The body found in artist D4vd's car may have been dead for several weeks.

Question

The body found in David Burke's (known as D4vd) Tesla was found to be 15 year old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. As investigation continues, it has been found that she has been dead for several weeks, possibly a month. Investigators still do not know her cause of death, and D4vd's representative still has not been reached.

Answer 1

1. Looking into the credibility of the claim that Celeste Rivas Hernandez had been left in rapper David Burke’s car for about a month, I found zero primary sources that would prove this claim to be factual. I have found many news articles with similar claims to this article, but I was unable to find the primary evidence that they cited.

2. Looking for primary sources, many news articles I came across cited and quoted a statement from LAPD Captain Scot Williams in which he spoke to TMZ, including TMZ themselves stating that “Captain Scot Williams tells TMZ ... they are working with the L.A. County Medical Examiner to establish Celeste's cause of death.” (www.tmz.com/2025/09/29/celeste-rivas-cause-of-death-undetermined-critical/#continued). Although TMZ themselves state that Scot Williams had a statement with them, I was unable to find video nor transcript of this statement.

3. Looking beyond the NBC article given, I found a Fox 11 article that provides a timeline surrounding Celeste’s disappearance. (www.foxla.com/news/celeste-rivas-hernandez-d4vd-homicide-investigation) This article states that Celeste had gone missing in May of 2024. With this information it is possible that she died long before her body was recovered. Also, according to an article from the Mirror US in which they cite an interview with a legal expert named Chad D. Cummings, "The extensive decomposition and mutilation of the corpse introduces a high probability of inconclusive autopsy findings.” (www.themirror.com/entertainment/celeste-rivas-d4vd-cause-death-1422769) Unfortunately, I was unable to find a transcript or video for this interview either. From the quoted interview with Cummings, there is not a possibility to find a definite amount of time that Celeste had been deceased. 

4. All the sources I found were secondary sources in the form of news articles, there are some exaggerated terms that had been used to catch the attention of users. Many news sources used the term “dismembered” to describe the state that Celeste’s body was found in, while I found no evidence stating that anything more had happened to her body beyond heavy decomposition.

5. Supporting the claim, there is evidence of a possibility that Celeste had been deceased for multiple weeks and maybe a month. The interview with Cummings does support this given that her body was found in such an extreme form of decomposition that the cause or time of death were unable to be determined.

6. Unfortunately, the lack of any prominent primary sources of information harms the credibility of this statement. There are no accessible transcripts or videos of the interviews quoted from professionals or officials like Chad Cummings and Scot Williams. Also, the bias present from news sources stating that Celeste’s body was “dismembered” harms the credibility of their own information.

7. As of now, I have messaged the author of the NBC article, but I have not yet got a response. I will update on this fact-check if I do get a response, because it would allow me to have access to a primary source to support the claim of this article.

Fox 11 article: www.foxla.com/news/celeste-rivas-hernandez-d4vd-homicide-investigation

The Mirror article: www.themirror.com/entertainment/celeste-rivas-d4vd-cause-death-1422769

TMZ article: www.tmz.com/2025/09/29/celeste-rivas-cause-of-death-undetermined-critical/#continued

Comments

I'm extremely impressed by the work done to fact-check this article, you went above and beyond. The extreme thoroughness easily persuaded me to follow along and believe that this claim was misinforming people.

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You very throughly identified the claims. By providing so much evidence, it engages us as readers to look more into the case. The thoroughness made me personally want to read more into it. The point was very straight forward.

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This fact checking did a great job of going over and debunking the extensive rumors that have gone viral about the situation which I previously believed to be factual. I’m extremely curious if you’ve heard back from the author of the NBC article.

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You did an awesome job at following the fact checking prompts, and providing as close to a primary source as possible. Fact checking is difficult when sources like TMZ are the primary source, due to their history of false claims, but in this case, they were the first to report it and got photo evidence before others. I also appreciate the honesty that they were primarily secondary sources.

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You did exceptionally at researching about this and providing as close to a primary source as possible. I was already intrigued by the content of the claim but your response extremely informing. I appreciate the dedication you put into this :)

Answer 2

Although there has been lots of speculation that Celeste Rivas Hernandez had been deceased for several weeks before being found, at the moment it is nothing more than a rumor.  According to multiple sources such as ABC, NBC, People, and The St. Louis American the LAPD and the "commanding officer of Olympic Detective Division", Scot Williams have claimed that her body may have been deceased for several weeks before being discovered but, it has not been confirmed. "ABC News obtained the death certificate for Hernandez, which lists her cause of death as "deferred" -- just as it has been for weeks as the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner continues to try to determine cause and manner of death" this quote from ABC confirms that Celeste's body was deferred according to her Death Certificate, but it was not confirmed that it was there for weeks. Outside the range of mainstream news sources, I found an article by Cecilia Nowell posted by Gale Academic OneFile, which is a database of trusted journalists. In Nowell's article she provides quotes from the LAPD and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner stating that her body seems like it had been a long period of time before the body was found, but it has still not been confirmed as a fact. 

Comments

You raise a very valid point on the difference between assumption and reality. Official comments from the LAPD and medical examiners and the reliable sources you listed should be the ones we trust. When officials use vague phrases "may have been deceased for several weeks," it offers some space for misunderstanding, which can confuse the public. It brings attention to how current investigations need to find a balance when releasing stories so fake and unrealistic rumors don't spread. Overall, your answer is a helpful reminder to avoid drawing conclusions before all the data is known.

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This is a valid response, I also went and googled some other sources to see if the medical examiner had released any information other than what you mentioned and was unable to find a counter argument. This article is very similar to the one you describes, it's also on Gale.
https://go.gale.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=T004&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&retrievalId=488ebf12-609b-4861-8747-dd0cd01a57b0&hitCount=21201&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=1&docId=GALE%7CA857632140&docType=Brief+article&sort=Relevance&contentSegment=ZONE-MOD1&prodId=AONE&pageNum=1&contentSet=GALE%7CA857632140&searchId=R1&userGroupName=oregon_oweb&inPS=true

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This article shares great information. The sources really back up the claim that she was dead long before they found her. I really liked how you reached out to the NBC author, I wonder how they will respond! Now after reading my own articles I have seen they do presume she was dead "several weeks before being found".

https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2025/09/29/body-found-in-singer-d4vds-car-was-likely-dead-for-weeks-police-say/

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Your answer helps distinguish the difference between fact versus claim. It is clear from your research that there is still a lot that we don't know yet concerning this case. I think a lot of times the public wants to know all of the facts and answers as soon as they hear about what happened, so when people hear that the body may have been deceased for several weeks they will run with it even if it's not true.

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This is a very smart and well researched statement, as we truly do not have proof that the body had been decomposing for a long time. You raise a valid point that in the articles where it talks about her body being deceased for a long period of time, they use words like “seems” and “may”, which truly don’t hold much value if we’re arguing that the body has definitely been dead for a long time. With more time we will find out if the argument that her body has been decomposing for a long time is true, but you’re correct, as of right now we have no valid points.

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You did a good job clarifying the difference between what’s been confirmed and what’s still speculation. I like how you used multiple credible sources, including ABC and the LAPD statements, to show that while there are signs her body may have been there for weeks, it hasn’t been officially verified. Your mention of the “deferred” cause of death on the certificate also adds an important detail that supports your point. Your response shows in depth research and helps clear up the misinformation surrounding the case.

Answer 3

It is largely true that Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 15-year-old girl, was discovered dead in singer D4vd's Tesla. Her identity was verified by authorities, who also revealed that her body had been in the car for weeks. D4vd has not been charged, and the cause of death is still unknown. Certain details are unverified, such as the precise time of death and whether his representative was unavailable. While news and entertainment media may concentrate on eye-catching details, the same sources are typically reliable and rely on information from law enforcement. The victim's identity was verified by the police, and the body's decomposition suggested that weeks had passed. The cause of death is still being looked into tho. https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/body-in-tesla-d4vd-lake-elsinore-girl/3779565/

Comments

Good fact-check! I think that maybe a secondary source could be helpful here, one that is more current, especially to verify the information from law enforcement. The article from NBC Los Angeles, while credible, is from September 17th. It is possible there have been more updates.

Answer 4

The claim that a 15-year-old girl “may have been dead ‘for several weeks’” by the time her body was discovered in D4vd’s impounded Tesla is misleading / exaggerted. As reported in the NBC news article, police said that, "the vehicle had been parked at the location from which it was towed for several weeks, so Ms. Rivas Hernandez may have been deceased for several weeks before the discovery of her body." The use of “may have been” clearly indicates uncertainty in the reported conclusion according to the article. The medical examiner has not yet determined the cause or manner of death, and the exact time of death remains unknown. Therefore, claiming she was definitively dead for weeks is not supported by confirmed evidence. It is speculation based on how long the vehicle had been at the tow location. 

Answer 5

The key word in this claim is "may." While carefully tracing back the information from the provided source and additional sources, I was able to find no evidence for confirmation behind the body of Celeste Rivas Hernandez being dead for several weeks - a month. When looking at the link provided with this claim, the headline explicitly restates the claim, while thoroughly connecting to the content of the article. This article by NBC News isn't directly primary, but is still created by a well-respected and credible organization. The article provides information primarily sourced from the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Medical Examiner's office, and additional articles produced by NBC News. These primary sources are essentially government-run administrations, therefore being completely first-hand and official. The author of this particular article is David K. Li - a veteran and experienced news reporter. The content of this source is fairly recent, being published on September 30, 2025. Because the source makes no official claims that the body was definitely dead for several weeks, It is somewhat true. The word "may" is repeatedly emphasized, as that is quoted by the police. The article provides no bias as everything is objectively exclaimed. In terms of context, all of this news coverage is regarding a situation about singer-songwriter D4vd. A body was discovered in the trunk of a Tesla registered under his real name: David Burke. The body was announced to be Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Her body was discovered just after her 15th birthday. Although the investigation is still occurring, many people who have claimed to know Celeste have provided receipts via social media of D4vd and Celeste knowing one another. D4vd has not been charged with anything as of now. Despite it not being a 100% accurate statement, many other renowned media sources agree. These include Forbes and ABC News. Forbes has established reliability due to their lack of bias, transparency of standards, and strong editorial corrections by professional journalists. ABC News has been credited as a consistent and trustworthy program as a result of their global coverage and fact-checking practices. In an article headlined 'Body Found In Singer D4vd's Car Was Likely Dead For Weeks, Police Say,' author Conor Murray of Forbes includes, "The medical examiner’s office said in a statement her body was found 'severely decomposed' and 'appears to have been deceased inside the vehicle for an extended period of time before being found.'" https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2025/09/29/body-found-in-singer-d4vds-car-was-likely-dead-for-weeks-police-say/. It is clear that the body was decomposing for a long period of time, but there is a lack of precision regarding the timeline. This source received its information from interviews between LAPD Capt. Scot Williams and the Los Angeles times. Moreover, an article titled 'Body found in D4vd's Tesla: Teen's cause and manner of death still undetermined' by ABC News asserts, "Police said the teen may have been dead for several weeks before her body was discovered, and that the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has not yet determined the cause or manner of her death" (Stone and Deliso). https://abcnews.go.com/US/body-found-d4vds-tesla-teens-cause-manner-death/story?id=125819027. As previously mentioned, the LAPD is the source of this claim. Because this is a direct quote from a government organization, it can be confirmed. However, they still  included uncertainty in their comments. ABC News had journalistic representatives reach out to people working on the investigation for statements. While this situation may not directly affect the general public, it draws attention to the importance of being aware of dangerous surroundings and individuals. There is also something to be said for how long it took before Celeste's body was found. People took extremely long before intervening. Although it is difficult to confirm the accuracy of the records on social media, it is unsettling that people waited till her death was announced before choosing to disclose information that could have been useful prior to her death. Had these receipts been brought to authorities while she was missing, the situation might have had a different outcome.

Answer 6

The claim that Celeste Rivas had been dead for week is an exaggeration as there is still no clear evidence that support the claim. The body was discovered on September 8th 2025, in the tesla of musical artist D4vd. An article from ABC7 states, “ The vehicle had been parked at the location from which it was towed for several weeks, so Ms. Rivas Hernandez may have been deceased for several weeks before the discovery of her body”. The fact that the evidence states that Rivas “may have been” dead for week before her body was discovered, indicates that there is no clear evidence that she in fact had been dead for weeks. Although KTLA5 declares that her body had been “badly decomposed” it does not back up the claim because it could have been that her body was left in very critical conditions.

https://abc7.com/post/celeste-rivas-hernandez-death-deputies-visited-home-teen-found-dead-d4vds-tesla-multiple-times-several-years/17925986/

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/coroners-report-will-be-key-to-solving-the-celeste-rivas-homicide-case/

Answer 7

The article that is linked claims that the girls body that was found in singer D4vds car was dead for several weeks. Specifically, the article states that "Ms. Rivas Hernandez may have been deceased for several weeks before the discovery of her body." So according to this, we do not have enough evidence to conclude that her body was for sure in the car for several weeks since the key word from this quote is "may".

However, according to Houston Public Media (https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/arts-culture/pop-culture/2025/09/18/531236/who-is-d4vd-the-houston-raised-tiktok-singer-whose-abandoned-car-was-found-with-decomposing-body/), they said that the Los Angles county medical examiner shared that the body was extremely decomposed and that the body had appeared to be in the vehicle for an extended period of time before being found. This means that, investigators do believe the body had been in the trunk for a long period of time but there is no way we can get an exact timeline. This is because a body immediately starts breaking down after death and it can take up to a decade for a body to completely decompose (https://www.livescience.com/how-long-bodies-take-to-decompose). That is a long time span, and the reality is that the body in D4vids car could have been in that trunk for a few days, a few weeks, or a few months. We don't really know the exact time span.

In conclusion, it is evident that the body in D4vids trunk was decomposed but there is no source that directly says for how long.

Answer 8

The body found in singer D4vd’s car has been a very popular and well spread event on social media recently. There has been lots of speculation, rumors, misinformation, and conspiracies going around. One of these claims is that the body that has since been identified as Celeste Rivas Hernandez, was in the car for weeks before discovery. 

This recent article from bbc, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c205g10g0nvo , states that the county’s medical examiner said Celeste’s body was “severely decomposed” when found which supports the claim that she was dead in the car for a while. 

Another article from Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2025/09/29/body-found-in-singer-d4vds-car-was-likely-dead-for-weeks-police-say/, claims that “LAPD Capt. Scot Williams confirmed to the Los Angeles Times on Monday that Hernandez had been dead for weeks before her body was found on Sept. 8 in the trunk of D4vd’s car”

Multiple other news sources have similar claims and reports that say Celeste’s body was found quite decomposed. These reports are seemingly true and have police statements to back them up but there’s no official statement about how long the body has been in the car. Decomposition can happen quickly due to environmental factors such as heat and humidity which might apply to the front truck of a telsa in LA so it is still unconfirmable on if this body really was in the car for weeks rather than days. Further more, this article from The Mirror, https://www.themirror.com/entertainment/d4vd-celeste-rivas-death-investigation-1455379, states that Celeste’s cause of death has been deferred and there’s no additional information on how she died.