It has been over three months since the Los Angeles Police Department, the L.A.P.D. began investigating the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose body was found in the front trunk of musician D4vd’s, car back in September 2025. At the time, the L.A.P.D. said it was unclear “whether there is any criminal culpability” and that there was no certainty around D4vd’s involvement past concealment of the body. This was partly because the Los Angeles County medical examiner had yet to determine the cause or means of Rivas Hernandez’s death.

However, around late November, the medical examiner’s office said it had been barred from publicly releasing that information. In a statement, the office said it had “received a court order, initiated by the L.A.P.D., to place a security hold” on the case. This move was criticized by the chief medical examiner, Dr. Odey C. Ukpo, who later said that since becoming department head, he has been working to stop such security holds. In response to Dr. Ukpo’s statement, Capt. Michael Bland, who leads the L.A.P.D.’s media relations division, has said that “the purpose of the court order is to ensure the L.A.P.D. receives information on this case from the coroner before the public does.”

He also added that the case was now being actively investigated by the department’s robbery-homicide division.

Currently, Rivas Hernandez’s cause of death is listed as deferred, meaning the original autopsy and examination has been made, but more time and test results are needed. Representatives for D4vd have not responded to requests concerning comments, while members of Rivas Hernandez’s family could not be reached.

The largest development so far is that D4vd, whose real name is David Burke, is now considered a suspect. A warrant was given to investigate the home Burke had been staying in, and L.A.P.D. spoke to the house’s owner, Malden Trifunovic, who said the house was being leased by Burke’s manager, and he was unaware that it had been leased on someone else’s behalf.

Very few further details have been released, and we do not currently know if they have spoken directly to Burke.

While not much new information has come out, it’s been implied that the case has been moving along privately. Deputy Chief Alan S. Hamilton, who oversees the department’s detectives, has assured that “the robbery-homicide division of the Los Angeles Police Department will thoroughly investigate this matter.”