In a chilling development, it has been revealed that the body of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, which was discovered over two months ago, was not only dismembered but also partially frozen. This unsettling detail adds a new layer to an already disturbing case.

The young girl’s remains were uncovered on September 8 when employees at Hollywood Tow detected a foul odor emanating from a Tesla SUV that had been abandoned for five days at their lot. The vehicle had been left in the Hollywood Hills, leading to its eventual towing.

Registered in Texas to David Anthony Burke, a 20-year-old rising star in the R&B music scene known by his stage name D4vd, the Tesla was at the center of the investigation. Burke has amassed millions of fans and followers, making this incident all the more shocking.

TMZ reported that upon discovery, parts of Hernandez’s body, including her head and torso, were found in a state of decomposition, seemingly thawing inside the vehicle’s front trunk. This gruesome scene has intensified the investigation.

Prior to being towed, the Tesla was parked on Bluebird Avenue, close to a rental property in the Hollywood Hills where Burke resided. This proximity led Los Angeles Police Department detectives to execute a search warrant at the home, subsequently recovering several critical pieces of evidence.

On Nov. 18, LAPD sources told KTLA that Burke was considered a suspect in Rivas Hernandez’s death.

The teen had been missing from Lake Elsinore since April 2024, when she was just 13. The potential relationship between her and Burke has been a critical part of the investigation, with images that have surfaced online, which appear to show the two together. 

The girl’s mother had told investigators that she had a boyfriend named David at the time of her disappearance.

The two reportedly have matching tattoos on their right index fingers with the letters “Shhh.” Friends in Burke’s circle also reportedly believed Rivas Hernandez was 19 years old.

Following the gruesome discovery, Burke cancelled the remainder of his U.S. and European tour dates and shelved an album release. He is allegedly “not cooperating” with investigators, a police source told People magazine, and has not commented on the investigation or his alleged relationship ties to the teen.  

Citing law enforcement officials, TMZ reported that detectives are also investigating whether the killer had help dismembering and disposing of the teen’s body.

“Another thing that we are told is that they know now, based on the manner in which Celeste’s body was dismembered, that investigators believe it’s very likely whoever did that to her had help,” TMZ’s Charles Latibeaudiere told KTLA.

The outlet said investigators are looking into a trip that Burke made to a remote area of Santa Barbara County in spring 2025, in the middle of the night, where he reportedly spent several hours.

“We know that investigators are looking closely at that journey to Santa Barbara,” Latibeaudiere said. “They believe it may be connected to whatever ended up happening to Celeste.”

The teen’s body was discovered the day after her 15th birthday, but the L.A. County Medical Examiner’s Office said her death likely happened weeks earlier.

The frozen state that her decomposing body was found in may make it difficult for coroners to establish a cause of death, sources told TMZ.

In October, a funeral for Rivas Hernandez was held at Queen of Heaven Cemetery & Mortuary in Rowland Heights, as family members were seen carrying the teen’s casket to her final resting place.

In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, officials with the Lake Elsinore Unified School District, where the teen had attended middle school when she disappeared, said, “Our entire district community is deeply saddened by this loss, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her.”

So far, no arrests have been made and any decision to arrest or prosecute will likely be made once an official autopsy is released.