Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: CLOSING IN: REPORTS D4VD FINALLY VIEWED AS SUSPECT, TEEN CELESTE'S BODY IN TRUNK, HAD "HELP" DISMEMBERING
Date: November 19, 2025

Main Theme / Purpose

In this urgent and forensic-heavy episode, Nancy Grace unpacks the shocking new developments in the murder of teen Celeste Rivas, found dismembered and decomposed in the trunk of musician D4VD (David Anthony Burke)'s Tesla. The episode hones in on LAPD leaks that for the first time identify D4VD as a suspect, explores a major shift in the presumed timeline of Celeste's death (now believed to have occurred in spring rather than late summer), and examines the elaborate cover-up that may have been employed to obscure the crime. Nancy and her panel scrutinize evidence, psychological motives, forensics, and the trail of deception, focusing on what it will take to bring justice for Celeste.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. D4VD Finally Considered a Suspect

• Bombshell Development: Sources inside LAPD now regard D4VD as an active suspect in Celeste's murder (03:30–04:00).
  • Nancy Grace: “Reports are surfacing that the musician D4VD, known as David, David Anthony Burke, is finally being viewed as a suspect in teen girl Celeste's murder.” (01:35)
• No Official Confirmation Yet: Police have not publicly named him as such, but investigative actions and new leaks signal this development.

2. Timeline Shift: Celeste May Have Died in Spring

• Initial Assumptions Incorrect: Previous belief held Celeste was alive into September; current data suggests her death occurred much earlier, in spring 2025.
  • Nancy Grace: “The real bombshell tonight is that we believe she was killed back in the spring.” (05:47)
• Supporting Evidence:
  • D4VD took a “secret trip” to a remote area of Santa Barbara County in the middle of the night during spring (04:38–05:47).
  • Forensic experts discuss how the advanced decomposition aligns with a springtime death (07:54–09:45).

3. Forensic Challenge: Determining Cause of Death

• Severe Decomposition Complicates Autopsy:
  • Joseph Scott Morgan (Death Investigator): “The tissue remaining on her body would have the consistency perhaps of jello…some of her remains will have been liquefied to that point.” (07:54)
  • X-rays are essential before opening body bags to search for bone trauma. Blood evidence, soft tissue injuries, and even basic ID may be lost to decomposition (09:45–11:33).
• Postmortem vs Antemortem Wounds: Sharp force trauma used for dismemberment postmortem may mask trauma sustained while alive, making it hard to distinguish between murder and cover-up acts (12:26).

4. Evidence of Elaborate Cover-Up

• Maintaining the Illusion Celeste Was Alive:
  • Reports of messages sent from Celeste's accounts, and even a lookalike staged at a concert, suggest active efforts to deceive the public and her family (17:17–17:50).
    • Nancy Grace: “Are we looking at the possibility this child was killed in the spring and then a cover up ensued, making people believe she was still alive?” (17:00–17:17)
  • Celeste is conspicuously covering her face in all known photos, consistent with someone deliberately attempting to hide her identity or presence (20:12–20:56).
• Psychological Analysis:
  • Dr. Geralyn Utter (Clinical Psych): “There is a lot of image protection…He doesn’t really care potentially about, you know, what's happened to this poor girl…This is classic avoidant behavior.” (18:56–20:12)

5. D4VD's Lack of Cooperation

• Behavior Post-Discovery:
  • D4VD continued his world tour after Celeste’s body was found in his vehicle; only canceled shows after her remains were identified (16:07).
  • He has not offered condolences or made public statements.
    • PI Fisher: “Burke has not made any public comment about Celeste's body being found in his car…hasn't offered condolences of any kind.” (15:37–16:07)
  • In the initial weeks Burke was reportedly cooperative; however, “he has not been cooperative during the last two months” (25:50).

6. Suspect Likely Had Help

• Investigation Points to Multiple Persons:
  • Police believe the dismemberment would have required assistance (12:39–13:34, 25:50).
  • Motive to leak info to the public might be to pressure someone in D4VD’s circle to “rat” and break the case open.

7. Digital and Physical Cover-Up

• Erasing Evidence:
  • Discussion of live stream where D4VD insists on deleting all archived videos as soon as they end:
    • D4VD: “Can we delete all VODs and then as soon as the stream ends, delete the stream too?” (45:27–45:31)
    • Nancy Grace, interpreting: “He knows to delete it, get rid of it, don't let it stay on the air.” (45:33)
• Tesla as Evidence Source: GPS logs provide critical info about D4VD’s movements, possibly placing him at or near the remote site following Celeste’s presumed time-of-death (14:46–15:05).

8. Legal Analysis & Challenges

• Hard to Prove Murder Without Cause of Death:
  • Criminal defense expert Johanna Nieves articulates how decomposition and absence of clear antemortem injuries challenge murder charges:
    • “We still don't even know…whether there were injuries to that body that would support that a crime of murder was actually committed.” (24:21)
  • Conspiracy and cover-up may be easier to prove than direct murder charges unless more evidence is recovered.

9. Potential Forensic Traces

• Soil, Pollen, & Trace Evidence:
  • Forensic geology and botany might link Celeste’s remains or enclosure to the remote Santa Barbara area (43:20).
  • Comparative soil and pollen analysis could help pinpoint where the body was taken postmortem (43:20–45:03).

10. Pressure on D4VD’s Associates

• Predictions About Breaking the Case:
  • Nancy repeatedly predicts someone in D4VD’s circle (“the rats on a sinking ship”) will turn informant under pressure (47:26–48:11).
    • Nancy Grace: “Somebody within the 4 Vidi's camp knows exactly what happened…someone is going to try their best to save their own skin…and they are going to rat out on David Anthony Burke.” (47:26)

11. Unanswered Questions:

• Celeste's Family: Raises questions about why her absence wasn’t reported sooner, and what responsibility her parents may bear (48:32).

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Nancy Grace:

  • “I smell a rat. Somebody's gonna be singing, if not tonight, in the near future. Because we know, according to the leak, he, the killer did not do this alone.” (12:39)
  • “How could somebody put a then 13 year old little girl in a truck trunk and leave the car there for weeks on end?” (25:40)

• Joseph Scott Morgan (Death Investigator):

  • "The tissue remaining on her body would have the consistency perhaps of jello…some of her remains will have been liquefied to that point if in fact this new timeline is in effect…and that's going to impact a variety of different areas…” (07:54)
  • “If we're talking about dismemberment, that sharp force, post dismemberment in the post mortem state, that means after death, sharp force is involved in that.” (11:33)
  • “You're going to have things, elements like bone dust that people don't think about, just like sawdust that's created with bone. One thing that you do need though is you need privacy. You need generally an electrical source, unless you're using hand tools.” (30:21)

• Dave Mack (Investigative Reporter):

  • “We know that D4VD took a trip to Santa Barbara county…he takes this drive in the middle of the night in the spring of this year, and he stays there for a couple of hours.” (04:38)
  • “From what we have found in looking into this investigation, there's no clear shot of Celeste Rivas with Burke at all. She's always got a hand up.” (20:56)

• Dr. Geralyn Utter (Clinical Psychologist):

  • “There's a lot of emotional flatness. There's a lot of what we call emotional compartmentalization where this is classic avoidant behavior…” (19:12)

• Joanna Nieves (Defense Attorney):

  • “It would definitely be a major conspiracy for people to be participating and taking acts to cover up a crime in that fashion if there is evidence to support that.” (23:39)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Opening & Crime Overview – [01:35–03:30]
• Suspect status & timeline revelation – [04:00–06:00]
• Forensic decomposition details – [07:54–09:54]
• Cover-up and lookalike at concert – [17:17–17:50]
• Discussion of Celeste’s photos and image control – [20:12–21:45]
• Legal and evidence challenges – [23:39–24:53]
• Lack of cooperation by D4VD – [25:50–26:10]
• Digital cover-up via deleted streams – [45:27–45:33]
• Forensic search for soil/pollen evidence – [43:20–45:03]
• Closing: Pressure on insiders & appeal for information – [47:26–48:32]

Conclusion / Takeaway

This episode exposes a major turn in the Celeste Rivas murder case: D4VD is unofficially a suspect, there is a stark timeline revision pointing to an earlier death, and overwhelming evidence suggests a highly organized, months-long cover-up. Forensic limitations might hinder murder charges, but prosecutors appear to be building a case using circumstantial evidence, digital breadcrumbing, and psychological pressure on accomplices. Nancy Grace and her panel predict—through both legal insight and experience—that someone close to D4VD will ultimately break, allowing Celeste’s killer(s) to face justice.

If you have information on the case, contact LAPD at 213-486-6890.