The county medical examiner said Monday Los Angeles police have obtained a court order preventing the release of any information regarding the investigation into the death of a teenage girl whose body was found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to singer D4vd.
According to a statement released by the Medical Examiner’s Office, the agency received a court order Friday placing a “security hold” on the office’s investigation into the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose body was found shortly after what would have been her 15th birthday. She is believed to have been dead possibly for weeks before her body was found Sept. 8 in the front trunk of the car at a Hollywood tow yard.
The security hold means the medical examiner will not be able to publicly release any details, including the cause and manner of death.
“The department’s mission is to have full transparency with the community by providing information about our cases to empower people to make changes that save lives,” Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey Ukpo said in a statement. “Since becoming the department head, I’ve worked on eradicating the practice of placing security holds on Medical Examiner cases simply by law enforcement request. The practice of security holds is virtually unheard of in other counties and has not been proven to improve outcomes in the legal system.
“We are dedicated to serving our community with full transparency; however, the law precludes us from doing so while the court order remains in this case.”
The medical examiner denied an earlier request from police to place a security hold on the case, saying there was “insufficient justification” for doing so.
News of the security hold followed a weekend report by TMZ that the teen’s dismembered and decomposing body had apparently been at least partially frozen before it was placed in the car’s trunk. The condition of the body was so poor that the medical examiner may not be able to determine an exact cause of death, instead leaving it “undetermined,” TMZ reported.
Last week, multiple media outlets reported that D4vd — whose real name is David Anthony Burke — had been officially named a suspect in the teen’s death, and that he was being uncooperative with investigators. Police have not confirmed the reports.
Other reports have suggested that D4vd apparently took a trip in spring of this year in the middle of the night to a remote area of Santa Barbara County, where he stayed for several hours, and that the police believe another person likely helped the singer dismantle the teen’s body.
Celeste, of Lake Elsinore, had been reported missing by her mother last year, when the girl was just 13. The mother has told reporters that her daughter had a boyfriend named David. D4vd has a tattoo on one of his fingers matching the one reading “Shhh” that the Los Angeles County medical examiner revealed previously was on Rivas’ index finger.
The teen’s brother told NBC4 earlier this year that Celeste was last seen going to a movie with D4vd, but she never returned.
The Tesla in which her body was found had been abandoned near a home in the 1300 block of Doheny Place, not far from a home D4vd — pronounced “David” — had rented. Police served a search warrant at the house and took several items as possible evidence.
“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,” police said in a statement in September.
No arrests have been made in connection with the teen’s death. A representative for D4vd said previously the singer was cooperating with investigators.
“The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has not yet determined the cause or manner of Ms. Rivas Hernandez’s death,” police said in September. “As such, it remains unclear whether there is any criminal culpability beyond the concealment of her body. (Robbery-Homicide Division) is thoroughly examining every aspect of this case to uncover the truth and seek justice for Celeste Rivas Hernandez and her family.
“We appreciate the public’s patience and understanding as we continue this investigation. Further updates will be provided as appropriate, but at this time, we are unable to answer additional questions.”
The Los Angeles Times reported earlier that the 2023 Tesla had been parked on Bluebird Avenue in Hollywood Hills for so long that some residents complained about it in late August, leading the car to be ticketed. A parking enforcement officer marked the Tesla on Aug. 27, noting the position of its tires, according to The Times. The officer issued a citation on Sept. 3 to the Tesla for violating the 72-hour parking ordinance.
D4vd was on the last leg of a U.S. tour when Rivas’ body was discovered. Several shows were canceled, including one that had been scheduled at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre.
According to various reports, his label, Interscope Records, has halted all promotion of D4vd’s latest record, “Withered.”