New details have emerged in the murder of Celeste Rivas.
Wednesday marked day 2 of D4vd’s preliminary hearing after he was charged with the missing teen’s murder in April. As we’ve been following, Celeste’s dismembered body was found decomposing in the trunk of D4vd’s Tesla in September after it was towed to an impound lot, sparking a months-long investigation which culminated with the Romantic Homicide singer being charged with first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
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Prosecutors believe D4vd, born David Anthony Burke, killed Celeste in April 2025 before using chainsaws and other materials purchased on Amazon to hack up her body and store it in bags. So if her remains were potentially sitting inside his car for five months — through the heat of summer — how did the smell not trigger red flags earlier? Air fresheners, apparently. And LOTS of them.
On Wednesday, it was revealed in court that 11 air fresheners were discovered in the Tesla containing Celeste’s decomposing remains. Photographic evidence was shown of the air fresheners, which according to LAPD criminalist Chelsea Murillo, were scattered across the center console, the rear seats, and in the front trunk, where Celeste’s body was found.
Murillo claimed a “strong odor” was present in the trunk when she examined the car on September 9, just one day after the missing teen’s remains were discovered.
Each new detail paints a more grisly picture than the last… We hope to see Celeste get the justice she deserves.
[Images via D4vd/YouTube & Esmeralda Lozano/GoFundMe]