Pop Singer D4vd Named Suspect in 15-Year-Old Celeste Rivas’ Death, Police Cite Non-Cooperation

When the decomposed remains of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas were pulled from the front trunk of a Tesla at a Los Angeles tow yard on September 8, 2025, no one expected the investigation to lead to a rising pop star. Yet by November 19, 2025, D4vd — the 20-year-old stage name of David Anthony — had been formally named a suspect by Los Angeles Police Department homicide detectives. The twist? He hasn’t spoken to investigators. Not once. And he’s been holed up with family in Texas since the discovery.

The Discovery That Shook LA

The car — a black Tesla Model S, registered to D4vd — had been impounded after a parking violation in early September. Tow yard workers, clearing out a backlog of abandoned vehicles, noticed a foul odor coming from the front trunk. Inside, they found human remains, badly decomposed and, as later confirmed by sources, dismembered. The body was so far gone that the medical examiner couldn’t immediately determine cause of death. That alone delayed the investigation for weeks. No ID. No fingerprints. Just a teen’s remains in a luxury car linked to a musician with nearly 5 million Instagram followers.

Why D4vd? The Evidence Chain

Police didn’t jump to conclusions. They spent two months building a timeline. Surveillance footage from the area near D4vd’s former apartment in Silver Lake showed a vehicle matching the Tesla leaving on the evening of August 27, 2025. Cell phone pings placed D4vd near the location around that time. Then, on August 30, Celeste Rivas — a sophomore at John Marshall High School — was last seen alive walking home from a part-time job at a coffee shop in Eagle Rock. Her phone was last active that night. Her mother filed a missing persons report on September 1. By the 8th, the body was found.

The car’s registration was the first hard link. But investigators say they’ve also recovered digital evidence — text messages between Rivas and D4vd, dating back to May 2025, that grew increasingly tense in the weeks before her disappearance. One message, dated August 25, reportedly read: “I can’t keep doing this. You’re not who I thought you were.”

Non-Cooperation Is the Biggest Red Flag

Here’s the thing: suspects don’t become suspects overnight in L.A. Homicide detectives are meticulous. They don’t name someone unless they’ve got enough to justify it — and enough to pressure them. D4vd’s silence speaks louder than any statement could. According to a senior law enforcement source cited by NBC4 Los Angeles, “He’s not answering calls. Not responding to subpoenas. Not showing up when asked.”

He’s been spotted in Houston and Dallas since mid-October, staying with relatives. No extradition request has been filed yet — not because police aren’t trying, but because they’re waiting. They need the medical examiner’s final report. They need to confirm whether the dismemberment happened before or after death. They need to match trace evidence from the car to the body. And they need to know whether D4vd had help.

Who Was Celeste Rivas?

Celeste wasn’t famous. But to her friends, she was the kind of kid who remembered birthdays, brought snacks to study sessions, and wrote poetry in the margins of her notebooks. Her Instagram, now private, had 1,200 followers — mostly classmates and local artists. One post from August 15 showed her holding up a concert ticket to a D4vd show at the Fonda Theatre. The caption: “Dreams don’t always turn out how you plan.”

Her family has not spoken publicly. A neighbor said they’ve been “devastated but dignified,” refusing interviews. They’ve hired a private attorney, but no legal action has been filed — because, for now, D4vd hasn’t been charged.

What Happens Next?

The medical examiner’s office has said they’re still analyzing tissue samples and bone fragments. That process could take another four to six weeks. If they determine homicide — and if they can tie the dismemberment to D4vd — prosecutors could file charges as early as January 2026. But without a confession or eyewitnesses, it’s going to be a circumstantial case. Heavy on digital forensics. Light on physical proof.

D4vd’s management team has issued no statement. His last social media post was on September 5 — a photo of a piano, captioned “new music soon.” He hasn’t posted since. His Spotify streams have dropped 78% since the body was found. His record label, Interscope Records, has paused all promotional activity.

Why This Case Is Different

This isn’t just another celebrity scandal. It’s a chilling reminder of how easily a public persona can mask private darkness. D4vd, born in 2005 in New Jersey, rose to fame through TikTok covers and moody synth-pop ballads. His music often explored loneliness, obsession, and emotional isolation. Fans called him “the poet of the digital age.” Now, investigators are looking at whether those themes bled into real life.

The dismemberment adds a layer of horror rarely seen in cases involving minors. It suggests planning. Control. Coldness. And that’s what’s keeping detectives awake. They’re not just chasing a suspect. They’re trying to understand what drove a 20-year-old artist to do this to a 15-year-old girl who looked up to him.