager — a representative of Interscope Records, the Santa Monica-based powerhouse behind his rise. Interscope, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, signed D4vd in 2023 after his TikTok-driven breakout with songs like "Cry for Me" and "Burning Bridges." By 2024, he had over 20 million monthly Spotify listeners and a cult following built on moody visuals and cryptic lyrics.

But behind the scenes, the machinery was quietly turning. Fischer’s investigation suggests D4vd’s entourage — including his manager and possibly others — controlled access to the property. No one from Interscope has commented publicly. No police statement has been released. The LAPD hasn’t confirmed whether they’ve opened a formal case, though sources tell SFGate that D4vd has been named a suspect. The lack of transparency is as unsettling as the facts themselves.

Why No Arrest Yet?

"An arrest is not close," Men’s Journal reported — a phrase that carries weight. In cases like this, when a suspect is named early, arrests usually follow within days or weeks. The fact that it hasn’t happened suggests either insufficient evidence, a complex chain of custody, or perhaps a legal strategy to avoid premature charges.

Investigators are reportedly poring over digital footprints: D4vd’s phone logs, location data from his Tesla, timestamps from security cameras around the Hollywood Hills property, and social media activity from both D4vd and Hernandez in the weeks before January 2. The singer’s online presence — once constant — vanished abruptly in late January. His Instagram went dark. His TikTok uploads stopped. His Spotify playlist updates ceased. It wasn’t just a break. It was a blackout.

What’s unclear is whether Hernandez was a guest, an employee, or someone with a personal connection to D4vd. Her age hasn’t been disclosed. Her family hasn’t spoken. No funeral has been announced. The absence of her loved ones in the public narrative is deafening.

The Ripple Effect

This isn’t just about one tragic death. It’s about how fame shields power — and how the music industry’s infrastructure can obscure accountability. Interscope didn’t just sign D4vd. They built him. They gave him a home, a team, a platform. And now, questions are swirling: Did they know? Did they cover it up? Did they enable a culture of silence?

Similar cases haunt the industry. In 2021, rapper XXXTentacion’s associate was charged in the death of a woman found in his car — a case that took over a year to resolve. In 2023, a producer linked to a pop star was investigated after a young woman’s body was found in a rented SUV. In each case, the public only learned the truth after months — sometimes years — of silence.

Here, the timeline is even more disturbing. Nine months. That’s longer than most college semesters. Long enough for a person to be forgotten. Long enough for evidence to degrade. Long enough for digital trails to vanish.

What Comes Next?

Authorities are expected to issue a subpoena for D4vd’s devices, including his Tesla’s internal data logs, which could reveal driving patterns, cabin activity, and even voice recordings. The LAPD will likely request access to Interscope’s internal communications — emails, texts, meeting notes — from January through October. If the manager who rented the house is found to have knowingly concealed information, charges could extend beyond D4vd.

Meanwhile, fans are divided. Some still defend him, calling the allegations "unproven." Others are deleting his music. One TikTok user posted a video of her crying while deleting "Cry for Me," writing: "I thought his songs were about pain. Now I wonder if they were about guilt."

Until the coroner releases the cause of death — and until someone from Interscope speaks — the world is left with two chilling facts: Celeste Rivas Hernandez was alive on January 2. And then, she simply disappeared.