Teen found in singer D4vd's trunk died from 'multiple penetrating injuries,' officials say

Nbcwashington · Apr 22, 2026 · 1316 words · By Jonathan Lloyd

Celebrity Involvement in Crime Justice and Accountability

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What to know about Celebrity Involvement in Crime

What to Know - Singer D4vd has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas, who was reported missing in the spring of 2025.

Claims checked 23

Techniques found 3

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left14%

Center72%

Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

What to Know - Singer D4vd has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas, who was reported missing in the spring of 2025.

Why it matters

- The Lake Elsinore girl's decomposed body was found Sept.

Common ground

8 in the front trunk of a Tesla impounded at a Los Angeles tow yard.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Anger, Selective Omission: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Celebrity Involvement in Crime story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that The car was impounded after someone reported it was abandoned in the Hollywood Hills, where neighbors say it had been parked for more than a month?
How does this story connect Celebrity Involvement in Crime with Justice and Accountability over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/celeste-rivas-hernande…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

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Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Appeal to Anger 60% confidence

Provoking outrage to bypass rational evaluation of an argument.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to anger helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Selective Omission 50% confidence

Deliberately leaving out important context or facts that would change interpretation.

Why it matters: Recognizing selective omission helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 23 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 13

check_circle Corroborated 6

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info Single Source 2

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Claim 1: “The car was impounded after someone reported it was abandoned in the Hollywood Hills, where neighbors say it had been parked for more than a month.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources corroborate that the car was impounded after a report of it being abandoned in the Hollywood Hills, with one source specifying neighbors claimed it was parked for more than a month.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — David Anthony Burke (born March 28, 2005), known professionally as D4vd, is an American singer-songwriter. Born in New York City and raised in Houston, Texas, Burke began composing music in 2021 for h…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D4vd

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On September 8, 2025, the remains of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez were discovered in Los Angeles, California, inside the front trunk of an impounded Tesla registered to David Burke, a musician …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Celeste_Rivas_Herna…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Tesla, Inc. ( TEZ-lə or TESS-lə) is an American multinational automotive and clean energy company. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, it designs, manufactures, and sells battery electric vehicles (BEVs…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla,_Inc.

+ 4 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “Burke faces several special circumstances allegations, which can increase penalties at sentencing, including lying in wait, murder for financial gain, murdering a witnesses in an investigation and an allegation that Burke personally used a deadly and dangerous weapon, a sharp instrument, to commit the crime, Hochman said.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 3: “Hochman and LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said Celeste visited Burke's Hollywood Hills home April 23, 2025, but was never "heard from" again.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 4: “Celeste's family issued a statement earlier this week.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 5: “D4vd released his debut album "Withered" in April 2025 and embarked on a world tour.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 6: “Singer D4vd has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas, who was reported missing in the spring of 2025.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results report that D4vd was arrested in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. One source specifies the arrest occurred on Thursday, and another mentions the body was found in his Tesla. The Wikipedia entry confirms the discovery of the remains in a Tesla registered to David Burke (D4vd).

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — "Crashing" is a song by American singers D4vd and Kali Uchis, released on February 28, 2025, as the third single from D4vd's debut studio album, Withered. The music video was directed by Kenneth Cappe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crashing_(D4vd_and_Kali_Uchis_…

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 7: “The financial gain allegation stemmed from the singer's music career, which was being threatened by his alleged sexual relationship with the underage girl, Hochman said.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 8: “Police said Celeste's death likely occurred in the spring of last year.”

CORROBORATED

Both a cross-reference and multiple web search results state that police indicated Celeste's death likely occurred in the spring of the previous year (or spring of 2025).

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web search NEUTRAL — Police said Celeste's death likely occurred in the spring of last year.D4vd had not previously been publicly identified as a suspect in the teen's death, but law enforcement sources told NBC4 Investig…
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/d4vd-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Police have said that her death likely occurred in the spring of 2025.Singer D4vd has been charged with the murder as well as other crimes in the killing of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who was found deco…
https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-singer-d4vd-charged-w…

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web search NEUTRAL — Celeste’s cause of death was not made public. Last year, the medical examiner’s office said it couldn't release details about the cause and manner of her death because of a security hold sought by pol…
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/singer-d4vd-charged-mur…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 9: “Burke was charged Monday with first-degree murder, including special circumstances allegations.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results or cross-references to support the specific charges of first-degree murder or special circumstances allegations on Monday.

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Claim 10: “The remains were found a day after what would have been Celeste's 15th birthday.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 11: “The medical examiner listed multiple penetrating injuries caused by an object or objects as the cause of death for the teen, whose decomposed remains were discovered in September 2025 inside the Tesla that was impounded after it had been parked for an extended period in a Hollywood Hills neighborhood not far from a rental property where Burke had been living.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that the cause of death was listed as 'multiple penetrating injuries caused by objects' and that the remains were found in a Tesla impounded in the Hollywood Hills.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Withered is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter D4vd, released on April 25, 2025. Before the album, D4vd gained recognition with his debut single "Romantic Homicide" and signed with D…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withered_(album)

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 12: “Her decomposed body was found Sept. 8 after workers at Hollywood Tow reported a strong odor coming from the Tesla registered to the singer.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 13: “D4vd, whose real name is David Burke, was arrested Thursday in the months-long investigation that began after Celeste's remains were found in the car at a Hollywood tow yard.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results confirm that D4vd was arrested on suspicion of killing Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose body was found in his Tesla in the Hollywood Hills.

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web search NEUTRAL — The 21-year-old singer was arrested Thursday on suspicion of killing Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose remains were found in his Tesla in September.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/18/us/d4vd-celeste-rivas-hernand…

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web search NEUTRAL — LOS ANGELES — Singer D4vd has been arrested on suspicion of killing a 14-year-old girl whose decomposed body was found last year in his apparently abandoned Tesla that was towed from the Hollywood Hil…
https://www.npr.org/2026/04/16/g-s1-117772/d4vd-singer-david…

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web search NEUTRAL — David Anthony Burke was arrested Thursday on suspicion of murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez whose decomposed remains were found in the singer’s Tesla in Hollywood.
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c3v60439wlwt

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Claim 14: “He also faces one count each of continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results or cross-references to support the specific charges of continuous sexual abuse or unlawful mutilation of human remains.

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Claim 15: “D4vd is a singer-songwriter who rose to fame with viral hits on TikTok, where he has 3.8 million followers.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 16: “The cause and manner of death, homicide, were determined Dec. 9, but in November the medical examiner said it had received a court order to place a security hold on information connected with the case.”

SINGLE SOURCE

One web search result reports the cause and manner of death were determined on December 9, 2025, and that a security hold was placed on the report. Other web searches mention the medical examiner's office handling the cause/manner of death, but none confirm the specific dates (Dec 9) and the sequence of the security hold in a corroborated manner.

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web search NEUTRAL — The cause and manner of death were determined on Dec. 9, 2025, the office said.At the request of the police, and over the objections of the chief medical examiner, a judge placed a security hold on th…
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/22/arts/music/d4vd-celeste-r…

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web search NEUTRAL — 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.
https://abcnews.com/US/body-found-d4vds-tesla-teens-cause-ma…

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web search NEUTRAL — BLOOMFIELD, Conn. (WTNH) — The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said Thursday the cause and manner of death have been determined for the man who died in a house explosion last month.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/cause-death-determined-m…

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Claim 17: “The Tesla was impounded by LA parking enforcement officers after someone reported it was abandoned in the Hollywood Hills, where neighbors say it had been parked for more than a month.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 18: “The Lake Elsinore girl's decomposed body was found Sept. 8 in the front trunk of a Tesla impounded at a Los Angeles tow yard.”

CORROBORATED

The claim that the body was found on September 8th in a Tesla at a Los Angeles tow yard is directly stated in a cross-reference and confirmed by the Wikipedia entry regarding the discovery of the remains.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The year 2026 in California involved the following events.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_in_California

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+ 4 more evidence sources

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Claim 19: “Celeste, who disappeared in the Lake Elsinore area in 2024, was identified through forensics.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 20: “The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has revealed the cause of death Wednesday for 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose remains were found last year in the front storage area of an abandoned Tesla owned by the singer and TikTok star known as D4vd.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the claim mentions the Medical Examiner revealing the cause of death and the remains being found in a Tesla owned by D4vd, the provided evidence does not contain a single source that combines all these elements (cause revealed *and* specific details about the owner/Tesla). The evidence is fragmented across multiple searches, making it difficult to confirm this specific summary statement from multiple independent sources.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner is the medical examiner's office of the government of the County of Los Angeles, California. It is located at the Boyle Heights neighborhood in Lo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_County_Department_…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) provides firefighting and emergency medical services for the unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, California, as well as 59 cities through contra…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_County_Fire_Depart…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Los Angeles General Medical Center (also known as LA General and formerly known as Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center, County/USC, County General or by the abbreviation LAC+USC) is a 600-bed public…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_General_Medical_Ce…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 21: “Hochman said possible sentences, if Burke is convicted as charged, include life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 22: “She was last seen April 5, 2024, in the western Riverside County community.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 23: “Celeste, who disappeared in the Lake Elsinore area in 2024, was identified through forensics.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.