BLACK mobile logo

california

politics

Court seals records in investigation of teen's body found in singer D4vd's Tesla

November 25, 2025

A Los Angeles court has issued an unprecedented order blocking the public release of autopsy records for 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose severely decomposed body was discovered in September 2024 inside a car belonging to singer D4vd. The teenager, who had a history of running away from her Lake Elsinore home, was last seen in April 2024 and had been missing for months before her remains were found in a towed Tesla in a Hollywood tow yard. The police-requested security hold has drawn criticism from the county's chief medical examiner, who called such orders extremely rare and unhelpful to the justice system.

Who is affected

  • Celeste Rivas Hernandez (15-year-old deceased victim)
  • Rivas Hernandez's family (parents, siblings, cousins, friends)
  • D4vd/David Anthony Burke (20-year-old singer, car owner)
  • Los Angeles County medical examiner's office and Dr. Odey Ukpo (Chief Medical Examiner)
  • Los Angeles Police Department (investigating agency)
  • D4vd's business partners (Sony Music Publishing, Hollister, Crocs, Kali Uchis)
  • General public (denied access to records due to court order)

What action is being taken

  • The Los Angeles Police Department's robbery-homicide division is investigating the case
  • D4vd is cooperating with police according to his representatives
  • The medical examiner's office is complying with the court-ordered security hold
  • The court order is blocking public release of autopsy records and case details

Why it matters

  • This case matters because it involves the suspicious death of a missing teenager found in circumstances connected to a public figure, raising questions about what happened during the months she was missing. The unprecedented security hold on autopsy records represents an unusual departure from transparency standards, with the county's chief medical examiner publicly criticizing the practice as ineffective and contrary to serving the community. The case also highlights vulnerabilities faced by runaway youth and first-generation immigrant families, while demonstrating how serious criminal investigations can immediately impact public figures' careers and business relationships.

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC