NEED TO KNOW
- Celeste Rivas Hernandez was 14 years old when she was killed, and was subsequently discovered dead inside the trunk of a Tesla belonging to musician d4vd in September
- LAPD Captain and commanding officer of Robbery-Homicide Division, Scot Williams tells PEOPLE exclusively that Rivas Hernandez was not decapitated and her body parts were not frozen
- “Celeste's body was not frozen,” Williams says. “She was not decapitated. The whole frozen thing doesn't even make sense"
Celeste Rivas Hernandez was 14 when she was killed, and was subsequently discovered dead inside the trunk of a Tesla belonging to musician d4vd in September. Now, the Los Angeles Police Department captain is debunking rumors surrounding her remains.
LAPD Captain and commanding officer of Robbery-Homicide Division, Scot Williams, tells PEOPLE exclusively that Rivas Hernandez was not frozen and was not decapitated as previously reported by local media.
“Celeste's body was not frozen,” Williams says. “She was not decapitated. The whole frozen thing doesn't even make sense. Her body was in the car for weeks."
Williams continues, "Even if she had been frozen solid when she was put in the car (which there is NO evidence to suggest she was), five or more weeks in the trunk of a car in sweltering heat in the middle of summer would not have resulted in a partially frozen body being discovered on September 8th.”
Rivas Hernandez was first reported missing from her Lake Elsinore, Calif., home on April 5, 2024, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office told the Los Angeles Times.
Michael Kovac/Getty for Support + Feed
Her body was found in the impounded Tesla in the Hollywood Hills on Sept. 8 — one day after her 15th birthday while d4vd (whose real name is David Anthony Burke) was on tour.
Singer d4vd was identified as a suspect in her death last week, a police source confirmed to PEOPLE at the time.
According to the police source, the singer has allegedly "not been cooperative" amid the ongoing investigation. The police source added that no criminal charges have been filed.
The LAPD, d4vd's lawyer and a rep for the singer didn't immediately respond when previously contacted by PEOPLE. The singer's representative previously told NBC Los Angeles that his client was "fully cooperating" with authorities.
In September, investigators with the LAPD served a search warrant in connection with Rivas Hernandez's death at a home in Hollywood Hills where the singer was staying, law enforcement sources previously told PEOPLE.
The teen's cause and manner of death remain unclear.
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On Monday, Nov. 24, the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner announced that they received a court order, initiated by the LAPD, to place a security hold on Rivas Hernandez’s case, the medical examiner said in a statement to PEOPLE.
“No records or details associated with the case, including the cause and manner of death and Medical Examiner report, can be released or posted on the website until further notice,” the medical examiner said. "The Department understands the public’s interest in this case and remains committed to transparency when possible. Information will be made available once the court order is lifted."

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