David Burke "d4vd" and Celeste Rivas first met when she was 11 years old, in January 2022. They began a sexual relationship in November 2023, when Rivas was 13 years old and Burke was 18 years old. Over the following year, Rivas spent "significant time" with Burke, including weekends at his home and trips to Las Vegas, London, and Texas, where she met his family. Their relationship ended in November 2024, but they continued to communicate and have sexual relations afterward. Rivas sent Burke a text message in March 2025, stating "All we do is have sex and just hang out, man, I want more than that for myself". On April 22, 2025, the day before Rivas' suspected death, they had a "lengthy argument" through text messages, where Rivas confronted Burke about his relationships with other women, as Burke had led her to believe that they had a future together. An unreleased demo recorded by Burke, titled "Celeste_Demo unfin" or simply "Celeste", initially leaked online in December 2023 and re-surfaced on September 17, 2025, shortly after the media had identified the victim as Rivas. The song runs nearly four minutes and includes lyrics such as, "Oh, Celeste / The girl with my name tattooed on her chest / Smell her on my clothes like cigarettes / I hear her voice each time I take a breath / I'm obsessed" and "Oh, Celeste / Afraid you'll only love me when undressed / But you look so damn gorgeous in that dress / Missing you so much makes me depressed". Its alleged connection to Rivas and the circumstances of its circulation have not been independently confirmed. On September 9, 2025, Burke performed at The Fillmore Minneapolis as part of his Withered tour. The day before, heavily decomposed human remains were discovered in Los Angeles inside the front trunk of an impounded Tesla registered to Burke. The discovery came after the LAPD was called by a tow yard worker to investigate a foul odor emanating from the vehicle. The remains were found inside two black cadaver bags in the front trunk; the first contained Rivas's decomposed head and torso, and a second bag beneath it held her severed arms and legs. On April 22, 2026, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner officially released its findings under case number 2025-14252, having been sealed since December 2025 at the LAPD's request. The examination was performed by a deputy medical examiner on September 10, 2025, at the DME's Forensic Science Center, two days after the body's discovery. The office determined the official cause of death as "multiple penetrating injuries caused by object(s)" and classified the manner of death as homicide. The report identified two penetrating wounds to the torso with smooth edges consistent with sharp force injury|sharp force injuries: one on the right abdomen, approximately 1.5 inches deep, perforating the liver, and a second on the left lower chest, at least 2 inches deep, penetrating the intercostal spaces and causing disruption to the cortical surfaces of the adjacent ribs. Due to extensive postmortem changes, the autopsy faced significant limitations: Rivas's heavily decomposed body weighed just 71 pounds at the time of examination, having remained in the Tesla's front trunk for over four months through the summer heat. The medical examiner noted that her head was "partially skeletonized" and her left eye was absent, while advanced decomposition also prevented examiners from determining her eye color. The autopsy report also noted a tattoo reading "Shhh…." on the inside of Rivas's right index finger — matching a tattoo D4vd is known to have on his own finger — and documented that the left ring and pinkie fingers appeared to have been mutilated. Multiple fragments of blue plastic material were found embedded in the cut surfaces of the dismembered body. Toxicology performed on liver tissue showed a low level of ethanol, the origin of which — ingestion or postmortem decomposition — could not be determined; initial screening also returned presumptive positives for benzodiazepines and methamphetamine/MDMA, though additional testing returned no confirmed presence of MDMA or methamphetamine, and none of these substances were determined to be a factor in her cause of death. Additionally, superficial abrasions were noted on one of Rivas's hands, though the report did not specify whether they were defensive in nature. Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey Ukpo released a statement upon publication of the report, saying he was "grateful this information can now be released, not only to the public, but also to the grieving family enduring loss." An LAPD captain told KABC-TV the body was at least partially dismembered but not decapitated. The car was first parked on Bluebird Avenue in Hollywood Hills in late July 2025. On September 3, the vehicle was cited for violating the 72-hour parking ordinance and was impounded and towed to a Hollywood yard two days later. The LAPD confirmed the vehicle was ticketed 11 days before the discovery, suggesting the body was likely in the trunk for the entire period it was abandoned. On September 16, 2025, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner identified the body as that of Celeste Rivas Hernandez through forensic examination due to advanced decomposition. Found a day after what would be her 15th birthday, she is believed to have died a considerable amount of time before her body was discovered. Identification of the cause of death was difficult due to the body's advanced state of decomposition. Sources close to the investigation told news outlets she may have died in the spring of 2025, and later prosecutors said she alleged died on April 23, 2025, two days before Burke's debut album, Withered, was released.