5 Chilling Updates in Dismembered Teen Found in D4vd’s Tesla Case

The investigation into the strange death. of a teenage girl whose body was found. in a car registered to singer David. It. continues. And this comes as the. musician just moved out of a property. that was raided by police. The young. girl's remains were returned to her. family. And with still no suspect, no. person of interest. We ask what exactly. is going on right now. Welcome to. Sidebar, presented by Law and Crime. I'm. Jesse Weber. Okay, it's time to talk about the latest. in the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez,

the teenage girl who was reportedly. found dead in the trunk of a 2023 Tesla. in a Los Angeles Hollywood towyard. A. car that was registered to 20-year-old. musician David D4VD, real name David. Anthony Burke. By the way, we had a typo. in our last episode. We said a cybert. truck. That was our mistake. It was. actually a Tesla. By the way, if you. don't know, D4VD, David, is a very big. deal. Okay, aside from millions and. millions of followers online, this is a. performer who signed a record deal when.

he was what, 17 years old. He was. reportedly paid a $3 million advance. with a potential $6 million payday in. all. He's been on the Billboard Hot 100. He's open for SIZA. He sat front row at. a Paris runway show. He has billions of. streams on Spotify. He really blew up on. social media. That's how he really. became famous. But you put that to the. side. What do we know right now? We know. that Celeste's body was found September. 8th, that this was a day after she. reportedly would have turned 15 years.

old. While a cause of death has not been. officially released by the LA County. Medical Examiner's Office at the time of. this recording, it has been reported. that her remains were released back to. her family. And talking about her. remains, reports say that her body was. apparently mutilated. And we know that. she was found severely decomposed, left. inside of this plastic bag in the car, which raises questions about how long. she was in that state. It's also not. entirely clear when she died. But it's.

awful. It's awful. And according to. KTLA, the medical examiner has stated. the cause and manner of death have been. deferred, which means the deputy medical. examiner completed an examination, but. cause of death has not been determined. The deputy medical examiner is. requesting additional testing and/or. studies in order to make a. determination. Due to the ongoing death. investigation, the County of Los Angeles. Department of Medical Examiner cannot. disclose what testing and/or studies. were requested. Deferred cases can take. a few months before a cause of death is.

determined. And what is so chilling is. the lack of answers. There have been no. arrests as this investigation is. reportedly being headed up by the. Robbery Homicide Division with the Los. Angeles Police Department. We know that. her body was found in this Tesla after. there were those at the yard who smelled. a really bad foul odor coming from the. car after it was impounded. It was. actually towed after it was abandoned. for about 5 days in the Hollywood Hills. It was near a rental home where David.

was staying at. I mentioned there's no. arrest and by all accounts David has not. been listed as a suspect. He has not. been arrested. He has not been formally. accused of any wrongdoing. reporting. indicates he has been cooperative. In. fact, no suspect or person of interest. has been listed. He was on tour, by the. way, across the country. He was about to. go to Europe for some tour dates, but. that has been cancelled after Celeste's. body was found. And here's something. significant, too. It has been reported. that David has moved out of that. multi-million dollar four-bedroom.

Hollywood Hills home that he was. renting. The New York Post says, by the. way, for $20,000 a month that he broke. his lease. And this comes after police. had searched that home on September. 17th. NBC reporting that law enforcement. sources say police were looking for. various things, including digital. devices that may contain material. potentially linking Celeste to the. property. TMZ reporting that LAPD. detectives left with a computer and. several evidence bags. An LAPD.

spokesperson telling people several. items of evidence were recovered and. will be analyzed by detectives in the. coming days. Investigators are following. up on several leads. E- News reporting. that law enforcement sources with. knowledge of this case and investigation. say that electronics and computers were. removed. TMZ also reporting that they. were looking for blood. More. specifically, TMZ's Charles Lati Bodier. told Ashley Banfield on NewsNation, quote, "They were checking drains to see. if there's any blood evidence or blood. or tissue that was in the drains there.

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indicates that Celeste had been missing. since last year having grown up in Lake. Elzenor, California. And if we assume. that is where she disappeared from, then. that is about 70 to 75 miles away from. where her remains were found in that. car. She had been reported missing at. least three times last year with the New. York Post reporting she was last. reported missing by her family in April. of 2024. She apparently ran away two. other times per TMZ. And then she. disappears. She was in the seventh.

grade. She was a child, but again, not. clear what she was doing before her. death or what exactly her connection was. to David. See, that part's interesting. in terms of her connection to David. That's strange. See, you have this. former teacher at apparently Celeste. former school, Lakeland Village School, who told TMZ that she had met David on. social media and believed that she ran. away to Hollywood to be with the singer, but that police found her and sent her.

back. He apparently corroborated that he. knows her by showing a picture of. himself with her and said that she had. been missing since he had been teaching. her, that she was frequently not in. class, but really didn't know much about. her private life. Those online believe. that David and Celeste may have had a. romantic relationship of some kind, but. again, nothing has been officially. confirmed by authorities or either. Celeste family or the singer camp. However, on yesterday's TMZ Live, Harvey. Leven said, "We've spoken to people in. the music business who've partied with. David, hung out with David, and there.

seems to be a consensus that people. believe that David and Celeste were. boyfriend and girlfriend." TMZ's Charlie. Nef commented that people in the. industry believed Celeste was actually. 19 years old, saying when the news came. out that she was a 14-year-old child, they could not believe that because she. also presented herself very maturely. They didn't really question it because. of the places she was seen at. There. have been reports that there is a leaked. David's song that potentially mentions. Celeste, that there is a video of the. two of them live streaming together.

months before she disappeared in 2024. And I will say people are looking into. his past songs and performances for any. clues. Like for example, he brought a. casket on stage during shows. And in his. single Romantic Homicide, from back in. 2022, he said, "I killed you and I. didn't even regret it." Now, in a. GoFundMe that has been set up on behalf. of the Reva Hernandez family, it says, "As many of you know, Celeste Reva. Hernandez has been identified as the. body found last week. She was a beloved. daughter, sister, cousin, and friend.

Her family is heartbroken and devastated. by this tragic loss. Any funds you were. able to donate are greatly appreciated. Okay, so let me bring on criminal. defense attorney William Corman, who is. with us here in studio. Good to see you. Uh, a lot of people excited for you to. come in. Everybody wants to meet you. You're a big fan favorite. Um, >> are you surprised there is no arrest? Are you surprised that there has been no. identified suspect, no identified person. of interest by authorities? And what.

does it tell you that we're at that. point? >> I think it's very early still. I I think. that this is a complicated case. I think. that there's a lot of information that. needs to be sused out first by the. investigators, by the crime scene. analysts and the like. Uh and I think. it's simply too early for there to be an. arrest. I think an arrest right now. would be premature and that would then. be something that defense council would. jump on. There wasn't enough information. to arrest. There wasn't enough probable. cause to arrest at the time that they. did. But I think that uh everyone needs. to be patient. I'm sure an arrest will. be before. explain what the disadvantage.

would be for law enforcement and for. prosecutors for for essentially making. that announcement before they're ready. to take some sort of action. What would. be the problem? >> Sure. So, in order for an arrest to take. place, there needs to be probable cause. for the arrest to happen. And I just. don't think that they're there yet. If. they arrest somebody too soon, then. their lawyer can go into court and argue. that there wasn't probable cause for. arrest and try to get the case thrown. out. And to be clear once again, I said. it before, I'll say it again, David has. not been identified as a suspect. He has. not been implicated officially in any.

wrongdoing. If he has not been arrested, if he's not been identified as a. suspect, is it possible right now that. authorities and prosecutors are are. thinking he may not be connected to. this? He may not be responsible for. Celeste's death or um they might be. looking at alternatives there or they. may be trying to see if he has some a. connection here. I mean, what should we. be taking away from that? >> I don't think we should take anything. away yet. I think what we should take. away is that this is a messy, messy. crime scene uh with a lot of unknowns.

And I don't think that uh if I were. David, I wouldn't be resting easy by any. stretch of the imagination, but if I. were the public, I wouldn't be clamoring. for them to hurry up and do something. I. think these things takes time. What. would you advise him if you were. representing him right now? >> Not to say anything and not to do. anything. >> What does that mean? Because right now. he canled the rest of his tours. He. broke the lease, apparently, moved out. of that rental property that was. searched. Those are significant actions. That says something. >> If I were his attorney, what I would. advise him to do is lay low, do nothing,

don't obstruct the investigation, but. we're under no obligation to cooperate. with it either. And just let your. lawyers do what they need to do in order. to get from point A to point B. >> What do they need to do? Remember, I. think it's interesting when we talk. about a high-profile celebrity case and. what might be happening with lawyers. We. covered the Diddy case extensively. You. covered it with us as well. His lawyers. before he was officially arrested and. indicted, they were in constant. communication with prosecutors, at least. they tried to, you know, when it came to.

what he was doing, his movements, surrendering his passport. Is there. communication happening between his. attorneys and uh authorities? And what. does that communication look like? >> I would imagine there's some. communication. And what it really is is. you're informing the prosecutors of. where your client is, your client's. availability. What you don't want is for. them to come into your client's house in. the middle of the night and arrest them. In a situation like this, I reach out to. prosecutors where I have a client who's. a suspect. I say, "Look, you know me. Let us know where you need us to be. We.

will turn ourselves in at any moment. rather than you coming to my client's. house or my client's place of business. 10 officers deep and taking down the. door. Let's cooperate with you. You know. what we're going to do? We're going to. turn ourselves in if and when it gets to. that stage of the game. If there is some. sort of action in this case, what will. it look like and what can we expect? >> I imagine that the first thing that. would happen is there would be uh an. arrest of David. Uh I'm imagining or. someone else. >> or excuse me or someone else, right? Someone will be arrested in this case, I.

imagine. And if it is somebody like. David whose attorneys have already been. in touch with the prosecution, they'll. most likely arrange a time for him to. turn himself in. If it's someone else, someone random off the street, someone. whose name we don't even know, that. person could obviously just be arrested. at the spur of the moment. >> Isn't there surveillance cameras of. someone depositing a body into the car? Or they look to see how the car got. there, who was driving it. Maybe they. don't have all those answers. You would. think in the Hollywood Hills there would. be some sort of video evidence to.

document something about that car. No, >> I I'm sure that there probably is. But. again, I caution um I caution some. patience here because what the last. thing that the folks in LA want to do, LA County is a strange place. California. sees high-profile trials all the time. They tend to go a little sideways. They're certainly full of surprises and. unexpected details. I think they really. want to have all their ducks in a row. before they pull the trigger. >> Why no cause of death? Why has no cause. of death been released? I mentioned.

before that there needs to be additional. testing, but the reports indicate the LA. County Medical Examiner's Office won't. even say what that testing is. I guess. something about these remains, not. clear-cut. They need to do additional. testing, but like why not even say what. that testing is? I don't think they want. to show their cards yet. For example, and this is just a hypothetical, what if. she was pregnant? What if the testing. has to do with DNA testing and they're. hoping that or they try to find out who. the father is of the unborn child? That. testing takes some time and that's.

certainly not something they want to. show their hand on right away. Drug. testing, um, things along those lines. Forensic testing does take time. >> When do you think we can get an update. there? >> I don't know. I think that's a that's a. tough question to answer. It's something. everybody wants. Um, but again, I don't. think they're any in any rush. If it's. David, everyone knows who he is and. where he is. I don't think there's a. concern that he's going to abscond. I. think they're going to take their time. because they want to get it right. >> Is it unusual to you that we don't have. a cause of death right now that's been.

released or is that standard practice? >> I think in a case like this where it. isn't something that's blatantly. obvious. It's relatively standard. practice. Again, they're not going to. show all their cards in the beginning. >> Do you think there's going to be trouble. determining time of death, which can be. very important for prosecutors as well? I think that time of death is going to. be tricky in this particular situation, especially because as far as we know, the the body seems to have been there. for a significant period of time. I. think cause of death is something that's. going to be easier to figure out than. time of death. If he was on tour when.

this body was found, does that hurt the. prosecution's case? When it was found or. when it was killed, right, when the. person was killed, right, that's a good. point. I mean, when the body was found. and he was on tour, leaving a body in a. car in a public area that's going to be. towed, I I've talked about this before. It's a couple things. One, right? It. could be framing. It could be just. sloppy. Or there was a plan to do. something else, but the car got towed. before you could do something. Am I. crazy to think about these alternatives?

>> Or panicking. >> Panicking. or, you know, a third party. was involved to get rid of the car and. they took they panicked or they got rid. of it at their first opportunity. You. know, I I I think that there will be. more information forthcoming without a. doubt. Uh, a cause of death will be. forthcoming. I think we just need to. wait and see what that testing is. >> Do you think it was wise for him to move. out of the property? Do you think he. consulted with his lawyers before doing. that? >> I think that it probably made sense for. him to move out of the property for a.

few reasons. If they were going to. execute search warrants on the property, I wouldn't want my client there at the. time if my client has the ability to. vacate the property. The last thing he. needs is for the media to be following. cameras through like in Diddy and have. people there while a search warning. search warrant's being executed. What do. you think is going on with the materials. that were reportedly obtained from the. home? There's been reporting about. computers and electronics. Um maybe. trying to establish whether or not. Celeste had a connection to that. property. What are they looking for? So.

the digital forensic analysts are going. through all those materials with a fine. tooth comb. They're seeing what the. chains of comm or what the lines of. communication were, if any, between. Celeste and David. Were their emails, were there text messages, um were there. Instagram photos, whatever there was. that they can use to connect those folks. together and create a timeline for the. prosecution. >> You heard before that TMZ reported they. might be looking for blood as well. Would that be making sense to you? >> Of course. Yeah, of course. And then. what does that testing look like? >> So, it depends on where they're looking.

I mean, if they're going through a home, they're they're doing a forensic. testing. They're doing almost like we. see in the movies, you know, they're. getting down on their hands and knees. They're taking swabs from carpets. They're taking swabs from furniture. They're doing exhaustive testing of the. materials themselves to see what they. can find. They're they're pulling up. drains for hair. They're examining. bathtub drains for chemicals that could. be used to dissolve bodies. It's all. gruesome, but that's what they're doing. Do you think prosecutors are working. handinhand with law enforcement in terms. of obtaining this evidence this evidence.

and conducting this investigation? >> There's always an interesting. relationship between prosecutors and the. investigators themselves. Uh different. jurisdictions handle it differently. Often times prosecutors assist law. enforcement in writing search warrants. to make sure that the search warrants. are relatively watertight because the. last thing you want is a defense. attorney to come in and challenge the. grounds of the search or challenge the. search warrant and perhaps get uh. important evidence thrown out. So, it's. not unusual for prosecutors to assist. investigators in drafting and reviewing. those search warrants. >> Do they assist also with interviewing.

witnesses, potential suspects, anything. like that? >> They can. I think more often than not. the interviews are conducted by actual. investigators themselves rather than the. prosecutors who subsequently will be. handling the case. >> It's interesting and and we don't have a. definitive connection here between David. and Celeste. There's rumors online I. talked about. There's what TMZ has. reported about it. Is it unusual that. law enforcement haven't officially come. out and announced whatever connection. there is between the two? And by the. way, I wonder how much they might be.

trying to get information from family, from friends, from people online, from. tips, which can get complicated when. you're dealing with a celebrity like. this. Sure. I mean, the last thing they. want to do is a Russia judgment, cuz. that's what the defense attorney is. going to stand up and say during his or. her opening statement. Then again, at. their closing argument, they're going to. say, "This was a Russia judgment. Before. they had all the facts lined up, they. already pointed his finger at this. particular suspect, be it David or. somebody else." So, it's not surprising. that it's going slow. I think it has to. go slow. And it's certainly not. surprising that they're not talking. about any connection between these two. because again, if David didn't do it,

you don't want to tarn and feather the. individual with saying that, you know, he's a highly regarded suspect in a. particular case. >> And you also have to think about who. would have had access to the car if it. wasn't uh David. Real quick, are they. doing a deep dive into Celeste's life? And how can they track her movements and. her actions from when she went missing. in 2024? How difficult is that? What do. you think's going on there? So, I'm sure. they're interviewing family. I'm sure. they're interviewing friends. And I'm. sure they're doing a very deep dive on.

her sort of digital footprint, as it. were, her phones, her social media. pages, all those other things to try to. establish a timeline of who she was. talking to, when she was talking to, when those communications stopped. >> And her remains being released back to. her family. Now, is that significant? >> It means that they're done with whatever. testing is going to be done on those. remains. So, whatever testing is going. to take place has taken place or and not. to be graphic, they've taken whatever. samples they need in order to test uh in. the future. >> William Corman, thank you so much.

Always pleasure. Really appreciate it. >> Thanks. That's all we have for you right. now here on Sidebar. Everybody, thank. you so much for joining us and as. always, please subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify, wherever you get. your podcast. You can follow me on X or. Instagram. I'm Jesse Weber. I'll see you. next time. [Music].