Los Angeles police have hit a wall in their probe into the death of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose remains were discovered in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to rising R&B artist D4vd, real name David Anthony Burke. As of November 10, 2025, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office has yet to determine a cause or manner of death, leading authorities to suggest that any potential charges could be limited to a misdemeanor for concealing human remains under California law. The case, which erupted in September, continues to grip the public with its unanswered questions about the teen’s final weeks and possible ties to the 20-year-old singer.

Hernandez’s body was found on September 8, 2025, at a Hollywood tow yard after employees reported a foul odor emanating from the black 2023 Tesla Model 3, which had been impounded on August 28 following a parking ticket on a Hollywood Hills street. The vehicle, registered to Burke in Hempstead, Texas, sat abandoned for weeks near a rental property he had leased with his manager, Josh Marshall. Inside a black plastic bag in the front trunk—where the frunk is located—investigators uncovered the teen’s decomposed remains, which required over a week for positive identification due to advanced decomposition. LAPD Captain Scot M. Williams told People magazine that experts believe she had been deceased for several weeks prior, possibly since early August or before.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office had logged Hernandez as missing three times in 2024, with the final report on April 5. The seventh-grader from Lake Elsinore, about 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles, had a history of runaways, including an incident where she was located in Hollywood after a month away. Her mother, Maria Hernandez, told TMZ that Celeste had left home in 2024 at age 13 after connecting online with someone named “David,” and shared a photo of a matching tattoo the teen had with Burke—a small design on her wrist. Police records obtained by ABC7 show deputies visited the family home 11 times between February 2024 and April 2025 for welfare checks and missing person reports, painting a picture of ongoing concerns.

Burke, known for breakout hits like “Romantic Homicide” and his 2024 album Withered, has not been named a suspect or charged in connection with the case. The LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division executed a search warrant at the Hollywood Hills rental shortly after the discovery, seizing electronics including a computer, but no arrests followed. Burke vacated the property days later, breaking the lease early, according to the LA Times. His manager, Marshall, broke his silence in an October 1 statement to FOX 11, denying any involvement and calling speculation “heartbreaking and baseless.” The singer canceled his Withered World Tour in August amid the fallout, and his team has not responded to recent media inquiries.

A September 29 LAPD press release emphasized that while someone clearly placed the remains in the vehicle—”we know for sure that Celeste Rivas Hernandez died and someone placed her body in the front trunk area of David Burke’s Tesla”—no evidence of criminal culpability beyond concealment has surfaced. California Penal Code Section 152.3 classifies concealing human remains as a misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, unless tied to a felony like homicide. KTLA reported on November 6 that without a confirmed cause—pending toxicology and autopsy results—the case may not advance beyond that threshold. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell told ABC7 the department is dedicating significant resources, including digital forensics, to trace her final movements and any relationship with Burke.

Private investigator Steve Fischer, hired by an undisclosed party, has injected fresh intrigue. In late October, he revealed to NewsNation and LA Magazine findings from the Doheny Drive rental: a Build-A-Bear certificate dated April 21, 2024—16 days after her last missing report—made for her cousin Esmerelda at Six Flags Magic Mountain, where Burke posted a TikTok video that same day riding a rollercoaster. Fischer called it “not just a coincidence” and noted surveillance footage placing the Tesla on the street by late July, suggesting the remains were added post-parking ticket. He also documented “tools” in the home—saws and bags—but stressed none directly linked to the case, and found signs of multiple occupants, including unrelated women’s items.

Fischer’s probe extended to Hernandez’s family dynamics, alleging in a viral X post on November 3 that relatives may have downplayed her absence, claiming she was “staying with a family member” near LA. He questioned Esmerelda’s role, noting her as school president yet Hernandez unenrolled as a runaway. The PI’s team, including drone searches, has uncovered alleged screenshots of Burke and Hernandez communicating, plus photos of her with his circle, but LAPD has not corroborated these.

Public reaction has been fierce, with #CelesteRivas trending on X, amassing over 500,000 posts by November 11. Fans split Burke’s subreddit, spawning a dedicated forum for the case, while conspiracy theories—from industry cover-ups to ritual claims—proliferate unchecked. A vigil in Lake Elsinore on September 29 drew hundreds, with attendees like teacher Raul Garcia sharing a photo of Hernandez posing with Burke near her home, recounting her 2024 runaway to Hollywood. Hernandez’s funeral on October 7 at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Rowland Heights featured a horse-drawn carriage, her cousin Esmerelda among pallbearers.

Burke’s career, once soaring with billions of streams, has cratered. Spotify data shows a 300% spike in “Romantic Homicide” plays post-discovery, per Forbes, but label Interscope has distanced itself, halting promotions. Marshall told Digital Music News the ordeal is “devastating,” urging focus on facts over rumors. Legal experts like former prosecutor Neama Rahmani note the statute of limitations for concealment is one year, but a homicide ruling could elevate it to felony accessory after the fact, carrying up to three years.

Hernandez’s death certificate, obtained by ABC7 on September 30, lists the cause as “deferred,” with no pregnancy noted despite online speculation. Toxicology results, expected soon, could clarify drug involvement, a angle Williams confirmed is under review. The LAPD’s November 6 statement to KTLA reaffirmed their September release, signaling no breakthroughs.

As winter looms over Hollywood’s hills, the tow yard site—now cleared—stands as a stark reminder. Maria Hernandez, in a rare comment to E! Online, pleaded for closure: “My baby deserved better.” With no named suspects and the probe leaning toward lesser offenses, the case tests LA’s resolve in protecting runaways. McDonnell vowed in October, “We’re committed to truth for Celeste.” Yet two months in, the trunk’s secrets endure, a quiet echo in a city of spotlights.

For Lake Elsinore’s tight-knit community, the loss lingers. Neighbors recall Hernandez as bubbly, her room untouched since April. Garcia, her former teacher, told FOX 11, “She lit up the class—now this darkness.” Online sleuths dissect timelines, from the Tesla’s July parking to Burke’s August tour launch, but experts caution against vigilante narratives. Rahmani added, “Digital trails are key, but without COD, it’s circumstantial.”

Burke, last seen in Texas per fan sightings, maintains silence. His X account, frozen since August, draws daily pleas: “What happened to Celeste?” Marshall’s denial video, viewed 2 million times, insists, “David’s heartbroken—let authorities work.” Yet as streams ironically climb, the irony stings: fame’s glow dimmed by tragedy’s shadow.

This saga, blending celebrity and vulnerability, spotlights teen exploitation in digital shadows. Groups like the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children praise LAPD’s diligence but urge faster protocols for runaways. Hernandez’s story, unfinished, fuels calls for reform—mandatory online monitoring, better family outreach.

In Rowland Heights, her grave draws quiet visitors, flowers fading like leads. As November fog settles, one truth holds: Celeste’s light, brief as it was, demands reckoning. Whether misdemeanor or more, justice waits on science’s word.