Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: D4VD Goes Radio Silent as Celeste Murder Investigation Intensifies
Date: October 2, 2025
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

Episode Overview

In this gripping episode, Nancy Grace and her panel dissect the intensifying investigation surrounding musician David Burke (aka D4VD), after the dismembered body of 13-year-old Celeste Rivas was found in the trunk of his Tesla. With David remaining publicly silent, theories—including a "body double" conspiracy—swirl online. Nancy and her expert guests break down the evidence, probe the family dynamics, and examine critical forensic details as the case unfolds.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Body Double Theory

• Panelists: Nancy Grace, Melissa McCarty (Investigative Reporter), Steve Fisher (Missing Persons PI)
• Summary:
  • Online sleuths speculate that a Celeste "body double" was used to mislead the timeline of her disappearance.
  • Grace and McCarty discuss the plausibility, citing previous cases where such tactics surfaced.
  • Images posted by Burke or his handlers show a girl resembling Celeste at high-profile events post-disappearance, raising suspicions.
  • Quote [04:51]:
    "The theory is that knowing Celeste is gone, she's dead ... a Celeste body double lookalike starts appearing on his feed... It's not a leap of faith to surmise it is intentional. Can you understand what I'm saying?" – Nancy Grace
  • Steve Fisher's input [05:23]:
    "She has shown up in some images, even ... back in 2024, but they were a lot more prominent in 2025. ... I think this could be a reason for people not to be looking for the real Celeste."

2. Family Dynamics & Celeste’s Troubled Home Life

• Panelists: Nancy Grace, Dave Mack (Investigative Reporter), Jeffrey Gentry (Forensic Analyst), Dr. Bethany Marshall (Psychoanalyst), Melissa McCarty
• Insights:
  • Interviews with Celeste’s middle school boyfriend and friends reveal a history of her running away due to unhappiness at home ([10:12]).
  • Sister actively searched for Celeste, retrieving surveillance footage showing Celeste fleeing home at 7 am ([12:26]).
  • Panel discusses parental responsibility and the frequency of missing/runaway cases, emphasizing how runaway teens are at extreme risk.
  • Quote [16:04]:
    "You need to know where your 12-year-old daughter is at 7am—I think we can all agree with that." – Nancy Grace
  • Quote [18:25]:
    "How is this girl able to establish a relationship with an older man? ... those are all very disturbing facts that need to be looked into." – Jeffrey Gentry

3. Protective Failures: Parental Inaction & Social Responsibility

• Tension arises between Nancy and Melissa McCarty over what more Celeste’s family could have done.
  • McCarty notes some families become exhausted or numb from repeated disappearances.
  • Grace argues forcefully that parents can and should do more, refusing to accept resignation ([21:12]).
  • Memorable exchange:
    "When your daughter goes missing, you find her. ... You do not allow your child to go as they please. ... No, no, no." – Nancy Grace [22:10]

4. Grooming, Gifts, and Power Dynamics

• Panelists: Nancy Grace, Dr. Bethany Marshall
• Findings:
  • Celeste seen with luxury items (Louis Vuitton purse, diamond ring) far beyond her means ([35:05]).
  • Dr. Marshall contextualizes gifts as potential grooming tools to exert control, comparing to other high-profile cases like Cassie Ventura and R. Kelly.
  • Quote [36:07]:
    "Purses here in Southern California are a very common thing for men to give to women, to have control over them." – Dr. Bethany Marshall

5. Tesla Forensics & Digital Trails

• Panelists: Nancy Grace, Scott Eicher (FBI Cellular Analysis, Forensics Expert)
• Key Points:
  • Burke’s Tesla (Model Y) logs activity, including when the trunk (“frunk”) is open more than 10 minutes—sending alerts to the owner ([38:15]).
  • The Tesla's cameras offer near-360-degree surveillance; data stored on USB (but can be removed).
  • Experiments show Celeste’s body (dismembered) could fit in the small front trunk.
  • Quote [41:10]:
    "You get these alerts when the trunk is open... and there's numerous cameras all around that." – Scott Eicher

6. Forensic Pathology: Time of Death, Dismemberment, & Evidence

• Panelists: Dr. Kendall Crowns (Chief Medical Examiner), Jeffrey Gentry
• Insights:
  • Rigor mortis sets in 2–6 hours after death, lasts 1–2 days; may help estimate timeline ([45:11]).
  • Dismemberment method may be identifiable through tool marks on bones.
  • Luminol and other forensic tools can detect cleaned blood traces ([57:32]).
  • Quote [47:10]:
    "So you can do a ... comparison analysis of the marks on the bones compared back to the instrument that was used..." – Dr. Kendall Crowns

7. Legal & Investigative Hurdles

• Panelists: Joanna Nieves (Veteran Defense Attorney)
• Key Points:
  • Defense could argue presence of Burke’s prints on trash bags doesn’t prove guilt, only that bags came from his home.
  • Cites previous convictions without confirmed causes of death (Laci Peterson, Suzanne Morphew, Anna Walsh) to challenge the argument that no COD equals “no case” ([53:20]).
  • Quote [55:05]:
    "Just because you can get rid of a COD does not mean you're walking free." – Nancy Grace

8. Ongoing Investigation: Search of D4VD’s Mansion

• Panelists: Melissa McCarty
  • Burke’s Hollywood Hills mansion, leased in his manager’s name, was searched; electronics, blood evidence sought ([56:23]).
  • No revelations yet on what was discovered.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On body double theory:
  "Not only the two Celeste theory, but is he using a body double? Are there images of her surfacing online to make it seem as though she was alive and messing up the timeline? ... these are conspiracy theories, but they are plausible..." – Melissa McCarty [03:17]
• On parental duty:
  "If one of them disappeared, all hell would break loose, and I would not be sitting on my rear end watching reruns on TV while my son or daughter were unaccounted for. You darn right." – Nancy Grace [27:12]
• On digital forensics:
  "Anybody coming to the front of that car will get viewed pretty clearly, as you can see. ..." – Scott Eicher [42:50]
• On forensic cleaning:
  "If you know or you think you know anything about this case, have you been called in as a professional cleaner? ... Please dial this number: 213-486-6890." – Nancy Grace [01:01:10]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Body Double Theory & Panel Discussion: 02:20 – 09:20
• Celeste’s Home Life & Surveillance Video: 10:00 – 14:00
• Parental Responsibility Debate: 19:40 – 25:00
• Gifts and Control: 35:05 – 37:20
• Tesla Forensics: 38:00 – 43:30
• Pathological/Crime Scene Analysis: 44:00 – 49:30
• Defense Attorney Perspective & Precedents: 52:40 – 56:10
• Search of D4VD’s Home; Blood Evidence: 56:23 – 58:40
• Forensic Discussion: Luminol, Bloodstain Analysis: 57:32 – 01:01:10

Tone & Language

The episode is highly charged, impassioned, and direct—Nancy Grace anchors with her signature tenacity, often challenging her guests and pushing for answers. Panelists contribute expert, sometimes technical, perspective, while also engaging in emotional commentary about failures of protection and gaps in the investigation.

Summary Takeaway

This episode offers a deep-dive into the controversy and confusion clouding the Celeste Rivas case: the silence of prime suspect David Burke, the disturbing emergence of a possible body double, the forensic challenges around a badly decomposed and dismembered body, and—centrally—the damning question of how a vulnerable teen girl could fall through so many societal cracks. The conversation is raw, layered with both expert analysis and strong opinions, illuminating a tragedy that, as Nancy Grace repeatedly says, is “far from over.”