The chief of the Los Angeles Police Department is debunking rumours about the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose lifeless body was found inside the trunk of singer D4vd's Tesla in September.
Scot Williams, LAPD's captain and the commanding officer of the Robbery-Homicide Division, told People that the remains of Rivas Hernandez was not frozen nor decapitated, contrary to previous reports by the press.
'Celeste's body was not frozen,' Williams stated. 'She was not decapitated. The whole frozen thing doesn't even make sense. Her body was in the car for weeks.'
The LAPD chief added that it would be impossible to keep the body frozen for the entire period it was kept inside the car's trunk.
'Even if she had been frozen solid when she was put in the car (which there is NO evidence to suggest she was), five or more weeks in the trunk of a car in sweltering heat in the middle of summer would not have resulted in a partially frozen body being discovered on September 8th,' he said.
What Happened to Celeste?
Rivas Hernandez was initially reported missing from her residence in Lake Elsinore, California, on 5 April 2024, according to the Los Angeles Times.
More than a year after she was reported missing, Rivas Hernandez's body was discovered in the impounded Tesla car owned by musician D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke. The discovery happened a day after the deceased's birthday, and while the 'Romantic Homicide' singer was on tour.
The teenager's body was 'severely decomposed' when it was found, which could mean that she was already dead for weeks.
The singer was identified as a suspect in the case.
Court Seals Investigation Records About Celeste's Death
The BBC revealed that the details about Rivas Hernandez's cause of death will be kept from the public.
The report revealed that the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office received a court order, instructing them to follow a security hold on that case and preventing them from posting any information about it on the organisation's website.
The police department said that they requested the sealing of the record to ensure that the authorities would 'receive information from the Medical Examiner before the public.'
Dr Odey Ukpo, the chief medical examiner, shared that security holds are not common in other countries. It also 'has not been proven to improve outcomes in the legal system.'
The chief medical examiner also added, 'We are dedicated to serving our community with full transparency; however, the law precludes us from doing so while the court order remains in this case.'
No Statement Released Yet From D4vd's Side
The Department of Medical Examiner's Office also released a statement, saying that it 'understands the public's interest in this case and remains committed to transparency when possible. Information will be made available once the court order is lifted. For questions about the court order, timeline, and the law enforcement investigation into this death, please contact the LAPD.'
The singer has yet to release a statement about the ongoing case, but D4vd's representative said that they are fully cooperating with the investigation.
