The true crime case of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas continues to raise serious questions, especially as investigators piece together her connection to music star David Anthony Burke, aka D4vd. While his car became the scene of a grisly discovery, the evidence presented so far leaves the public wondering: is there enough to charge him with a crime?
A Teacher’s Caught On Video
FOX 11 LA reported on Saturday, that a phone video showed Rivas’ former teacher speaking openly about her disappearance. He revealed that Celeste had been his student and that she had run away several times before. What made it interesting, is that he claimed she spent time with D4vd.
The report on Fox looked a the allegations that Rivas was “only 13” when she first vanished in April 2024. At the time, D4vd would have “been 18.” While being in the presence of a runaway isn’t illegal by itself, any “sexual activity,” coercion, “or trafficking” would carry serious “criminal charges.”
A Timeline of Events
The true crime case started on September 8 when car lot workers found an abandoned Tesla registered to D4vd with the body of a teen inside the front trunk. By September 17, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner identified the remains as those of Celeste Rivas.
Although D4vd was on tour when the body was discovered, after the identification, LAPD carried out a search at his Hollywood Hills home, seizing electronics and computers.
In true crime viewer’s eyes, many already believe that the singer is involved in the crime of murder. Some of them noted that his music videos featured a young woman resembling Celeste. Plus, a song’s footage showed a scene of a body placed in a trunk. The footage, at first dismissed as art, seems to become sinister after the gruesome find.
Next up, the merch site for D4vd took down a bloody white and red shirt. Possibly, it was unrelated to the case. However, it certainly makes folks wonder why he had it up in the first place.
Tattoos, & Unanswered Questions
Adding to the speculation, reports surfaced that D4vd and Celeste may have had matching tattoos. Yet despite the connections, no direct evidence ties him to her death. Legal experts stress that proving responsibility in court requires more than circumstantial associations.
A former prosecutor and defense attorney suggested alternative scenarios. They included the possibility that someone close to her accessed D4vd’s car while he was away on tour. Therefore, someone else might have placed her body inside.
Cooperation But Consequences
Authorities confirm that D4vd cooperates during the investigation, but the fallout already hit his career. His performance at the “Greek Theatre was canceled,” followed by the suspension of his entire world tour.
As investigators work to establish a clear chain of events, the question remains: does the evidence point to D4vd as a suspect, or is public opinion moving faster than the facts? For now, the case against him appears heavy on association, but light on proof.
Recent Reactions From The Public
Circumstantial or not, the opinions of the public in the true crime update on YouTube lean strongly towards him being guilty. None of them care about innocent until proven guilty. One viewer wrote, “Every adult that knew this grown man was allegedly grooming this child needs to be held accountable!! This is outrageous on so many levels.”
Here are more reactions, taken from the discussion. Disclaimer: Soap Opera Spy does not endorse any of them and they are presented only for information:
- If anyone thinks those two didn’t have any sexual relations, you’re brainlessly naive.
- All signs points to this guy. Why is he still free?
- He’s going to use the excuse that he’s been on tour . He wasn’t worried about his car.
- Damn every adult in this child’s life failed to protect her.
What are your thoughts? Can you understand that for investigators to charge the singer with a crime when only circumstantial evidence links him to her, might be premature? Let us know in the comments below, and come back here often for all your true crime news and updates.