D4vd Case Update: PI Suggests Celeste Rivas May Have Died From An Accidental Overdose

Two and a half months after the discovery of Celeste Rivas' remains on 8 September 2025, found inside the boot of a Tesla abandoned at a Los Angeles impound lot and registered to singer-rapper David Anthony Burke, better known as D4vd, the cause of the 15-year-old's death has still not been determined.

Although several developments have emerged that may shed light on what happened to the teenager, many of these have come from private investigator Steve Fischer, who was hired by the owner of the Hollywood Hills mansion where D4vd had been residing. Fischer suggests that Rivas may have died from an accidental overdose.

PI's Big Hint In Celeste Rivas' Possible Cause Of Death

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has still not released a new update regarding the case of Rivas, and reports from TMZ indicate that an arrest should not be expected anytime soon, as the teenager's cause of death has not yet been determined, and the toxicology report is still pending.

Additionally, no suspects have been named so far, and the only potential charge at this stage would be concealment of a body, if sufficient evidence emerges to suggest that this occurred with Rivas' severely decomposed remains.

But private investigator Fischer, who is a California-based missing persons expert and has been independently examining the circumstances surrounding Rivas' death, had first taken to X to outline his early theory on the case.

In that initial post, he wrote, 'One possibility to consider in the death of #CelesteRivasHernandez is that there are no homicide charges. If Celeste suffered an overdose and they panicked and hid the body because it would expose David as a P3D0 (see what I did there D4vd?) then that would be abuse of a corpse and concealment of an accidental death, not homicide.'

He continued in the same post, 'While Manner of Death (natural, homicide, accidental, suicide, undetermined) can be ruled at anytime the Cause of Death will not be determined until the toxicology results are back which could take 60–120 days (assuming they were able to get a sample). A crime absolutely happened here, she didn't put herself in the Tesla, but it doesn't mean it's homicide automatically. If she didn't die at the hands of someone else and was placed there after the fact, then it's a different crime.'

After sharing this theory online, Fischer later elaborated on his claims during several media appearances. Speaking to ABC7 Eyewitness News, he said authorities were likely 'relying on toxicology' to understand what happened.

He told the outlet, 'They are probably relying on toxicology to better understand what happened, which means it could be an accidental overdose with a really bad decision made afterwards.'

He made a similar point in his 17 October interview on Law & Crime Sidebar with Jesse Weber, where he speculated, 'It could have been an overdose, and a bad decision was made to not expose a potential relationship.'

Fischer also suggested that D4vd, 'might have tried to get someone to dump the Tesla, but they didn't go through with it, leaving the car in the impound lot where Rivas' body was later discovered.

In his updated findings, Fischer has revealed that he also uncovered the identity of the driver and is certain who is the person behind the wheel of the Tesla when it was abandoned.

Sources speaking to ABC News confirmed Fischer's belief that investigators are waiting for toxicology results, saying that the lab tests 'would hopefully answer how she died'. But LAPD told Complex that there may be 'no foul play involved' in Rivas' death.

For now, the medical examiner has 'deferred' the cause of death. Without a confirmed cause, the case is not classified as a homicide investigation.

Reports have indicated that it could take months to determine the cause due to the condition of the remains, which were reportedly dismembered and severely decomposed when discovered.

PI's Other Discoveries On The Case

So far, Fischer has uncovered several findings that he believes could help piece together what happened to the teenager.

After inspecting the property rented by D4vd for about £15,700 per month, he said the owner 'wants to understand exactly what may have happened and if his house played a role in any way'.

During the search, Fischer located 'farm tools' he viewed as potential evidence, noting that such items 'could be used to get rid of a body' and seemed out of place in a residential home.

He also obtained neighbourhood security footage that he says reveals who was driving D4vd's Tesla when it was abandoned in late July, possibly with Rivas' remains in the boot. 'I'm certain I know who it is,' he claimed. 'I can't say, but there is surveillance from the 29th, and I'm certain I know who this person is.'

In addition, Fischer discovered a Build-A-Bear certificate that he believes may shed light on how Rivas spent her final days and who she was with, suggesting the individuals involved were D4vd and his cousin, Esmeralda.

He also identified a screenshot of an email sent to Josh Marshall, D4vd's manager, by another individual reporting Rivas missing and urging him to 'please do the right thing and take her home. Her parents are very worried'.

Fischer's proposed theories regarding the possible cause of Rivas' death have not been verified by the LAPD.

Meanwhile, D4vd and his representatives have maintained silence in response to the allegations and the evidence suggesting his possible involvement.