As the case involving D4vd and the mysterious death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez continues, a private investigator is shedding new light on the Tesla that Rivas' body was found in.
Steve Fischer, a Los Angeles–based private investigator, told ABC7 he was hired by the owner of the Hollywood Hills home where D4vd had been living before his tour. Fischer said the home was rented by D4vd’s manager at Interscope Records.
"[The owner] wants to understand exactly what may have happened and if his house played a role in any way," Fischer told Eyewitness News.
Fischer said the last confirmed date showing 17-year-old Celeste alive was January 2, 2025. Using neighborhood surveillance videos and digital records, he has pieced together a timeline centered on D4vd’s Tesla, which became a key focus of the investigation.
“That car, starting in May, was parked in a few different spots around the neighborhood, and then finally, on July 29, left in its final spot on Bluebird Avenue," Fischer said. "This happens to be right before, or the same day, they are leaving on a tour bus for D4vd’s tour."
The LAPD said the Tesla was towed from a Hollywood Hills street to a tow yard, where workers later discovered human remains inside the trunk. The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office identified the body as Celeste’s. Officials believe her remains had been in the vehicle for several weeks before being found.
Celeste, a native of Lake Elsinore, had been reported missing three times in 2024, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office. The cause of death remains undetermined, though investigators are awaiting toxicology results to determine whether an overdose or other cause was involved.
"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," Fischer said.
The ongoing investigation prompted the cancellation of D4vd’s remaining tour dates last month. The singer has not been named a suspect, and no arrests have been made.
Property records obtained by Eyewitness News show that on September 23, about two weeks after Celeste’s body was found, Burke transferred ownership of his Cypress, Texas, home to his mother.
Meanwhile, the Waller County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that on September 17, deputies were dispatched to the same Texas home after a false 911 call reported a deadly shooting. Officials later determined the call was a swatting hoax, with the caller allegedly using a voice-altering device.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell told Eyewitness News the department continues to dedicate resources to the case but declined to share additional details.
"It’s an ongoing investigation and we have a lot of resources dedicated to bringing it to a conclusion," McDonnell said. "To go beyond what has already been made public would be inappropriate."
For now, authorities are treating the case as a death investigation, not a homicide. Results from the coroner’s toxicology report are expected to determine what happened to Celeste Rivas Hernandez.