New Photos Surface in D4vd Tesla Trunk Mystery

Steve Fischer, the PI who's been looking. into the Celeste Rivas Hernandez David. case, this investigation, just posted. two major updates about this. One, apparently new photos that may show. Celeste with David at a key moment. And. two, new legal paperwork that may prove. there is in fact a criminal case against. the singer and that his father may be. being compelled to testify. So much to. get into. Welcome to Sidebar, presented. by Law and Crime. I'm Jesse Weber.

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I kind of like at times. This is weird. Okay, this is a big development now in. the David case that we have been. following. Remember, this is the case. where 14-year-old Celeste Rivas. Hernandez was allegedly found in the. trunk of a Tesla out in LA in September, September 8th. We believe that that. Tesla was registered to Singer David. Okay. There have been no arrests. There. have been no charges. There have been. reports that a grand jury is hearing. evidence in this case. And then all of a.

sudden, we get these new messages, these. new posts by Steve Fischer. Steve. Fischer, somebody we've had on the show. before. Steve is the private. investigator who was hired by the owner. of the property where David had. apparently been staying. And this. property is near where the Tesla was. found reportedly. And Steve has been all. involved in this. He's been on the. ground there. So I he posted two things. I have to talk about. One is he posted. something regarding these new photos. I.

don't think we've ever seen them before. Allegedly of Celeste, allegedly of David. Key. And then he posted these legal. filings that would suggest a there is in. fact a criminal case against David. Anthony Burke, real name for David. and. B, is his father being compelled to. testify against him? Wow. Okay, let's. take it step by step. Bring I'm not. doing it alone. I want to bring in. legendary former homicide director uh. detective, excuse me, Phil Waters. Phil, thank you so much for taking the time to. talk about this. Um, as we're breaking.

it down kind of in real time. I I have. to first start with this post by Steve. I'm going to read it verbatim. We'll. talk about it. On December 31st, 2024 at. around 10 p.m., several people were at. David's house. Although Celeste Rivas. Hernandez is not clearly visible in any. of the photos from that evening, we. believe she was present. The iPhone she. had previously been pictured with. appears to match the phone and case seen. on the table along with a Hello Kitty. mug. Another photo, which appears to.

have been taken by David, shows what are. likely Celeste's fingers on a bottle. The phone that is likely Celeste appears. to be on the Wi-Fi settings screen and. connected to the Wi-Fi network. Even. though iPhones use a private Wi-Fi. address feature, the address remains. fixed for a specific network, meaning it. stays the same each time that device. reconnects to that router. Hopefully, law enforcement investigators have. reviewed the router logs to determine. exactly when Celeste's phone and.

everyone else's phones were connected to. the home's Wi-Fi network and compared. that information against the statements. each person provided about when they. were at the house and who else was. there, including Celeste. For example, if individuals in the photos, including. these photos and many others, claim they. did not see Celeste or were not at the. house, yet the router log show their. phone was connected to the Wi-Fi. That. would raise serious questions. We cannot. forget about Celeste, the justice she.

deserves. It is now been more than 5. months and no charges have been filed. The last photo of Celeste is not from. that night. It's from another time and. meant to show her phone to compare with. the phone on the table. Hash Celeste. Rivas Hernandez hashtagd David. When you. look at these photos uh there's one, it. appears to be David. And then I think. this looks like Neil Langston. I could. be wrong. Neil Langston is somebody who. is uh we've reported was arrested out in. Montana. Was arrested out on a warrant.

for failing to appear as a witness. apparently was brought back to Los. Angeles and there was photographs him of. TMZ videos of him entering a Los Angeles. courtroom. So, we believe it is likely. he testified in the grand jury. Uh. although he apparently didn't testify. for a long time. There is another photo. It says David taking photo where it. could, you know, again, it's hard to. tell if that person is Celeste. It might. be someone else. It might be this person. Asia who he's talked about. There's.

another photo of a phone and then. there's another photo of potentially. Celeste and then there's another photo I. think just of Celeste uh herself. Okay, let's break this down. First of all, Phil, um this is significant I would say. because I believe uh Steve had said the. last known photo they have of Celeste is. January 2025, but what are you taking. away from what he's suggesting and what. are you taking away from these photos? Well, thanks for having me, Jesse. It's.

an interesting case and presumably. they're coming from some sort of social. media and they may have been posted by. by her. >> or or his or someone's phone. He might. have had. >> by David or or somebody else. Right. Right. >> They're out there. And uh I think I'm. sure what law enforcement is doing is. they're using these photos to develop a. timeline. That's important. And whether. or not she's in these pictures or not. Now, are the ages? We know Celeste is a. juvenile. So, are the ages of these.

other people seen in these videos, are. they adults? Are they 18 years or older? So, my my point here is is that that if. she was there, if Celeste was there in. this gathering, it may have been. purposeful to not have her in. photographs because of her age. So when. people are involved in this kind of a. thing, uh, David, you know, these folks. having all these people around, having.

these young young girls in there, u he. may be smart enough, he's not smart. enough to engage with these people, but. he may be smart enough to make sure that. their images are not seen in the course. of these pictures. Um, so I don't think. it was any big secret that she was a fan. and and had been, you know, associated. with him on several occasions, but in. this particular moment in time, pictures, you know, a thousand words and. videos are a million. Then you've got.

the the clue of her phone being. connected. So, she's there or at least. the phone is there. And that's what we. need to remember here that phones are. detected as to where they are. That does. not necessarily mean that the person. that owns that phone is with the phone. >> Although it would be weird for them not. to be with their phone at that time. I. guess the question is. >> I mean it would make sense to have a. phone and not the person there unless. they I don't know. >> Well, you know I mean I'm just I'm just.

that's just a fact. So uh yeah, it would. be weird but it it's not that it. couldn't happen is what I'm saying. >> Let me ask you this. The part where he. talks about the routers, right? So, it. is an interesting time if you're. thinking about people testifying in. front of a grand jury or speaking to. investigators and saying what they knew. about Celeste or when they were around. Celeste and if you think about Neil. Langston uh providing testimony and I. don't know if he just pled the fifth. when he was up in front of the grand. jury assuming he was but um talk to me. about is it possible to track the router.

information to see who was who which. phone was connecting at what point and. would suggest those people were there at. that time. Uh, is that something you've. done in the past that routers can. provide information and and it's easily. discoverable, easily found that. information? >> Oh, sure. Anything that anything that. digitally connected like that uh can be. forensically analyzed and in fact we had. a lab that that did just those very. things. So, and then you get of course. you're getting with the provider. whoever's providing the interweb.

connection and that kind of thing. So, yes, of course. And it will give and. again we always go back to timelines. So. it's going to give you a timeline of of. that period that whatever it's a week or. a month or whatever they're going to go. back if it were me I would go back in. time perhaps a month and see when we see. her phone showing up in that in that uh. router in that network. And then you go. and you you move forward.

and you see when was that phone in and. out of the network, disconnected from it, connected to it. And then you want to see the concluding. part of it is what was the last time. that the phone was connected to the. network. And given the the time and day. that she was found, then that starts to. put that starts to close the gap on. perhaps when whatever happened to her. happened.

>> That's interesting. And um yeah, I do. wonder like if you were an investigator, right, like and you're questioning. somebody, would you be in a position to. say that? I mean, tell us everything you. know about Celeste and they say, "I. didn't I, you know, I didn't know her. I. wasn't really around her." Do you then. present these photographs and say, "Well, what about this?" You know, I. mean, is that a tactic that we could. expect in some in a case like this? >> Well, sure. You you would you would, you. know, if it were me interviewing him, if. he. it would be, you know, we want to go. back into his background first just to.

establish that relationship. But, uh, when we get to the core of the matter, we want to see from him u what he's. talking about in terms of when did this. relationship start? And you gota you. gota kind of phrase it in a way that he. doesn't get defensive. This is just look. she's a she's a fan uh a big fan. She. seemed to show up at different concerts. and so forth and so on. And then and how. did you get into a more friendly.

relationship where she became kind of a. super fan and she started getting. invited to some of these other functions. and see if he'll tell you that, you. know, and you just kind of want to walk. your way up to the point where um if. he's denying things. that you do have digital evidence. showing, uh then of course you would. show that to him. and say, "Look, well, how if you're saying this, then how does. this occur? And can you explain why. she's in this picture with you at this.

time at your house?" You know, whatever. those pictures might reveal. So, sure, it would be but it would be a series of. questions uh to get him to relax and and. of course be able to share those things. And you want to you want and he may in a. way I've had this happen where you're. talking about the incident itself. and they and the suspect is actually. describing. what happened and they're walking you.

right up to it, but they're not going to. make an admission as to, yeah, this is. when I ended their life. But they may be. giving you everything that happened up. to that point, right? and making and. trying to play it off as something that. yeah, you know, we were doing this and. that blah blah blah. So, I think had. that happen with suspects and but. they're but when they're telling you. everything but that moment, that's. pretty powerful. Pretty powerful stuff. >> And a couple things here. Look, we're. getting this from Steve. We're getting. it from his account. I have no reason to.

not believe that these photos are are. are, you know, illegitimate if they're. not real. Um they don't depict what they. seem to show. Uh but just to, you know, again, I'm just giving a caveat about. where it's coming from. Um, we haven't. been able to, you know, it's not like. the police released these. Um, but look, they they appear to show drinking. happening, a party of some sort. I can. see when you look at the photos that why. that he might believe these are Celeste. hands uh around a liquor bottle of some. kind. I I want to couple this now with. what else Steve Fischer posted. And I.

think that this one is arguably the more. important one. So, one of the things we. couldn't officially confirm, law. enforcement wouldn't officially confirm. this obviously, is whether in fact there. is a criminal case being mounted against. David. There's been reporting that he's. a suspect. There's been reporting that a. grand jury is hearing evidence. Law. enforcement is not going to confirm. that. They're not going to do that. It's. obvious. They want to compromise an. investigation. Steve posted this. David. Burke, again, so this is David. David.

Burke's father filed a petition for a. writ of habius corpus claiming that a. summon ordering him to testify in. California violates his due process. rights. He lives in Texas. The footnote. in the ruling states the underlying case. is the people of the state of California. v. David Burke. The court of appeals. denied the petition. Both the petition. and the underlying case documents likely. related to a failure to appear similar. to NEO situation are currently sealed as.

a motion for rehearing has been placed. on the docket for February 24th. That. footnote the people of the state of. California v. David Burke is especially. significant to me and could signal we. are getting close to the beginning of. justice for Celeste. Now, before I read. you uh what this petition states, and. this there was only one uh page of this. that was posted um by Steve, and again, he must have gone through the court. records to get this. When you hear terms. rel.

my understanding is under the law here. would be a person who is seeking some. sort of relief from a court. Um and it's. through a habius petition. Now, usually. when we talk about habius, this is. somebody who's been convicted and. they've exhausted all their appeals. So, they're saying, "My detention is. unlawful for some other reason." They. might be saying, "New evidence has come. forward." This is a little different. This is where a relator uh so this is. going to be uh David's potentially. David's father is seeking a writ saying,

"Look, I don't have to comply with a. certain court order because I'm being. deprived of liberty. My due process. rights are being uh violated." And this. is a way to be in a way to prevent being. held in contempt of court. So my. understanding is I looked this up under. Texas law that the relator so here the. the the defendants here David's father. has the burden to show that a contempt. order is invalid and that his rights. would be violated that he'd be deprived.

of liberty without due process of law. Okay. Now again this was denied but let. me go to what it says here. Again, this. is the screenshot from Steve uh in the. court for the first district of Texas. In Dwad or Dwood Burke, Relator, so we. believe that according to Steve, this is. his father. Uh relator Dad Burke has. filed a petition for writ of habius. corpus contending that the trial court's. order summoning him to testify in. California violates due process. And.

yes, there is a footnote that says the. underlying case is the people of the. state of California v. David Burke and. then it gives the uh the case number. Uh. it's pending in the 56th District Court. of Waller County, Texas. The Honorable. Gary W. Cheney presiding. We deny the. petition for writ of habius corpus. We. dismiss ending p any pending motions as. moot. Okay. Now, Phil, I'm not going to. get into the legal back and forth about. why the court denied this, but A, have.

you seen anything like this before? and. B, what does this signify to you? I. mean, is this a a confirmation that. there is a criminal case against David? >> Well, I I don't know that there's a. we're using the word case here. There is. without a doubt a criminal investigation. taking place. And I know in Texas, I. have taken those grand jury subpoenas. and served them. And the person was.

reluctant to come in on their own power. and just responding to the summons. itself, the subpoena itself. And I have. placed them in custody and then brought. them to in essence to the grand jury, put them in jail, and then they appeared. before the grand jury. So I'm just. and then I have worked I have reworked. capital murder cases where a writ of. habius corpus was filed by the convicted.

party. uh which is you know habius corpus see. the body and and that was but that was a. person who was convicted just as you. stated. Now, this this is a very odd way. of trying to fight the grand jury. subpoena. and claiming that there's no due. process. Well, if he's not. part of the investig there there's I. don't understand his due process.

reasoning here. I don't know who's. advising him about that. I would think. there would be another way to file. restraining uh order of some kind. Well, I imagine he feels like I'm not going to. show up and he feels he's going to be. held in contempt of court and he's like. this is, you know, this is violating my. rights. I just don't know what that. argument would be. I mean, if you're. compelled to testify, you go, he doesn't. he can plead the fifth. >> Well, of course he can. And but but you. know, you don't know. I mean, this this. is a weird I've never seen something.

like this happen. And um now I signed. off by a judge in Waller County. uh that that's right next door to where. I am and I uh used to work up there for. a short time. So um I just this is this. is bizarre to me. I you know who. obviously he's getting some legal. guidance somewhere, but the bottom line. here is he's going to be compelled to go. to the grand jury and testify and just.

as you stated, he can walk in there and. just claim the fifth and uh you know and. and be done with it. But I don't think. it serves whatever the investigation is. with involving his son. I don't think it serves him well for the. father to do this. It just kind of adds. another uh cloud over the over the. investigation, at least of what we know. about it at this point. So I find it. very odd that he is just being very.

resistant to to appearing before the. grand jury. >> Well, let me let's break this down for a. second. So, first of all, from a point. of law, uh, the grand jury, just like a. jury in a trial, is not allowed to use. someone invoking the fifth against the. criminal defendant. That wouldn't be. that wouldn't be right. But it does add. a layer to this, and it does make me. wonder, why do they want him, assuming. this is true, that he want him to. testify in front of a grand jury, why. have the father testify? Would do you. think it's about what did you know about. your son's relationship or alleged.

relationship with Celeste? his. whereabouts, what he's been up to, what. was his reaction when the news came out. that Celeste's body was found in your. son's car. I mean, I I to have the. father be compelled to testify is. unique. Have you to have the family. member unless they were somehow. involved? I find that interesting, right? >> Well, we don't know, but we don't know. And obviously, the the the grand jury is. conducting an their own investigation. here.

And what does this tell us? There's. something in what they're looking at. that has compelled them to issue a. subpoena to the father. They want to. talk to him. Now, what does that mean? It could be a variety of things. Has his. father been in the presence of Celeste? Has he been around him in in a in a. nefare around him and her in some sort. of nefarious way uh that would implicate. other things about his son?

and or you know what was and if he had a. and I'm going to use the term. relationship had some sort of. relationship with Celeste and I'm. talking maybe it could be something I. just met her could be a short-term thing. or it could have been something that he. may involved himself in in a in a more. wrongful questionable way. So, there's. something here. that's brought the grand jury to wanting. to talk to him and he obviously is very. reluctant to do that and does not want. to participate in the grand jury.

testimony. >> And doesn't that signal something? So, Steve Fischer, uh, I've had him on here. I've also had him on my NewsNation show, Jesse Weber Live, and he basically said. when it came to respect to Neil. Langston, this guy that was arrested and. brought back to LA, maybe invoked the. fifth, seemed to not want to testify. If. you got prosecutors who now resorting to. having him testify when Steve made the. point, there might be evidence that Neil. Langston is allegedly involved in this. if you're not even calling him as a. target of investigation, but now you're.

having him as a witness and now you're. bringing in the father who clearly. doesn't want to testify, too. I mean, at. least based on the paperwork, what does. that say about the strength of the case? If you're calling these people when you. know that they might not willingly. provide information, does that suggest. that there's a weakness in their case. against allegedly David or anyone else? Why call them if you know you're not. going to get information from them? >> Well, I don't think it suggests any any. weakness or strength in the case. I. think we're in the middle of the pro. we're in the middle of the process. And.

so, as I've said, something happened in. that grand jury investigation that said, "You know what? We need to talk to dad.". Now, dad being and and and perhaps, look, you you know as well as I do that. in the course of an investigation that. there are there's a strategy involved in. the investigation and then there are. tactical decisions that are made within. the strategy to see if we can get a. reaction of some kind. That may be what. this is. And so if this does come down. to a trial and the father is nothing.

more than a witness, then I would think uh and I'm just we're. just thinking speculating here that that. the prosecutors would bring the father. in to testify. Then he's going to do what? He's going. to get on that stand and he's going to. claim the fifth. >> Yeah. >> It just it just and I and I I understand. that. I've been worked within the system. for 33 years. I understand that is a. right and it's not supposed to be held. against them. But in real life, a jury.

sitting there listening to the father. >> invoke the fifth, >> that does not go well for the defendant. >> So. >> yeah, >> that's that's just the reality of the. way juries look at things. >> So uh it's a it's an interesting turn in. this overall investigation, but I don't. think I don't think it uh it shows any. strength or weakness. I think that it. shows that they are doing their due. diligence and they're tracking down. every lead that they've got in the. course of the grand jury investigation.

>> Look, again, we are breaking this down. in real time. I mean, we just got this. like 5 minutes ago, so we're trying to. make sense of it, but we wanted to get. out as soon as possible. If we get more. information, we'll make sure to do. another sidebar on it. But, um, Phil. Waters, thank you so much for taking the. time to jump in on this. Uh, it's, uh, another piece of this puzzle, but. hopefully we can figure it all out soon. Thank you so much, sir. >> You bet. Thank you, Jesse. And that's. all we have for you right now here on. Sidebar. Everybody, thank you so much. for joining us. Please subscribe on. YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify, wherever you should get your podcast. We're also up on NBC's Peacock. If you.

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