LAPD Captain Reveals What Cops Saw When Celeste Rivas Hernandez Was Found Dead in d4vd’s Trunk — and She Wasn’t Frozen

Celeste Rivas Hernandez was 14 years old when she was found dead inside the trunk of a Tesla belonging to musician d4vd in September. Now, a Los Angeles Police Department captain is pushing back against rumors about the state of her remains.

LAPD Captain Scot Williams, commanding officer of the Robbery-Homicide Division, says that Rivas Hernandez’s body was neither frozen nor decapitated, contrary to claims previously reported by local media.

“Celeste’s body was not frozen,” Williams says. “She was not decapitated. The whole frozen thing doesn’t even make sense. Her body was in the car for weeks.”

Williams adds, “Even if she had been frozen solid when she was put in the car (which there is NO evidence to suggest she was), 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 8th.”

Rivas Hernandez was first reported missing from her Lake Elsinore, Calif., home on April 5, 2024, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office told the Los Angeles Times.

Her body was later discovered in an impounded Tesla in the Hollywood Hills on Sept. 8 — one day after what would have been her 15th birthday — while d4vd (whose real name is David Anthony Burke) was on tour.

The singer was identified as a suspect in her death last week, a police source confirmed at the time.

According to that police source, the musician has allegedly “not been cooperative” during the ongoing investigation. The source also noted that no criminal charges have been filed.

The LAPD, d4vd’s lawyer and a representative for the singer did not immediately respond when previously contacted for comment. The singer’s representative earlier told NBC Los Angeles that his client was “fully cooperating” with authorities.

In September, investigators with the LAPD executed a search warrant connected to Rivas Hernandez’s death at a Hollywood Hills home where the singer had been staying, according to law enforcement sources.

The teen’s cause and manner of death have not yet been determined.

On Monday, Nov. 24, the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner announced that it had received a court order, initiated by the LAPD, to place a security hold on Rivas Hernandez’s case, the office said in a statement.

“No records or details associated with the case, including the cause and manner of death and Medical Examiner report, can be released or posted on the website until further notice,” the statement continued. “The Department understands the public’s interest in this case and remains committed to transparency when possible. Information will be made available once the court order is lifted.”