D4VD DEFENSE BOMBSHELL: CELESTE WASN’T 'KILLED' BY ANYONE

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace — November 5, 2025

Episode Overview

This intense episode centers on the shocking legal twist in the death of teenage girl Celeste Rivas, whose decomposed, dismembered body was discovered in the trunk of musician D4VD (David Anthony Burke)’s Tesla. Nancy Grace rigorously investigates how the lack of a clear cause of death (COD) and the presence of multiple prescription pill bottles in Burke’s chaotic Hollywood Hills home could pave the way for his defense team. Guest experts include crime reporters, defense attorneys, investigators, medical examiners, and psychoanalysts—each dissecting what happened, the difficulty of prosecution, and the human failures that may mean Celeste never gets justice.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Defense's "Gift": No Clear Cause of Death (COD)

• With Celeste's cause of death uncertain due to advanced decomposition ("she basically baked and melted in that Tesla trunk" – Nancy Grace, 03:28), defense lawyers may argue she overdosed accidentally and her body was hidden out of panic, not culpable homicide.
• Quote: "Has this enormous gift to the defense just dropped into their lap? It all goes to a myriad of pill bottles...and so far, a lack of a COD..." (Nancy Grace, 01:19)

2. Prescription Pills & Drug Paraphernalia Abound

• Private investigator Steve Fisher details finding numerous opiate prescription bottles (hydrocodone, Lortab) and abundant drug paraphernalia (pipes, vape equipment) scattered throughout Burke’s mansion—accessible to anyone, not locked up. (04:25–07:25, 29:16)
• Quote: “I can’t say that they weren’t taking these as prescribed, but there was, you know, several bottles of them in the house... and items that can be used for, like, vaping... smoking pipes.” (Steve Fisher, 04:25–05:14)

3. Who Was Living in Burke’s Mansion?

• Regular in-and-out traffic, with a core group of 2–5 people. Surveillance, doorbell cams, and social media posts show a consistent close-knit group ("groupies," friends, music collaborators).
• Grace pushes for naming these individuals to create a witness list; Fisher confirms evidence of people staying more than occasionally (e.g., multiple feminine products, personal effects in nightstands/bathrooms). (09:07–13:08, 15:02–16:44)
• Quote: “The nightstands were being used... in the master bedroom, there was female products... It was like a living situation.” (Steve Fisher, 15:02–16:20)

4. The Defense Argument: Overdose, Panic, Profoundly Suspicious Behavior

• Defense attorney Joanna Nieves outlines the likely strategy: argue that Celeste overdosed (possibly accidentally, possibly by taking someone else’s prescription), someone panicked, and the dismemberment/disposing was attempted concealment, not murder. (18:15–19:39, 30:56)
• Psychoanalyst Dr. Bethany Marshall strongly rebuts: “You do not dismember a body because the victim overdosed. You just don’t. I mean, that’s overkill.” (20:32)
• Quote: “Unless somebody’s going to claim she committed suicide... instead of calling 911... they went, hey, it'd be a great idea to chop up her body and put her in a trunk.” (Nancy Grace, 19:02)

5. Suspicious Post-Crime Behavior

• All insiders “scatter to the four winds” and unfollow each other on social media after Celeste’s remains are found; cars left parked for months, then suddenly moved. Grace and guests interpret this as consciousness of guilt. (24:14–28:03)
• Quote: “If nobody did anything wrong, then why is everyone running in different directions and unfollowing each other on social media?” (Nancy Grace, 25:06)
• Quote: “This could be an indicator of consciousness of guilt. They are likely trying to distance themselves... The point still remains that we can’t prove yet... the cause of death was actually a murder...” (Joanna Nieves, 30:56)

6. Toxicology Hurdles and Decomposition

• Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns explains why toxicology is so delayed: severe decomposition may leave little usable blood, requiring toxicologists to “blend” organs like the liver and test the resulting slurry. Yet results are possible, even after months. (32:46–36:44)
• Quote: “When you have no blood left to test from... collect muscle and liver... put it in a blender... liquefy it... to do the toxicology testing.” (Dr. Kendall Crowns, 33:38–34:49)
• If a body is badly decomposed or even mummified, wounds like bruises, fractures, or stabs can still sometimes be detected (38:06–38:40).

7. Timeline Disputes: Last Proof of Life

• Surveillance shows Tesla last moved July 29, but there’s murky evidence possibly placing Celeste at an Aug. 4 D4VD concert (40:12); her true time of death unclear, with friends reporting last contact in late June or early July. (39:37–43:40)
• Depending on date of death, autopsy and toxicology evidence may be more or less revealing.

8. Conspiracy Theories and Internet Frenzy

• Grace samples wild online speculation (satanic ritual, PR stunts) and draws comparisons to notorious cases (Casey Anthony, Scott Peterson, JonBenét Ramsey, Delphi murders), noting how such theories both distract and sometimes find their way into court. (47:22–51:39)
• Quote: “These conspiracy theories, as crazy as they are, carry on... Lady Justice... has to pay the bill for all of that.” (Nancy Grace, 51:39)
• Panel notes defense teams may exploit conspiracy or alternate-narrative confusion as a legal tactic.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

On the Core Mystery:

• "A dead body in your trunk can really hurt your reputation. Did he ever report his Tesla missing?... Did he ever report Celeste missing? Absolutely not... Based on those pill bottles and... a lack of a COD, does this mean no one will answer up for a dead teen girl decomposing in a hot car trunk?"
  (Nancy Grace, 01:06–01:59)

Drug Evidence:

• “There was opiate prescription medication. There was a few bottles of that, and then there was paraphernalia you can use to smoke different types of drugs…It’s something you find in a smoke shop, you know.”
  (Steve Fisher, 05:44–06:01)

Suspicious Behavior and Social Media:

• "You have amassed video... You can see who is going in and out of the home... That mansion is covered in security cams, so we know who goes in and stays overnight on a daily basis. It's not rocket science, Fisher."
  (Nancy Grace, 10:28–11:37)

Defense Framing:

• “We need evidence and an actual crime of murder was committed, and the cause of death is what would help us establish that... this could have been an accidental overdose... maybe even a crime that never even occurred.”
  (Joanna Nieves, 18:15)

Psychoanalyst Rebuttal:

• "You do not dismember a body because the victim overdosed. You just don't. I mean, that's overkill."
  (Dr. Bethany Marshall, 20:32)

On Toxicology/Decomposition:

• “So when you have no blood left to test from... you can collect muscle and liver... put it in basically a blender…then... send it into the machines to do the toxicology testing.”
  (Dr. Kendall Crowns, 33:38–34:49)
• “Even if [bodies] mummified... you can still notice the wounding patterns and still find bruising.”
  (Dr. Kendall Crowns, 38:06)

Timeline Evidence:

• “We have video evidence of the car being moved on July 29... even if we didn’t have that, we still have the parking enforcement officers that took photos... So she was in that for quite a while...”
  (Steve Fisher, 39:14)

Conspiracy Theories:

• “The David and Celeste thing is the most obvious Hollywood satanic ritual I’ve ever seen. That actually hurt my ear. My ears are bleeding.”
  (Nancy Grace quoting social media, 47:22)
• “These conspiracy theories... as crazy as they are... can be used by an adrenaline Detroit defense attorney, as a matter of fact.”
  (Nancy Grace, 51:00)

Segment Timeline

• 01:06–02:57 — Nancy Grace’s opening challenge: dead girl, no COD, pill bottles everywhere.
• 02:57–04:25 — Investigator Fisher describes finding prescription bottles and paraphernalia.
• 06:01–07:45 — Dr. Kendall Crowns clarifies types of opiates found.
• 09:07–15:02 — Discussion of who was living in the house; surveillance and witness strategy.
• 18:15–20:32 — Defense attorney and psychoanalyst offer contrasting legal/psychological angles.
• 23:25–24:14 — Nancy stresses significance of last movement of the Tesla and insiders' sudden change of behavior.
• 28:03–29:43 — Where the drugs were (everywhere, accessible), implications for legal arguments.
• 32:46–36:44 — Toxicology workarounds explained; how COD can still sometimes be found.
• 39:14–41:06 — Pinning down the last sighting of Celeste, the value of photos, messaging evidence.
• 47:22–51:39 — Internet conspiracy theories, relevance to real-world investigations and prosecutions.
• 51:39–end — Reflections, plea for tips, reminders of justice delayed.

Overall Tone & Takeaways

• Tone: Urgent, exasperated, and relentless. Nancy Grace is characteristically blunt, pressing experts and guests to cut to the chase; she is frustrated by the lack of clear answers and worried the defense will exploit ambiguities. Guests are detailed, data-driven, and sober.
• Main Takeaway: Without a cause of death for Celeste, the defense has a credible route for reasonable doubt, especially with so many prescription pills and so much ambiguity about what happened in Burke’s home. Yet all circumstantial indicators—group departures, dismemberment, and secrecy—strongly suggest something criminal and sinister.
• Memorable Moment: Dr. Crowns’s graphic, clinical explanation of liver “smoothies” for toxicological analysis (33:38–34:49).
• Final Thought: “We are waiting... for justice in the death of a little girl. Celeste Rivas... As of tonight, no one has been named a suspect or even a person of interest in her death.” (Nancy Grace, 51:39)

For Listeners Who Haven’t Heard the Episode

This summary provides detailed coverage of the episode’s forensic, legal, and psychological points; goes beyond the headlines; and reveals both the obstacles facing any prosecution—and the deep unease shared by the expert panel at the prospect that, without a cause of death, a glaringly suspicious death may never be fully explained or punished.