BOMBSHELL: D4VD HOME INCINERATOR PURCHASED @ TIME OF CELESTE DEATH?

Summary

---

Episode Overview

Episode: BOMBSHELL: D4VD HOME INCINERATOR PURCHASED @ TIME OF CELESTE DEATH?
Podcast: Crime Stories with Nancy Grace
Date: January 6, 2026
Main Theme:
Nancy Grace explores the bombshell revelation that a home incinerator—capable of reducing remains to ash—was purchased by or for David Allen Burke (D4VD) around the time of teenager Celeste Rivas’s suspicious death. The discussion focuses on the timeline of the incinerator's purchase, what evidence was (and wasn’t) collected, and the implications for the homicide grand jury investigation into Burke and his associates. Investigative experts, forensic professionals, private investigators, and a defense attorney dissect unfolding developments and speculate on forthcoming indictments.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Incinerator Discovery and Its Implications

• Timeline and Suspicion

  • Nancy Grace launches into the episode highlighting that D4VD (aka David Allen Burke) is facing a grand jury homicide indictment, focusing on the suspicious timing of a home incinerator’s purchase ([01:11], [06:01]).
  • Celeste Rivas was found decomposing in D4VD's Tesla, with speculation she may have been dismembered or frozen ([01:11]).

• Technical Details of the Incinerator

  • Joe Scott Morgan (forensics professor) explains that the burn cage model ("Dr. Burn") can reach 1600°F—similar to crematory ovens—sufficient to render human remains ([02:44]):

    "A burn cage can burn up to 1600 degrees Fahrenheit, Nancy. That's in the same neighborhood as an actual crematory." — Joe Scott Morgan ([02:44])

  • Such devices are meant for farm use (animal carcasses) and are illegal in Los Angeles due to fire ordinances ([04:45], [05:24]).

• Discovery in the Home

  • Steve Fisher, private investigator, details finding the incinerator inside the rental mansion, still boxed, along with an unused chainsaw—both highly suspicious since tenants were not responsible for maintenance and would not need such equipment ([04:07], [11:10]).

    "It was still packaged…55-pound device which serves no purpose at that house. Immediately raised huge alarm bells." — Steve Fisher ([04:07])

Evidence Chain & Police Shortcomings

• Police Actions and Missed Evidence

  • Steve Fisher reveals law enforcement only photographed these items—they did not seize, fingerprint, or use luminol on them, which Nancy sharply criticizes:

    "Bad, bad police work right there, that they just took pictures… juries want to look at it, touch it, hold it, feel it, smell it, the whole shebang." — Nancy Grace ([14:41])

• Tracing the Purchase

  • The incinerator and chainsaw were not present at a January 19th inspection, but appeared before September, establishing a crucial purchase window nearby the victim’s estimated time of death ([08:11]).
  • Delivery was made to the residence under a fake name; purchase likely executed with anonymous, prepaid Visa/Amex gift cards—adding layers of attempted obfuscation ([13:26]).

    "They were addressed in a fake name…we believe…prepaid gift cards to purchase the items." — Steve Fisher ([12:41])

• Digital Trail

  • Fisher, Fitzgibbons, and Grace all stress the investigative value of tracking online orders, YouTube search history (for how to use the incinerator), and the physical gift card purchase via store or surveillance footage ([06:01], [17:48], [18:32], [19:28]).

    "There is a digital trail…proves a lot." — Nancy Grace ([14:41])

Implications for the Investigation & Grand Jury

• Legal and Investigative Strategy

  • Defense attorney Danny Rubin notes that, while the digital account proves who ordered the incinerator, it doesn’t necessarily prove intent or identity—the defense would look at "who’s got the most to lose" and scrutinize the inner circle ([15:33]):

    "It doesn't necessarily prove who ordered it." — Danny Rubin ([15:33])

  • By using prepaid cards and a fictitious name, the perpetrators attempted to mask their involvement, but left a potentially traceable trail ([19:03]).

• Witness Cooperation

  • The panel discusses the difficulty and necessity of compelling reluctant witnesses to appear before the grand jury, using immunity or contempt orders ([31:09], [32:14]).

• Potential Charges

  • Nancy and Danny analyze how the grand jury will not only weigh murder charges but possibly also evidence tampering, corpse desecration, and conspiracy. The complexity of the evidence may result in multiple individuals being indicted, either directly or as unindicted co-conspirators ([36:17], [40:45]).

    "I think we're going to see a very involved and intricate indictment which deals with the actual death of Celeste and disposing of her body." — Nancy Grace ([37:06])

Forensic Commentary & Investigation Flaws

• Forensic Potential

  • Joe Scott Morgan underscores the power of modern digital and transactional forensics for reconstructing timelines, proving procurement and intent, or identifying "inchoate" (incomplete) offenses ([34:19], [36:17]).

    "With the gift cards in particular…that is something that can be digitally traced…the digital evidence gets granular, and you can put a really tight pin in this thing." — Joe Scott Morgan ([34:19])

• Behavioral and Crime Scene Analysis

  • Karen Stark (psychologist) and Melissa McCarty (journalist) reflect on the suspects’ disorganization, the gruesome dehumanization of the victim, and the improvised, ultimately failed attempt to dispose of her body ([24:24]):

    "It's very telling that there was intent…to get rid of the body without even thinking about this as a person." — Melissa McCarty ([24:25])

Notable Moments & Quotes

• Fake Name and Prepaid Cards ([13:26])

  • "Are you telling me…the home incinerator was addressed to a fake name, but somebody in that house accepted the package?" — Nancy Grace

  • "Yes. Correct." — Steve Fisher

• Critical Law Enforcement Oversights ([14:41])

  • "They did not seize the home incinerator. They did not seize the chainsaw. They did not fingerprint them. They did not luminol them." — Nancy Grace

• On Timelines and Multiple Perpetrators ([39:40])

  • "It's media, social media, cell phone, Tesla, other…GPS tracking devices. They’ve got it down to a timeline that's almost by the minutes." — Danny Rubin

• On the Case's Complexity and Indictment

  • "I think more than one person will be charged at the end of this grand jury." — Melissa McCarty ([40:45])

Emerging Media and Financial Fallout

• D4VD's Music Dropped from Madden NFL 26 ([45:07])
  • Burke’s song removed from the major game’s playlist, signifying reputational and financial loss as the investigation intensifies.

---

Notable Timestamps / Key Segments

• [01:11] – Nancy Grace introduces the indictment and focus on the incinerator's timing.
• [02:44] – Joe Scott Morgan explains burn cage/cremation temperatures and implications.
• [04:07] – Steve Fisher describes finding the boxed incinerator and chainsaw.
• [06:01] – Discussion of online search history/digital trail as critical evidence.
• [08:11] – Timeline details for when incinerator arrived at home.
• [12:41] – Details emerge that the incinerator was shipped to a fake name.
• [14:41] – Nancy Grace lambastes missed evidence collection opportunities.
• [17:48] – Forensics of online ordering, IP addresses, and digital links.
• [19:28] – Fisher speculates about prepaid gift card use as payment method.
• [24:25] – Psychological insight into the perpetrator’s lack of empathy and planning.
• [36:17] – Analysis of legal implications, including inchoate (attempted) offenses.
• [39:40] – Timeline triangulation using digital media and devices.
• [40:45] – Prediction of multiple indictments based on broad evidence.
• [45:07] – News of D4VD’s music being pulled due to the ongoing criminal probe.

---

Conclusion: Stakes and What Comes Next

• The episode spotlights crucial new evidence—especially the incinerator and chainsaw, purchased with the clear intention to destroy evidence—that could clinch a homicide indictment.
• The investigative team believes the suspects' disorganization, digital illiteracy, and clumsy cover-up attempts have actually aided the case: as evidence mounts, more than one person may face charges.
• With imminent grand jury findings, Nancy Grace and her panel stress that—despite procedural missteps by the LAPD—there’s still ample forensic and digital evidence to build a case against Burke and potential co-conspirators.

"I think we're going to see a very involved and intricate indictment…dealing with both the death of Celeste and the attempted destruction of her body." — Nancy Grace ([37:06])

---

Transcript

[Katie Whelan]

This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human. If you're feeling exhausted, puffy, anxious, foggy, gaining weight, or just not like yourself, you're not imagining it. Women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s are experiencing massive hormonal shifts and no one is explaining what's actually happening. I'm Katie Whelan, co founder of joy. I built JOY because I lived this. The fatigue, the mood swings, the weight changes, the confusion. Your symptoms are biological, not personal.

[Steve Fisher]

And.

[Katie Whelan]

And AI generated lab reports won't fix them. Every Joy lab includes a visit with a licensed clinician who specializes in women's hormones and connects every biomarker to how you feel. Energy metabolism, mood, sleep, skin weight, everything. Then we personalize real solutions. Hormone therapy, peptide therapy, supplements, and lifestyle protocols. Get [e-mail] today. This month, new customers get 50% off labs. And you can add our estrogen face cream for just $1 with clinician approval. Use promo code [e-mail] Crime Stories with Nancy Grace.

[Nancy Grace]

D4VD, aka David Allen Burke whines he has money woes. Boo hoo. This is a grand jury homicide indictment. Loans. Timing, timing, timing. A home incinerator found still in the box at D4VD's home. Was it purchased at the time of Celeste's death? I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. I want to thank you for being with us. David is finally being considered as a suspect in the death to teen girl Celeste found decomposing in his vehicle. Was she dismembered? Was she frozen?

[Katie Whelan]

Was she decapitated?

[Nancy Grace]

What was going on in that household up to this homicide? In the last hours, we learned that LAPD is focusing in on the time a home incinerator was purchased. Straight out to Professor Forensics, Jacksonville State University, author of Blood Beneath My Feet on Amazon, and star of of a hit podcast, Body Bags with Joe Scott Morgan. Joe Scott, thank you for being with us tonight.

[Steve Fisher]

Thank you.

[Nancy Grace]

A home incinerator. I mean, who has a home incinerator? Have you seen those things? They're huge. They're huge. Why do you need a home incinerator?

[Joe Scott Morgan]

Yeah, the fact that there is a burn cage that's even being alluded to here, Nancy, is quite, quite fascinating. And here's why. A burn cage can burn up to 1600 degrees Fahrenheit, Nancy. That's in the same neighborhood as an actual crematory. All right. With a crematory, which works on natural gas, it has to be sustained for about two to three hours. That can render down an entire human remain. All right, if that's the goal here with this thing, there are actually cases out there where burn cages have in fact been used to render down human remains. Not saying that that's what's involved here, but the fact there is one in close proximity to where she found is certainly, from an investigative standpoint, very compelled.

[Nancy Grace]

Joining us now, the man who actually first sees the home incinerator in the mansion of David Burke, D4VD. Joining me right now is a now renowned private investigator, Steve Fisherman. Steve, I know that you were hired by the owner of the D4VD mansion to find out what the hay was going on inside the mansion after Celeste's body is found. Where did you see a home incinerator?

[Steve Fisher]

The home incinerator was actually inside the house. It wasn't even in the garage and it was still packaged. But it's a 55 pound device which serves no purpose at that house. And so immediately raised, you know, huge alarm bells with us and, you know, especially considering found in the Tesla and you got to wonder what the plans were ultimately to maybe get rid of her permanently.

[Nancy Grace]

I got a question for you, Steve Fisher. You state that the home incinerator was still packaged. Did you take photos of it?

[Steve Fisher]

Yes, absolutely.

[Nancy Grace]

Do you know what kind of incinerator it is? The name brand?

[Steve Fisher]

Yeah, it's made by a company called Dr. Burn. And, you know, their whole advertisement is that it burns at 1600 degrees. And, you know, human cremations are done at 1400 degrees. So this is meant to, you know, reduce things, including animal carcasses and whatnot. And this is something you would typically find on a farm.

[Nancy Grace]

Well, I've got a question for you. Why are you saying it's used for animal carcasses? I'm not saying that it's not, but did you see anything on the package to inform you of that?

[Steve Fisher]

So as soon as we found it on the outside, it clearly says Dr. Byrne. And we went right to their website and their advertising and other people using it on YouTube. It shows that that's what it's for. Now, it's not just for animal burgers. Again, incinerate literally anything. But this is something that's not even legal in the Hollywood Hills because the fire ordinances and whatnot. And then, you know, we also found it, you know, with, with the chainsaw. And so, you know, there's just a lot of questions and it just, it's a horrible look, you know.

[Nancy Grace]

So let me understand, Steve Fisher, hired by the owner of the Burke's mansion where he was renting it. You find a home incinerator. What I find very critical. Two things. If you go to the, as you're calling it, Dr. Burn, it's a Dr. Original Burn Cage. There are YouTube videos about burning animal carcasses. So if I looked up home incinerator 2 burn carcass, that would pop up. Curious. So right there, and I'll circle back to you, Brian Fitzgibbons. There needs to be a full on digital search as to whether that query was ever typed into anybody's phone, laptop, iPad, you name it. But okay, so I know that pops up. But what I find very critical, Steve, is the date of the purchase. For instance, let me just throw this at you. You remember Brian Kohberger, of course, who goes on Amazon and buys a dagger, a KA Bar knife, that was used to murder four innocent university Idaho students. And his Amazon search was uncovered and the purchase and where he looked to buy a replacement after the murders. We know, for instance, cult mom Lori Vallow goes onto Amazon and buys a wedding dress, a groom's outfit and a ring before her new husband's wife is killed. You know, Amazon is a beautiful thing. So I'm curious, Steve Fisher, when the burn cage was purchased. We've heard about the burn cage. What we haven't heard heard about is what does it prove? Is it probative? It was still in the package. It wasn't used to destroy her body. But if I can draw a nexus between the time of her death and the time that burn cage was purchased, I got something. What about it, Fisher?

[Narrator/Reporter]

Yes.

[Steve Fisher]

So we don't have the exact date, but it just so happened that on January 19th the owner had an inspection done of the house, was very thorough with photographs at that time. We know that the burn cage was not at the house on January 19th. And so sometime between the 19th and you know, when the search warrant happened in September is when this arrived. And you know, it's also around the time that the new Tesla arrived on February 1st. So there seemed to be a lot happening at the end of January, beginning of February, but as of January 19, it was not there. But after, you know, as of September, it was there. So it appears it was ordered between those dates.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, joining me, as I said, an all star panel. Joe Scott, you've got a question for Fisher.

[Joe Scott Morgan]

Hey, Steve. Yeah, hold on.

[Nancy Grace]

Joe Scott. I got to warn you about one thing, Joe Scott. Isn't it true, Steve Fisher, that you were called in front of the grand jury? Can you confirm that?

[Steve Fisher]

I Can't say anything about grand jury.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, well, if you had not been called, you would have said no, so I'm going to take that as a yes. You know, I've got a funny feeling that the prosecutor is going to be extremely irritated with you because you found evidence that the LAPD had not found yet. And I'm referring specifically to the Tesla with the dead body in the trunk of a little girl, Celeste Rivas. You found that and you scoured the neighborhood and. And got the ring doorbell cam and the surveillance cam and could show that the car was being moved around the neighborhood so nobody would complain. It's parked out in front of their house. You even caught one of the driver's face. You still haven't revealed to me who that is. And LAPD or the DA's office didn't find any of that, so I guess she's a little ill with you right now. That said, I have a source telling me you, you were called in front of the grand jury, whether you confirm it or deny it. Okay. Joe Scott. The point being, he may not be able to answer some of our questions, but have at it.

[Joe Scott Morgan]

I'll try to make it as general as possible. Hey, Steve. Joseph Scott Morgan. I got a question for you. I've been through this area before. Only as a tourist. I could never afford, you know, to, you know, even know anyone there. High dollar area. If you rent a place up there, it would seem odd that it would be incumbent upon that person to do their own landscaping work. And I'm fascinated about this chainsaw and this idea that I'm sure the shrubs are lovely. Are you. You know, and you've got this, from what I'm understanding, an unopened chainsaw there. What would be the purpose of someone having this thing and when did it show up?

[Steve Fisher]

Well, so you nailed it. Exactly. Because I've heard some people say that, well, you know, people have chainsaws that do yard work and trim trees. This was a rental that the owner was completely in charge of all the maintenance, including the pool, the tree trimming, everything. This was plug and play. They didn't have to do any of their own yard work, so there's no reason for it to be there. And it showed up again after January 19th. It was not there because there was photo documentation of that walkthrough of inspection, annual inspection. So it showed up after, you know, between, you know, the time of the search, January 19, and the time of the search warrant. But you're absolutely right. There's. They're. They're not responsible for any of that maintenance and can't think of any reason that they would need a chainsaw there.

[Nancy Grace]

Joining US Now, Melissa McCarty, investigative journalist and author of the Making of a Crime Reporter. Melissa, thank you for being with us. You have a question for Fisher, go ahead.

[Danny Rubin]

I do.

[Melissa McCarty]

Hey, Steve, two questions for you. One is, who were the two items addressed to? Was it the owner of the house or somebody else? And also, it's my understanding the lapd, they did not take those items as evidence. But do you know if there was any kind of brushing of fingerprints to see if David or somebody else in his inner circle at one point laid their hands on those boxes or collected those boxes, touched them to link the two?

[Steve Fisher]

Very good question. So they did not take the items. We contacted them and asked them specifically about it, and they told us that they photographed them, but they did not fingerprint them. And, you know, there was no dust or anything on them. And they didn't appear to illumina them either, because they hadn't been removed from the packaging. So as. And as far as who they were addressed to, they were addressed in. In a fake name. Somebody that did not live at the residence, but they accept the packages at the residence. And we believe just from the investigation we've been able to do, they used prepaid gift cards to purchase the items.

[Nancy Grace]

Whoa, whoa, wait, wait, wait, wait. You're giving me all new information. Wait a minute. Are you telling me. Have you told anybody else this? Are you telling me the home incinerator was addressed to a fake name, but somebody in that house accepted the package?

[Steve Fisher]

Yes. Correct.

[Nancy Grace]

How do you know that? Did you see the name?

[Steve Fisher]

Yes.

[Nancy Grace]

What was the name? How do you know it was fake?

[Steve Fisher]

Well, when I say fake name, it's somebody that does not live at the residence. Is the name of a female that does not live at the residence. Yet they accepted. They signed for the package through dho.

[Nancy Grace]

Oh, I'm learning so much right now. Okay, so this guy did not go run down to Home Depot and buy a home incinerator. That means somebody went online, Steve Fisher, and ordered it. Would you agree?

[Steve Fisher]

Absolutely. And I'm sure those records are very subpoenaed.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay. You know Danny Rubin joining me right now. Veteran criminal defense attorney, founder of the Rubin law firm. Danny, thank you for being with us tonight.

[Joe Scott Morgan]

I'm.

[Nancy Grace]

I was ill. I was getting a chest pain that was radiating up into my teeth when I was hearing Steve Fisher talking about, nope, nope, they did not seize the home incinerator. They did not seize the chainsaw. They did not fingerprint them. They did not luminol them. I mean, that's bad, bad police work right there, that they just took pictures of them because, you know, juries, they want to look at it. They want to touch it, hold it, feel it, smell it, the whole shebang. But then I was heartened when I heard him say it was sent to a fake name to somebody that doesn't live there, to this address, and it was accepted by someone in that home, which tells me there is a digital trail. Danny Rubin. It proves a lot.

[Danny Rubin]

I mean, what it can prove is the account that ordered it. It doesn't necessarily prove who ordered it. I mean, when I look at a case like this, I look at who's got the most to lose here. David had to know that if he is the one that would be culpable for this, he'd be the first one to be looked at. My question is, who's the second? Or who's the third? That's the person I'd want to investigate as his defense attorney.

[Nancy Grace]

You would want to investigate them to what? Just let's pretend for a moment that you're David Anthony Burke's lawyer. You want to look at everybody around him. So let's just be real here. So you can pull a sod some other dude did it defense. So you're looking around at everybody else? Is that what you're saying? Just be straight.

[Danny Rubin]

Well, my question is what. What if someone else actually did do it? I mean, his two managers are around him all the time. They're the ones that are economically invested. Robert Morgenroth was actually, as far as I've read, called to testify at the grand jury, and he was recorded saying, why didn't I call the police? Yes, the manager.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, so, you know, they tried, and it worked in the top mom, Casey Anthony murder case when she got her mother, Cindy Anthony, to go on the stand under oath and fall on her sword and take the blame for the highly damning searches for how to make chloroform. She said that she wrote chlorophyll, not chloroform, and that the computer spell checked her because she wanted to get rid of bamboo in the backyard and made no sense at all. That said, it worked in that case, so I can't poo poo it that quickly. Brian Fitzgibbons is joining us now. Director Operations, USPA Nationwide Security. Brian, you also, in your search for people all around the world, are an expert at digital forensics. Brian, what should they be doing right now to determine who ordered the. The burn cage.

[Brian Fitzgibbons]

Yeah, I want to applaud Steve Fisher, Nancy, and the work that he's done and identifying that these, the purchase was made with these gift cards, that it was delivered to a fictitious name or a name that wasn't at the residence. You know, this is going to provide investigators with a good foothold to begin that forensic search and subpoena these purchase records of what date this burn cage was purchased, on what IP address was the system access. They're going to be able to get quite a bit of information off of that purchase. And I think that you will see that, provided that this moves forward to trial.

[Nancy Grace]

Yeah. You know what, you brought up another issue. Brian Fitzgibbons. Thank you. I was so taken by the fact that this was obviously ordered online. I wonder if they're going to be able to find where the purchaser watched that YouTube video. Fisher just told us about how the home fire cage can burn dead carcasses. Question to you, Steve Fisher, owner, founder of Steve Fisher SF Investigations. Steve, how do you know that it was bought with gift cards?

[Steve Fisher]

No. So I want to be clear. From what we've uncovered, it looks to us like it was purchased with gift cards. From, you know, the communications that we've had. I can't say that 100 for certain, but it appears that that's how it was done. But, you know, we haven't gotten gift cards.

[Nancy Grace]

Please say Amazon. What kind of gift cards? American Express, Visa, Home Depot?

[Steve Fisher]

Yeah, one of those. You go to Target and buy like a prepaid Visa or Amex or whatever, you know, like that. Just something that doesn't have your name attached to it, although you. You have to. I technically register it, but you can, again, you can use that in anybody's name, but I'll bet you that there is an email address that they formed this person's name, this fake name. So that'll probably reside on one of those computers. And, you know, I think they'll be able to tie it all back to them. I don't think these are geniuses by any means.

[Nancy Grace]

You said that you can't say gift cards were used 100%, but that you have personally done. You and your team have done investigations that lead you to believe that gift cards were used. You're telling me the gift cards were not to a specific store such as Home Depot or Lowe's. You're telling me they are of the variety that you can go to Target and get, like American Express or Visa gift cards. Is that correct?

[Steve Fisher]

Yes, Right, Yes.

[Nancy Grace]

Which leads me to believe that they were bought at Target. Were they bought at Target?

[Steve Fisher]

Oh, I honestly have no idea about that. I'm just saying that, you know, like, they're a seller of those. I don't know where they bought the, the gift cards at, but they were delivered, you know, through a, you know, delivery. So, like you order online and it appears that they use DHL to ship this, you know, item, to ship the.

[Nancy Grace]

Gift cards or to ship the burn cage.

[Steve Fisher]

The burn cage. The burn cage. So I think it should be fairly.

[Katie Whelan]

Easy if you're feeling exhausted, puffy, anxious, foggy, gaining weight, or just not like yourself. You're not imagining it. Women in their 30s, 40s and 50s are experiencing massive hormonal shifts and no one is explaining what's actually happening. I'm Katie Whelan, co founder of Joy. I built Joy because I lived this. The fatigue, the mood swings, the weight changes, the confusion. Your symptoms are biological, not personal, and AI generated lab reports won't fix them. Every Joy lab includes a visit with a licensed clinician who specializes in women's hormones and connects every biomarker to how you feel. Energy metabolism, mood, sleep, skin weight, everything. Then we personalize real solutions. Hormone therapy, peptide therapy, supplements, and lifestyle protocols. Get [e-mail] today. This month, new customers get 50% off labs and you can add our estrogen face cream for just $1 with clinician approval. Use promo code [e-mail] My brother in law died suddenly.

[Joe Scott Morgan]

Now my sister and her kids have to sell their home. After that, I told my wife we couldn't put off getting life insurance any longer. An agent offered us a 10 year, $500,000 policy for nearly $50 a month.

[Nancy Grace]

Then we called Selectquote.

[Joe Scott Morgan]

Selectquote found us identical coverage for only $19 a month. A savings of $369 a year.

[Steve Fisher]

Whether you need a $500,000 policy or a 5 million dollar policy, Select Quote could save you more than 50% on term life insurance. For your free quote, go selectquote.com that select quote.com select quote we shop. You save full details on example [e-mail] hey Sal.

[Nancy Grace]

Hank.

[Joe Scott Morgan]

What's going on?

[Nancy Grace]

We haven't worked a case in years.

[Steve Fisher]

I just bought my car at Carvana and it was so easy. Too easy. Think something's up? You tell me. They got thousands of options, found a great car at a great price, and it got delivered the main next day.

[Nancy Grace]

It sounds like Carvana just makes it easy to buy your car.

[Steve Fisher]

HANK yeah, you're right. Case closed.

[Nancy Grace]

Buy your car. Today on Carvana. Delivery fees may apply. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace Parents dart Join. Joining me, forensic psychologist, renowned TV radio trauma expert, [e-mail] oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive. Can't you just see, you know there's going to be video, right? They have cameras everywhere, specifically on the registers. Can't you just see this Mary Troupe slinking into a store and getting all these gift cards, which is, they think so sneaky because it's not in their name. I wonder if they paid in cash or did they charge it. Oh, I hope they charged it. Trying so hard to cover up, yet leaving a trail a mile wide for somebody like Steve Fisher to find. It's very clear that these people were disorganized, NANCY I mean, nobody really understood how could you leave even the body.

[Melissa McCarty]

In a car and keep moving the.

[Nancy Grace]

Car around and not think that somebody would notice, especially where they were? And if you consider the fact that she was dismembered, and then you also look at the fact that someone ordered a chainsaw, somebody ordered this burn incinerator, it's very telling that there was intent or at least it seems that way that they turned this body, it was dehumanized and they were looking for any way, according to me, it seems to get rid of the body without even thinking about this as a person. Back to Steve Fisher. Following up on what Karen Stark, psychologist, said, STEVE Fisher, isn't it true that D4VD, aka David, David Ellen Burke, was going on tour? So if Celeste was already dead, they wait and they wait and they wait and the home incinerator doesn't show up. They're like, hell, you know, put her in the trunk. That's going to be the argument. Of course, they're all presumed innocent until proven guilty. So finally, you know what, back up and punt and she ends up in the trunk. Can't you just see that playing out? FISHER Then the incinerator comes a day late, a dollar short. Should have used FedEx, but no, they used DHL. What about it?

[Steve Fisher]

FISHER yeah, personally, I think the incinerator was already there. I think this became a case of them chickening out. You know, they or whoever was supposed to do it, didn't do it, and then they just ran out of time. I mean, this, and this is what baffles me about the whole case. We're talking about people that are, quite frankly, idiots and, and now How. How is it taking this many months to be able to put this case together to become chargeable? Because these are not people that pulled off a perfect crime. And this is the part that really baffles me, is it's so sloppy, yet there's apparently not enough to charge them yet. I don't understand.

[Narrator/Reporter]

PI Steve Fisher claims he found a burn cage incinerator and a chainsaw inside the home rented for Burke by his manager. Employed by the property owner to determine what took place in his house, Fisher uncovered the items still in their original packaging and were unused. The incinerator is illegal in Los Angeles. Delivered to the residents under a fake name and claims to reach a temperature of 1,600 degrees.

[Steve Fisher]

We don't even know really when Celeste was last seen alive.

[Joe Scott Morgan]

We don't know how long she was dead for.

[Nancy Grace]

Police sources believe Celeste was killed back in the spring, her body found in his Tesla truck. She's dead, Dismembered. Turning into nothing but goo. At first we were told, oh, the grand jury is just conducting an investigation. Not true anymore.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Listen, a recent report said the grand jury hearing testimony about the death of Celeste Rivas was an investigative grand jury that helps gather evidence but does not indict. Now, new information indicates Burke will face murder charges for the death of Celeste. And the grand jury hearing the case right now is going to be asked to hand down an indictment. An investigative grand jury can be useful to subpoena and then force uncooperative witnesses to testify. And sources now say the grand jury hearing witnesses is actually one that will vote on indictments. And these sources indicate prosecutor Beth Silverman, among others, believes Burke was involved in the death of Celeste.

[Nancy Grace]

So let me understand to Dave Mack, joining us, crime stories, investigative reporter Dave. We were first told this grand jury was just an investigative grand jury that was gathering evidence on Celeste's death. Now we're learning an indictment looms, and it is a homicide indictment. I never had any doubt that this grand jury was going to seek charges. Do I have that right? Dave Mack, we are expecting a grand jury indictment to come down.

[Brian Fitzgibbons]

That's what everything is pointing towards, Nancy, right now, expecting an indictment to be handed down for homicide.

[Nancy Grace]

Danny Rubin, you have dealt with many, many grand jury indictments. I don't know if you're a former prosecutor, but were you a former prosecutor at any point, Danny?

[Danny Rubin]

No. Defense attorney from the very beginning. But I've dealt with the aftermath.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, I'm sorry to hear that. Long story short, if the grand jury is meeting to indict, not Just investigate. That means they have to pick a charge, Reuben. They've got to go with if it's homicide, murder one, murder two, voluntary or involuntary. And then of course, there's felony murder. They've got to pick between those charges. They could indict in the alternative, which means a murder one with a murder two and a voluntary or even involuntary, all in the same indictment. So a jury can pick. So if they're going to go with murder one, go with me, Reuben. Go with me. That means they either either got the COD from the body which was decomposed, and they know there was either a gunshot wound, a broken hyoid bone to suggest asphyxiation, something in toxicology, a knife nick to one of the bones. They've either got it from the body itself or. Or they've got a witness to say she was murdered and this is what happened. They got indict on those few choices. Murder one, murder two, voluntary, involuntary. That's all the choices there are. For homicide to do murder one and murder two, they had to find something from the body or a witness. What do you think?

[Danny Rubin]

I think if they had something from the body, they would have been bringing charges a lot sooner. It seems like if they're. They're looking into indicting for homicide, whichever one they pick, they probably got some information from a witness that they questioned over the past month or two. I know they're going to be calling back witnesses in February. That's what I read. So it seems like they're still trying to find more evidence. But if they're looking to switch that investigation now, it's probably because of something someone said, possibly in conjunction with something they found on the body.

[Nancy Grace]

Dave Mack, speaking of witnesses before the grand jury, isn't it true that witnesses, at least one has refused to come to the grand jury, Isn't that true?

[Brian Fitzgibbons]

Absolutely true, Nancy. And they've gone so far as to threaten to arrest her if she won't come in.

[Nancy Grace]

Danny Rubin, I'm just wondering. Let's just put together the pieces here, Reuben. A witness stated that she refused to come to the grand jury. An order went out to either bring her in, have her arrested, give her immunity if she was facing charges herself. Therefore, she would have no reason to take the Fifth Amendment from the grand jury or charge her with contempt. If you're a target, you can be given immunity, forced to testify, because you have no Fifth Amendment right to remain silent. If you're not going to be charged, or if you're just a witness, you can be Held in contempt and jailed until you testified. Okay. So that word goes out, and the next thing you know, an indictment is being handed down. Sounds to me like they got the witness, the witness testified, and now we're looking at a homicide indictment.

[Danny Rubin]

That could be it. I mean, like I said before, it could be something in conjunction with what they found in the body. It could be some combination of testimonies. But this is why we have subpoena powers, because both the prosecution and defense, prosecution and grand jury defense at trial and preliminary hearing, we need that to bring in witnesses who can testify. And many times we can't get what we need without those witnesses. So it's a very, very big stick that we have to bring witnesses in that we need.

[Nancy Grace]

Danny Rubin, you have a question for Steve Fisher?

[Danny Rubin]

Yeah. Steve, when you. When you investigated the home where David was reportedly living, was there anything else of note that you found, anything still in its wrapper, anything that was. Looked like it had not been taken out of its packaging?

[Steve Fisher]

No. Besides those two items, you know, there was some. There was a couple full respirators, almost like gas masks at the house, but they were out of the package. Don't know exactly what they were for, but those were the two, you know, most, most damning things for sure. There was a lot of stuff left behind that was a value, such as the memory card with all the photos, but. But nothing that really was like, what would that be doing here?

[Nancy Grace]

Just. Scott Morgan joining me. Professor, forensics, Jacksonville State University, Star of Body bags with Jo Scott Morgan. Jo Scott, we are learning a lot tonight, okay? We knew that there was a chainsaw. We knew that there was a home incinerator. We didn't know that it had been purchased with gift cards anonymously and that it had been sent under a fake name. Now we know that purchase can be traced, and we can find out, hopefully, if there's video, who bought the gift cards and where and when. What does this mean to you forensically? What can we prove with this new evidence?

[Joe Scott Morgan]

Well, I think certainly with. With the gift cards in particular, because that is something that can be digitally traced. And just let me remind everybody, these gift cards can be picked up anywhere. It doesn't have to be at a big store. You can walk into a gas station and buy these things. So. But the, the upside with this can be traced.

[Nancy Grace]

Joe Scott, the, The location of where the gift card, they're like, they got numbers on them like guns, for Pete's sake. You can find was. Was purchased.

[Joe Scott Morgan]

Yeah. And it gets very. And the Digital evidence here gets very granular, and so it's going to be very specific. You can put a really tight pin in this thing. Also, you know, the initial purchase, the utility of these things, and then you track along with the purchases that are made. Now, I'm going to use a term here, and I'm sure you'll slap me down for saying this. I got to tell you, Nancy, from a legal standpoint, the things I've heard attorneys say in the past with these boxes of unopened items, when you think about the chainsaw and this burn box and these sorts of things, this almost smacks of, like an inchoate offense. I don't know. I think I'd like to know your opinion of that. But there's planning going on, perhaps if they can prove that, and maybe there is intent, but they just couldn't complete the act here. Going back to what Steve had said earlier, this is. This seems like the, I don't know, old reference here. The Apple Dumpling gang, they just can't get anything right. They're just kind of falling on their faces. No one can pull the trigger. There's not a leader. It's just like they push this thing off in the ether, and maybe she'll just disappear. I don't know. Because I got to tell you, out of all the cases I've covered, I've never seen anything first off, take this long. You've got a lot of elements here of movement with the body going to Karen's point of disrespecting the remains to this point. And then you have all these other elements where no one could finish the job.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, you refer to incohere, from the Latin verb incohere, which means in its inception, in its place, beginning, just starting. So I see this. If any of this is borne out by the facts. And again, David Burke is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The beginning of the destruction of the body went because the burn cage and the chainsaw, and we do know she was dismembered where you come in. They obviously did not use the chainsaw. Hey, Steve Fisher, was the chainsaw also still in the package?

[Steve Fisher]

It had the protective shield over the blade. It wasn't in an actual package, but it had the protective shield over it.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, so it had never been used, which suggests that it's new. And we keep talking about, hey, do you do your own landscaping, maybe? Obviously, he didn't do his own landscaping, but if he had a landscaper that was going to use that, I mean, that could be a defense. But it was never used, which suggests it also was just bought and will probably be traceable. That said inchoate, I see it as evidence of destruction of the body, tampering with a corpse, which is also a felony, which is a separate offense from the homicide itself. I think we're going to see a very involved and intricate indictment which deals with the actual death of Celeste and disposing of her body. And you're right, Jo Scott, the attempt to get rid of her body was inchoate. It had just started and it's leaving a trail. The COVID up will likely be indisha proof of the crime itself. Wouldn't you agree with that? Maybe they just got tired of waiting to get all of the. The items, the burn cage, the chainsaw went. Just put them in the trunk, man.

[Joe Scott Morgan]

Yeah, yeah. And I think that, that that's probably the case here. There's also one more issue to this, and this is rather gruesome. It's not that the rest of this hasn't been. It's just that who's going to be, who's going to join, who's going to draw the short straw here? Who's going to put this cage together, which by the way is very easy to assemble. Who's going to put the thing together and then who's going to finish up the process of rendering down her body to the point where it's manageable to go in here? And also they think, oh my Lord, this is going to create a smell that no one is going to be able to escape.

[Narrator/Reporter]

A second person has been linked to the death of Celeste Rivas. Attorney Mark Gerrigos claims the suspects were phone and social media data was triangulated by LAPD homicide detectives to the spot on the same time frame Revis died.

[Nancy Grace]

They've got a chart at LAPD that.

[Steve Fisher]

You would not believe.

[Danny Rubin]

They've got this thing down to a timeline that's almost by the minutes, triangulated to the location, if you can believe that.

[Steve Fisher]

And it's not just one source.

[Danny Rubin]

When I say triangulated, it's media, social media, cell phone, Tesla, other.

[Steve Fisher]

And I'll qualify.

[Danny Rubin]

All I'll say is other kind of GPS tracking devices.

[Nancy Grace]

You're seeing Harvey Levin's two Angry Men podcast with Mark Gerago's veteran defense attorney. I mean, Melissa McCarty joining us, investigative journalist. All of the people that lived in that home or were in and out frequently can be identified. Fisher has video of the person moving the Tesla around the neighborhood. He knows who that is. He saw the face. He's not saying so. Don't you know that what Gyrogos and Levin said is true? They've got it down to a timeline by the minute. You think any One of those D4VD cohorts is going to go anywhere without their phone or their Apple Watch or their nav system in their car? Oh, no. They travel as a pack and they're all traveling together.

[Melissa McCarty]

Melissa, Nancy, I think we're going to see more than one person charged in this case. And that's what's so great about the grand jury phase. To me. This comes across as a case where a lot of people aren't forthcoming. They don't want to talk. So you need subpoenas to force them to get the stand so prosecutors can lock in their theories, lock in their timelines, take all of the digital forensic that they've been gathering since September and really piece together what they believe to be true. So I think more than one person will be charged at the end of this grand jury.

[Nancy Grace]

What about it, Steve Fisher? Why won't you tell me who was driving that car? I said in a previous on a previous evening that I was misled. It was not misled by you. You're correct. The car was moved this date and that date to this location. That location we were basing. I was misled by our own analysis that she was killed just. She died just before the car started moving. She could have been dead much before that. She was placed in the car before the car was moving. Now back to my query.

[Katie Whelan]

If you're feeling exhausted, puffy, anxious, foggy, gaining weight, or just not like yourself, you're not imagining it. Women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s are experiencing massive hormonal shifts and no one is explaining what's actually happening. I'm Katie Whelan, co founder of joy. I built JOY because I lived this. The fatigue, the mood swings, the weight changes, the confusion. Your symptoms are biological, not personal. And AI generated lab reports won't fix them. Every Joy Lab includes a visit with a licensed clinician who specializes in women's hormones and and connects every biomarker to how you feel. Energy metabolism, mood, sleep, skin weight, everything. Then we personalize real solutions. Hormone therapy, peptide therapy, supplements, and lifestyle protocols. Get [e-mail] today. This month, new customers get 50% off labs and you can add our estrogen face cream for just $1 with clinician approval. Use promo code [e-mail] hey, Sal.

[Nancy Grace]

Hank.

[Joe Scott Morgan]

What's going on?

[Nancy Grace]

We haven't worked a case in years.

[Steve Fisher]

I just bought my car at Carvana and it was so easy.

[Nancy Grace]

Too easy.

[Steve Fisher]

Think something's up? You tell me. They got thousands of options, found a great car at a great price and it got delivered the next day.

[Nancy Grace]

It sounds like Carvana just makes it easy to buy your car, Hank. Yeah, you're right.

[Steve Fisher]

Case closed.

[Nancy Grace]

Buy your car today on Carvana. Delivery fees may apply.

[Katie Whelan]

New year, new vibe. Want the warmth of a drink, that smooth little kick, but also want to wake up tomorrow feeling amazing.

[Nancy Grace]

That's where Arcay comes in.

[Katie Whelan]

Arcay is the world's first zero proof.

[Nancy Grace]

Spirits brand and they invented the warm.

[Katie Whelan]

Molecule, giving you the burn of whiskey or tequila without a drop of alcohol. Start the year strong with 28 bold zero proof spirits. Zero calories, zero sugar sugar, zero regrets. So you can celebrate big and still.

[Nancy Grace]

Keep your resolutions on track. Start the year right.

[Katie Whelan]

Join the Zero Proof Revolution at rkbeverages.com.

[Nancy Grace]

Why aren't you telling people who was moving the vehicle? I guess you testified to that from the grand jury. Crime stories with Nancy Grace.

[Steve Fisher]

I'm not even sure. Granted jury is but you know, the reason that, the reason that I didn't because I don't want people, if I did say that I don't want people to think that she was just killed like that. I believe that her death could go back as far as January. And you know, this person I'm certain will be held accountable. But I also don't want some something somebody take it into their own hands because this is moving super slow and it's frustrating and I just think it's a safer, you know, you know, way to go.

[Nancy Grace]

You know why Steve Fisher? Because I think Melissa McCarty is right. I think a lot of people are going to be charged including possibly named as unindicted co conspirators in order to get their testimony, give them immunity to get them to testify this as money woes rear their ugly head.

[Narrator/Reporter]

EA Sports, the biggest name in sports video games, quietly removes Burke's song what are you waiting for from Madden NFL 26. The legendary football game features a soundtrack when released in August 2025 that positions Burke's cut between Bia and Alex Warren on the playlist. But now the song has vanished from the list. No announcement explaining the reason behind the move.

[Nancy Grace]

Dave Mack joining me, crime stories investigative reporter. Is that why we are hearing about boo hoo money woes?

[Brian Fitzgibbons]

I think it's just the tip of the iceberg, Nancy. Remember when all of this started, he was on his first worldwide tour. He was only two or three days into it when everything broke and it stopped. This was the end of the career he had. No money's been coming in since then, or at least it's not nearly what it was. So, yeah, money woes. Absolutely.

[Nancy Grace]

So every time somebody played Madden NFL 26, it's a legendary football game, they would hear David Burke's song, what are you waiting for? It played every time somebody played the game. Is that right, Dave Mack?

[Brian Fitzgibbons]

Well, they created a playlist of songs, Nancy. So, yes, it was one of several. Kind of like on an album, you know, you have several different artists on there, and his was placed.

[Nancy Grace]

Could you just give me a yes, no, please?

[Brian Fitzgibbons]

Yes.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay. So, yes. So every time that song is played, D4VD makes, let's just pretend, a dollar a penny. That's a lot of money because that is a huge, huge game in sports, video games. He's lost all that money. That's the tip of the iceberg. But I think he's got bigger fish to fry than losing Money off Madden NFL 26. If you know or think you know anything about this case, no matter if you think it's insignificant, doesn't matter. Please call Homicide, 213-486-6890. Repeat, 213-486-6890. And Steve Fisher, if you have to go back in front of the grand jury, which you are neither denying or confirming, I will make a cameo appearance as a defense attorney and come represent you because I want to be in that grand jury. Okay, Fisher. For free, pro bono. And tonight we remember an American hero, Corporal Matthew Snook, Delaware police, shot in the line of duty, leaving behind wife turned widow and a daughter without her dad. American hero, Corporal Matthew Snook. Nancy Grace, signing off. Goodbye, friend.