PLEA DEAL? D4VD "COOKED" ARREST IN DEATH OF CELESTE, 13

Summary

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Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: PLEA DEAL? D4VD "COOKED" ARREST IN DEATH OF CELESTE, 13
Date: January 28, 2026

Overview

In this gripping episode, Nancy Grace and an expert panel dissect the latest developments in the disturbing case of Celeste Rivas, a 13-year-old girl whose dismembered remains were found in the trunk of a Tesla belonging to internet celebrity and musician David Anthony Burke (D4VD). The episode centers on the recent arrest of Burke’s close friend, Neo Langston, who evaded testifying as a material witness before a grand jury. The panel debates whether a plea or immunity deal is being brokered, explores the nature of the evidence, and delves into the relationships and behaviors of those circled around Celeste’s tragic fate.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Breaking Developments: Arrest and Possible Plea Deal

• Arrest of Neo Langston

  • Neo Langston, Burke’s longtime best friend, was arrested in Montana after failing to appear as a material witness before the grand jury investigating Celeste’s death (02:03–02:17).
  • Langston was found hiding at his mother’s house, leading Nancy to comment on the predictability of suspects retreating to a maternal safe haven (02:20, 17:25–18:38).
  • LAPD is believed to have obtained timeline evidence via digital tracking of Langston’s and Burke’s devices (04:02–05:39).

• Speculation about a Plea or Immunity Deal

  • Steve Fisher (investigator): “I think he might be getting an immunity deal, because … I'd expect him to possibly be a target.” (03:33)
  • Nancy: “He can either be a co-defendant or he can be a witness. ... Did you dig the hole, or do you want to end up in the hole?” (04:02–05:39)

• Defense Perspective

  • Joanna Nieves (defense attorney): “He may be being called in to stick a timeline down. He may be exculpating David in some way or another person … We don’t know what his testimony will be.” (05:39–06:45)
  • Nancy Grace’s skepticism: “They did not drag him home from Helena, Montana back to LA to ask about his relationship with David Anthony Burke … that did not happen.” (06:41–07:51)

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2. The Evidence: Digital Trails, Surveillance, and Discovery

• Digital, Video, and Forensic Evidence

  • LAPD is triangulating social media, cell phone, GPS, Tesla data to create an almost minute-by-minute account (21:33, 34:21).
  • Steve Fisher collected “ring cam and other video of the neighborhood as D4VD’s Tesla was moved from spot to spot.” (13:01–13:52)
  • Fisher found a camera memory card left behind that contained over 1,100 photos, documenting the close relationship between Burke and Langston (09:06–10:59).
  • Chainsaw and home incinerator (“burn cage”) were also recovered—potential tools in the dismemberment and attempted destruction of Celeste’s body (10:33, 22:11, 26:12).

• Photos, Relationships, and Testimony

  • Many photos showed D4VD and Langston together—fully clothed, but notably close (10:59–11:32). Few, if any, show Celeste.
  • Nancy: “What I care about is if there is an unbreakable bond between Neo Langston and David … if there is, I’m not going to get anything out of Langston.” (11:51–13:01)

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3. Forensic and Investigative Analysis

• Forensic Questions and Implications
  • Joe Scott Morgan (forensic expert): “He [Langston] is a major thread in this case because he has intimate knowledge of [Celeste’s] movements through the house.” (24:02–26:12)
  • Investigators will compare Langston’s fingerprints and DNA to evidence collected from the crime scene, including on knives and tools (27:09–27:48, 30:38–32:26).
  • Discussion of “touch DNA” vs. “seminal deposition” and how these help establish presence and possible sexual abuse (32:26–34:11).

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4. Timeline and Cause of Death

• Establishing Celeste’s Timeline

  • Last known photo of Celeste, looking “lost and defeated,” was taken Jan 2, 2025, at Baldwin Hills by Burke (35:09–37:14).

    “She just looks so lost and confused … 14 years old and some guy has lured her into this life, away from her family and her school … she just looks sad.” — Steve Fisher (35:09)

  • The Tesla was moved around the neighborhood months later, with the timeline possibly complicated by the use of a second, newer Tesla acquired Feb 1 (37:51–38:33).

• Disturbing Discovery Relayed by a Neighbor

  • Neighbors mistook the odor of Celeste’s decomposing body for a buried dog; the smell disappeared when the car (with her body in it) vanished (39:13–40:09).

    “You’re saying that the stench of Celeste’s decomposing body … was mistaken for a dead dog that had been buried.” — Nancy Grace (39:55)

• State of the Remains and Forensic Hurdles

  • Her remains were so decomposed that cause of death may not be determined (36:25–37:14).
  • Modern forensics might use gut microbial succession to home in on an accurate time of death (41:09–43:46).

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5. Relationship Dynamics and Motives

• Nancy’s Examination of Persona vs. Reality

  • D4VD (Burke) presented a rap “bad boy” persona, despite a privileged upbringing—discussed as a marketing/image strategy, not criminal behavior (28:16–30:07).
  • Defense: “We can’t blame him for his artistic expression. … It doesn’t necessarily mean that’s who he is at the core.” — Joanna Nieves (29:47)

• Questionable Behavior: Access to Minors

  • Burke filmed himself at high schools, handing out concert tickets and merchandise, purposely without school permission—interpreted as viral marketing, but raising red flags:

    “Why is David Anthony Burke an adult, hanging around with unfettered access to high school girls and boys? Isn't that where Celeste was before she got plucked out?” — Nancy Grace (45:29)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Arrest & Immunity Negotiations

• “I think he might be getting an immunity deal, because … I’d expect him to possibly be a target.”
  — Steve Fisher (03:33)
• “He can be a witness today and a defendant tomorrow, based on what happens at this juncture.”
  — Nancy Grace (20:34)

Forensics & Timelines

• “I’m getting a buckle of mucosal swab off of them … I want to know if there’s any seminal deposition around this place. I want to know who it links back to.”
  — Joe Scott Morgan (30:38–32:26)
• “Just when I think I’ve heard it all… the smell of her decomposing body was confused for a dead dog…”
  — Nancy Grace (40:25)

Persona & Motive

• “I don’t care who is sleeping together… What I care about is if there is an unbreakable bond between Neo Langston and David Anthony Burke.”
  — Nancy Grace (11:51)
• “He’s assuming the persona of a badass rapper. … [but] completely different than who he actually really is.”
  — Nancy Grace (29:27)

Behavior at Schools

• “He’s putting up social media posts saying, hey, I’m outside this school… come out, I’ll give you tickets. …He avoided telling the schools or seeking permission or anything.”
  — Dave Mack (45:06–48:31)
• “He thinks handing out tickets out front is just good marketing ... But for a suspect in a case like Celeste’s, it’s deeply disturbing.”
  — Alexis Terescuk (46:04–46:19)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| MM:SS | Segment | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------| | 00:33 | Nancy Grace outlines the case and arrest | | 03:33 | Steve Fisher discusses possible immunity deal | | 05:39 | Joanna Nieves: Langston's possible role | | 09:06 | Steve Fisher describes photo evidence | | 13:01 | Surveillance of Tesla, ring cam video | | 16:49 | Immunity versus prosecution for Langston | | 18:38 | Analysis of why suspects run to ‘mommy’ | | 19:00 | Alexis Terescuk: Langston’s background | | 21:33 | Panel explains LAPD’s digital timeline | | 24:02 | Joe Scott Morgan on forensic testimony | | 27:09 | Fisher details fingerprints/DNA investigation | | 30:38 | Morgan: DNA collection and importance | | 35:09 | Fisher describes last photo of Celeste | | 39:13 | Fisher: Neighbor’s mistaken stench | | 41:09 | Morgan: Microbial time-of-death technique | | 45:29 | Burke’s high school encounters | | 47:55 | Ehret: Discord video, possible grooming |

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Conclusion

This episode weaves together breaking legal developments, behind-the-scenes investigation, expert forensic insight, and probing questions of motive and morality. Nancy Grace presses her panel: Will evidence extracted from Langston turn him from witness to co-defendant? Is a plea deal imminent—or will he be offered immunity to testify against Burke? The episode lays bare the emotional toll of losing hope for justice, the complexities of digital and forensic evidence, and the evolving roles of key players. As the panel closes, Nancy reminds listeners: “If you know or think you know anything … however inconsequential you think it may be, please dial 213-486-6890.”

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Transcript

[Nancy Grace]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. This February, Aldous Hodge returns as Alex Cross, your favorite detective on television for season two of the hit show Cross, premiering February 11th exclusively on Prime Video. Fresh off his capture of the infamous serial killer, the fanboy Cross teams up with the FBI to hunt down a vigilante serial killer targeting corrupt billionaires as as the case unfolds, Cross navigates a moral crossroads where the lines between justice and vengeance are blurred. Catch season two of Cross, with new episodes dropping weekly starting February 11, only on Prime Video. Crime stories with Nancy Grace, A plea deal. And tonight, D4VD, aka David Anthony Burke, aka Murder Suspect, is cooked as an arrest goes down and the death of Celeste, a 13 year old little girl found dead, allegedly dismembered in Burke's Tesla trunk. I'm Nancy Grace, this is Crime Stories. I want to thank you for being with us. A home incinerator, was it purchased at the time of Celeste's death.

[Joe Scott Morgan]

Her burned pages have in fact been used to render down human remains.

[Steve Fisher]

This is something you would typically find on a farm. And you got to wonder what the plans ultimately to maybe get rid of her permanently.

[Nancy Grace]

Tonight is a plea deal in the works. This as an arrest goes down connected to the death of a 13 year old little girl, Celeste Rivas. Her body found in the trunk of highly popular D4VD, aka David Anthony Burke, aka suspect. Joining me, an all star panel to make sense of what we know right now. What sparked news of a potential plea deal?

[Dr. Cheryl Ehret]

Burke's close friend Neo Langston, arrested at.

[Nancy Grace]

His mother's home in Montana on an.

[Dr. Cheryl Ehret]

Unspecified warrant issued by the lapd. Booked for dodging a mandated appearance as a material witness in the homicide investigation.

[Nancy Grace]

Langston is held without bail at the.

[Dr. Cheryl Ehret]

Lewis and Clark County Jail in Helena.

[Nancy Grace]

Could somebody just surprise me just one time? Can a defendant not be found hiding under his mother's bed? Day one straight out to private investigator who has become enmeshed, embroiled in the D4VD, David Anthony Burke case. It's Steve Fisher now high profile private investigator, missing person, private investigator, search and rescue expert Steve Fisher. This all started when Langston, AKA Neo, AKA Neo the Asian, refused to come to grand jury and they have to go look for him. And of course he's hiding under mommy's bed in Helena, far, far away from that grand jury proceeding. So they drag him back. That sparked discussion of a plea deal and I think they're right. Now some outlets misquoted you stating that you thought D4VD Burke is going to get indicted. But I think that's bass ackwards. What do you think, Fisher?

[Steve Fisher]

Well, you said that about D4BD indicted. They quoted me saying is that he may be getting a plea deal. And I did not say that. What I said was the fact that they were bringing Langston in on that failure to appear worried me. And I think he might be getting an immunity deal because I, quite frankly, I'd expect him to possibly be a target. And then you would typically expect them to bring a target in front of the grand jury like that. It makes me think that thought.

[Nancy Grace]

Hold that thought, Steve Fisher. I think you're right. Let me go to high profile defense attorney. Joining us from this jurisdiction is Joanna Nieves, criminal defense attorney, founder of the Nieves law firm. Joanna, here's the deal. Let me just break it down. He can. He has a choice. He can either be a co defendant or he can be a witness. That's how I'm seeing it from here. Because I guarantee you, Joanna, lapd, and I've heard this from an inside source, has his huge, huge wall. And they have digital tracking of phone calls, GPS locators, nav system of all of D4VD's friends, including him. Which means they've got it down to the minute. If Langston, AKA Neo, was traveling along in a car. And I think I've identified one thing they're looking at, Joanna. It's the night that D4VD goes out into a densely wooded forest area late in the night to 3am Many people think to dispose of a body or scout a spot to dispose of a body. If it turns out that Neo Langston phone was traveling along with D4VDS, he's up the you know what creek without a paddle. So he can choose. Did you dig the hole or do you want to end up in the hole? Langston.

[Joanna Nieves]

So this is all assuming that he's got information to offer that might incriminate David or even himself. But he may be being called in to stick a timeline down. He may be exculpating David in some way or. Or another person who is a person of interest in the matter.

[Nancy Grace]

I'm sorry, I just choked on my tea. Hold on. Well, let me see her, please. Joanna Nieves, did you just say with a straight face that LAPD puts out a jurisdictional warrant and tracks down Neo Langston, who is D4VD's bestie, because he has exculpatory evidence that may exonerate Burke? That is not why they dragged him by his toes out from under mummy's bed? No, because he has evidence. It's a grand jury investigation and charging arm.

[Joanna Nieves]

Absolutely.

[Nancy Grace]

Please, let's be real.

[Joanna Nieves]

They want the information, but also they're required to provide all of the information, not just the things that want to paint the picture that they want to put in front of the grand jury. The grand jury may have additional questions and Neo Langston may be able to shed light on times, places, locations and relationships. So it may not necessarily be about this one Santa Barbara trip. It may even be just about what was the nature of the relationship between David and Celeste, if there was anything inappropriate, as many people have been speculating. But there's also speculations of what the relationship may have been between Neo and David himself. So I think that really we don't know what his, his testimony will be. We, I do find that it's probably going to be obviously material that they went through these great lengths to get him there. Ultimately, just because he didn't show up doesn't mean that he's got something incriminating for himself or somebody else. He may have just been putting his head in the sand hoping that this thing disappeared without having to participate.

[Nancy Grace]

Let me ask you a question. Where did you go to law school?

[Joanna Nieves]

Florida State. Go Knowles.

[Nancy Grace]

That's a great school. And you've tried a lot of criminal cases too. But I can guaran t you this technical legal term. They did not drag him back to ask him what's your relationship with D4VD? That did not happen. He was dragged home from Helena, Montana back to LA to testify in front of a grand jury and put in jail. And that's not to find out if he and D4V.D were up braiding each other's hair at night. Speaking of that, Steve Fisher. Steve Fisher, do you agree or disagree with Joanna Nieves? And I'll tell you what she's doing. She's a world class defense lawyer and she is painting a pretty picture, a pristine picture for Neo Langston. But I guarantee you they did not drag him all the way back to LA from Montana to find out about his relationship with David Anthony Burke. I want to hear about the disc you found in D4VD's home. What photos were on the disc?

[Steve Fisher]

Well, there's, there's 1100 photos on it. There's ton, but there's. Neo is in a lot of them with David and they have a very close relationship. There's. He's at the house a lot. He's him and about like two other People seem to always be around. What worries me about this bringing him back is that they even need his testimony. Because if they haven't been able to make the case five months later and they need his testimony, I would think he'd be a target instead of a witness. And so that's what worries me, that maybe they're going to offer him an immunity deal, which I would hate to see if he has any involvement in this.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay. Because I was trying to figure out why you're worried about it. But I see what you're saying. You want everyone potentially involved in the death and the dismemberment and the disposal of her body, Celeste, to be prosecuted. I agree. Look at her. Don't take down that picture. That is Celeste. That is Celeste. A few short years after that, she's dead. And I want to find out why. I'm with you, Fisher. Hey, fisherman. Another thing, guys. The reason Steve Fisher embroiled in this is the owner of the deformedy mansion hired him to find out what the hey was going on. He had the permission to go into the home and search. Where did you find the disc?

[Steve Fisher]

It was left behind in the house. They moved out pretty, pretty hastily and they left a lot of stuff behind. And it was, it wasn't the. It was just a memory card from a camera and it was on floor and we were able to recover the images from it. So it's just left behind, you know, but they. It was a very quick move out and they left a tremendous amount of stuff behind it, including the burn cage, including the chainsaw and, you know, a lot of things. So that's how we found it.

[Nancy Grace]

Let me ask you something. On that disc, you said There are about 1100 images including D4VD and Neo lying in bed together. Were they clothed?

[Steve Fisher]

Yes. Yes, they were.

[Nancy Grace]

And photos of them curled up together on a sofa, were they clothed?

[Steve Fisher]

They were. And a lot of these have already hit the Internet because some of these he actually took off the camera and posted, you know, like you're showing on screen now. These are the type of images, but the focus seems to be between him and his relationship with him.

[Nancy Grace]

Were there any women on there? Any naked photos of women? Or is it all Neo and D4VD?

[Steve Fisher]

Yeah, there's no provocative photos. It's just women kind of in the background actually of him and Neo.

[Nancy Grace]

Crime stories with nancy grace. Let me be clear. Steve Fisher. Let me see. Steve Fisher. I don't care who is whose boyfriend or girlfriend or who's sleeping together, who's not sleeping together. Really don't care. What I care about is if there is an unbreakable bond between Neo Langston and David Anthony Burke, also known as D4VD. Because if there is an unbreakable bond, I'm not going to get anything out of Langston. He's not going to give it up. And if he's only being charged with failure to appear as a material witness, that's a very light sentence. He'll be in and out in no time for basically a contempt charge. So bottom line, he's going to have to be given immunity. And the reason he has to be given immunity is if you're a target, you can take the Fifth. The Fifth Amendment right to remain silent. If the state says, okay, you've got immunity, we can't prosecute you.

[Joe Scott Morgan]

I.

[Nancy Grace]

Under the law, you can no longer take the Fifth Amendment. So what you said at the get go is correct. Trying to find out if he's getting an immunity deal, is he going to be a co defendant? Because if he's along for the ride, that's aiding and abetting, you know, slam dunk. Or is it more. Okay, while I've got Fisher up on the screen, isn't it true, Steve Fisher, that you amassed ring cam and other video of the neighborhood as D4VD's Tesla was moved from spot to spot? Isn't that true?

[Steve Fisher]

Yes, it's true.

[Nancy Grace]

And isn't it also true that you saw the face of who was driving the Tesla? Isn't that true?

[Steve Fisher]

That is true. I know where this is.

[Nancy Grace]

Why? Is it Neo? Was it Neo?

[Steve Fisher]

I can't say. We've been through this before. I can't. It will come out. I can't. Listen, I don't want to take the chance of somebody. This is. There's somebody taking justice in their own hands. In that there's really a possibility.

[Nancy Grace]

Well, if it wasn't Neo, then why would people take justice into their own hands?

[Steve Fisher]

Well, until we know, you know, what people's roles are and whoever the driver was, you know, shouldn't. I don't think people should be, you know, I. I think it needs to go through the court process and I would hate to be responsible for putting a name out there and then somebody getting hurt because somebody there was vigilante justice, you'd be.

[Nancy Grace]

You're worried about putting who out there?

[Steve Fisher]

Anybody. Anybody that happened to be driving a Tesla that day.

[Nancy Grace]

Because I think you said him. Have you handed all this over to the lapd?

[Steve Fisher]

Of course. Yeah, it was. We handed it over, you know, the day that we did it with a report, you know, breaking down frame by frame.

[Nancy Grace]

Got another question for you, even though you're not point blank giving me a name. Steve Fisher. Was it just one person moving the car or did that person come with a buddy? Were two people moving the car at the same time?

[Steve Fisher]

No, I will say one person.

[Nancy Grace]

One person every time the car was moved because it was moved several times. Was it always the same person moving the car?

[Steve Fisher]

So we only have a surveillance of being moved that last day, which was July 29. Keeping me right now. The last day, which is the day they left for tourists. We only have the surveillance of that. We have reports from neighbors of where the car was parked back in May and stuff. But that surveillance unfortunately had been overwritten.

[Dave Mack]

An out of state warrant issued by LAPD is a failure to appear when Langston fails to appear as a mandated witness for a grand jury in the homicide of Celeste. Montana police assist LAPD when Langston captured at his mother's house in Helena. Langston taken to Lewis and Clark county jail, held without bond before being transferred into the custody of LAPD and extradited.

[Nancy Grace]

To LA and booked a plea deal in the works. That's the question tonight. This after the arrest of D4VD David Anthony Burke's best friend and running buddy, Neo Langston, AKA Neo, AKA Neo the Asian. Okay, straight back out to Steve Fisher. Joining us, private investigator hired by the owner of D4VD's mansion, Steve Fisher. You mentioned immunity when you first started talking. Why did you say that? What are your sources telling you?

[Steve Fisher]

Well, I just think that if they were, if indeed this is for a grand jury failure to appear if they need him, I think they're bringing him in as a witness and not as a target. And I think he would have gotten a target letter. And like you said earlier, you know, he'd lead the fifth. So if they need him and he's got information that means he's made yet in my mind, and he probably offered immunity and I just can't believe it. Point five months later and with all the digital evidences out there that they need his testimony, but if they do, then I'm afraid for the case, to be honest.

[Nancy Grace]

And there you see Neil Langston handcuffed, hands behind him with armed law enforcement wearing tack gear, putting him in the back of a cruiser. That's from our friends at the Independent Record. And again, I find it really hard to believe that he's just coming in to discuss his relationship with D4VD under mommy's bed. Dr. Cheryl Ehrrett joining us, clinical forensic psychologist. Find her atcreative e mdr.com Doctor, thank you for being with us. Why does everybody go home and hide out at Mommy's house? I mean, I've said it a million times at a BF calendar bond forfeiter. Here's his mom's address. Just go straight out there. I'll wait. He'll be back in about 20 minutes. Why?

[Dr. Cheryl Ehret]

That is such a great question, Nancy. And I think it's because it is the same safest place in the person's mind when they are running and they don't know where else to go. Running to mom is the place to be. And you're right, it could save everybody a lot of time to just head right there. Absolutely.

[Nancy Grace]

Alexis Terescuk joining us there in LA Crime Stories, investigative reporter Alexis what do we know about Neo Langston? What do we know about his relationship with D4VD? What do we know about a potential plea deal going down for either him, Langston or Burke?

[Alexis Terescuk]

What we know about him is Neo Langston is a twitch streamer. So he plays video games online and other people join him and watch him. Super popular, very well known. He and D4VD are best friends. Some people think that he's actually his assistant. So he would help him out with everything, you know, with travel and business and booking. Anything for him. Not his record label, just his personal assistant. They are together all the time. They're constantly together. Photos, videos, appearances, live. He was there by his side for a very long time. The plea deal we are is just coming to light. Perhaps there may be one. The thing is, he has only been charged with failing to appear as a witness, nothing else. And as you remember in court a couple months ago, there was concern that this witness didn't show up. It stopped the grand jury proceedings. D4VD's representative from his record label was saying, well, I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing here. I wasn't the one that was in charge of like, turning him into the police or anything like that. But the prosecutors really wanted to speak to this friend, Langston. He did not show up. They expected him to show up. They were all in court that day. So it took a couple of weeks for the LAPD to get the warrant and have it served in his house in Montana or his mom's house in Montana. There so far has not been any release of a plea deal. And again, he was only brought here just because he failed to Appear as a witness. So the prosecutors want to talk to him. They want to know exactly what he saw when he was in this house. Because he appears to be D4VD's closest friend.

[Nancy Grace]

Well, you know, Alexis Toreshuk, I hear what you're saying, but he can be a witness today and a defendant tomorrow, based on what happens at this juncture. Many times you and I have investigated and covered cases where we start off with one charge, and it morphs into something much more serious. The only thing that makes me believe he will remain a witness is because he was called to testify. And you can't make a target testify.

[Alexis Terescuk]

And the thing is, he has seen so much more with him than Celeste ever was. There's so very few pictures of Celeste. The last one we have is from over a year ago at this point, really almost two years. But he, Neo, and D4VD are together all the time, so he may just have seen something. They just want to talk to him right now. But he refused to come in to the grand jury, fled the state, hid out with his mom. But then the LAPD brought him back.

[Joe Scott Morgan]

They've got a chart at LAPD that.

[Steve Fisher]

You would not believe. They cut this thing down to a timeline that's almost by the minutes, triangulated to the location, if you can believe that. And it's not just one source. When I say triangulated, it's media, social media, cell phone, Tesla, other. And I'll qualify. All I'll say is other kind of GPS tracking devices.

[Nancy Grace]

This from our friends at Two Angry Men, Levin and Garagos.

[Steve Fisher]

You know, we also found the chainsaw.

[Joe Scott Morgan]

What would be the purpose of someone having this? I'm sure the shrubs are lovely.

[Steve Fisher]

They didn't have to do any of their own yard work.

[Nancy Grace]

They did not seize the chainsaw. They did not fingerprint them, they did not luminaul them. I mean, that's bad. Bad police work, right there. A plea deal in the works in the death and disposal of a teen girl, Celeste Rivas. This as the very best friend of D4VD, aka David Anthony Burke, is caught at his mother's house in Helena, Montana, and brought back to lapd, who is Neo Langston.

[Dave Mack]

Neo Langston is not only a close friend of Burke, but is also a popular twitch streamer often referred to as Neo. The Asian Neo is known for his high speed, energetic, streaming Persona and vlogs featuring his buddy Burke.

[Nancy Grace]

You are seeing video now of Neil Langston, Andy4VD, streaming straight out to forensics expert Professor Forensics, Jacksonville State University, author of Blood Beneath My Feet on Amazon and star of a hit podcast, Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan. More important is the fact that he is a death investigator who has investigated over 10,000 death scenes, be they accidental, natural causes, suicide, unexplained or homicide. Tonight, a huge step forward in the investigation. What does, what impact does this have forensically on the case? Now that we know Langston has been brought back to the jurisdiction and will testify in front of the grand jury, what forensically does that mean? What would you be looking for now?

[Joe Scott Morgan]

Okay, this is very critical, and here's why. Just give me a little bit of rope here. Nancy, the idea that all of these people we're talking about, Celeste, who, you know, seems to get lost in the mix here, this child, they're all living at the same address. And when we, as investigators, begin to peer into what has happened, we begin to talk about all of the principles that are involved in this environment. So what points of contact are there relative to her and all of these other subjects in the house? I think that it's critical with Langston because, look, he is at the house. We've heard this over and over and over again very frequently. So you're telling me that suddenly she up and vaporizes and you don't have any questions about, hey, what happened to Celeste? And so if he has knowledge of what happened, if there's any kind of, any kind of talk that happens in this very intimate environment. Well, yeah, we saw her, but now she's not here. Or maybe somebody just makes an off the cuff statement. It's like, well, last time I saw her, she was in the bathroom and then she disappeared. I want to know how many times have they seen her in the past? Was there any kind of trauma that they've ever witnessed that was inflicted upon her? Because I'm going to go to those specific locations and look for any kind of trace elements that are left behind. He is a major thread in this case because he has intimate knowledge of her movements through the house. What space did she occupy when she slept in this house? Is there any. Is it very specific? And also, are there any tools around the house that we weren't aware of at the particular time? Steve's talked extensively about chainsaws and burn cages and all this other stuff, and he said that a lot of stuff had been left behind. I'm curious as to what may have been taken away from there to facilitate, hang on to it, the utility of a dismemberment. Nancy, I want to know what did they have at their disposal and who else was in that house?

[Nancy Grace]

You know, I'm very curious also Jay Scott Morgan. They've brought Neil Langston back to the jurisdiction, rousted him out of his mom's house. They've got to have his fingerprints. So were his fingerprints on any of these items, such as the burn cage, such as the implements used to. Well, you know what I've got, Steve Fisher, the implements that you found there, in addition to a burn cage, which I believe you say gets up to 1600 degrees, you were concerned about other implements, seemingly farm implements that could be used in the dismemberment of a body. Now they've got Neo Langston. I don't think he had a record or any reason to give a fingerprint up until now, but now they have his fingerprints. What do you think they're doing with those prints right now, Steve Fisher?

[Steve Fisher]

Yeah, I suppose they're probably comparing them against probably prints from the, the Tesla from places, you know, in the house. The burn cage wasn't open, but the chainsaw was out of its packaging. There was also, I'll tell you that there was knives. David seemed to have this infatuation with knives. There's a lot of pictures of him with like, I don't know if they're switchblades, but switchblade looking knives. And there was, I'll tell you there was one in, that was on a shelf in a closet in a bowl and that. So I think they'll compare prints against things like that.

[Nancy Grace]

What did you say was in a closet in a bowl?

[Steve Fisher]

There was a, there was a knife. And listen, I will say that I used Blue Star and didn't come back with anything. But there was just, there was a knife, a one they would use for like, you know, filleting and it was just sitting in a bowl on a shelf in a closet with nothing else in it. Nothing else in the closet besides that.

[Nancy Grace]

You know, that leads me to a question to Dr. Cheryl Ehret here is a guy who's basically raised in the lap of luxury. His dad is a digital expert lawyer who is handling the digital evidence for very high profile cases. All right, so why does he pose himself as like straight out of Compton? What's that all about?

[Dr. Cheryl Ehret]

He's a rapper, he's, he's, you know, he is, I think very, has been very popular and understands the culture. And I think that, that he, the way that he was living was consistent with being privileged and also being in that community. And so I don't really see Any discrepancy in that I do have.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, so have you ever been to Compton?

[Dr. Cheryl Ehret]

What I mean is I don't see any discrepancy between him being in rap culture and being privileged. I understand that he wasn't living like he was in Compton.

[Alexis Terescuk]

Of course.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, Joanna Nieves joining us, criminal defense attorney, founder of the Nieves Law Firm. He is assuming the Persona of a badass rapper. Okay. He is a privileged kid whose parents fed him with a silver spoon. What's with that?

[Joanna Nieves]

I mean, I think we can't blame him for his artistic expression. Right? This is exactly that, a Persona. It's attracting fans, it's attracting viewers. It's what gets. It gets paid. But it doesn't necessarily mean that that's who he is at the core and that he can be prosecuted for what he put on display in his concerts or his performances.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, So I don't believe anyone suggested that he's going to be prosecuted for his performances. His performances are great. What I'm saying is he had a completely different Persona than who he actually really is. Okay, you know, to just. Scott Morgan joining us now, that back to where we started here. I took us on a circuitous route back to where we started. Neo Langston was arrested and fingerprinted. We have the prints. Now what do we do?

[Joe Scott Morgan]

I'm going after DNA, hands down. As a matter of fact, anybody that occupied the space, I'm getting a buckle of mucosal swab off of them. And also I would hope that this scene has been thoroughly searched, that it was sampled by law enforcement for any other sources of DNA. And, Nancy, listen to me and listen to me good. I'm going to go here. In this particular case, I'm not just merely talking about touch DNA. I want to know if there's any seminal deposition around this place. I want to know who it links back to. I want to know who was there. Because as far as I'm concerned, Celeste's case, it's got a. It has a flavor to it relative to the way she was treated. She's objectified. She is dismembered. I think that they treated her like she is a play toy. And I want to know, in intimate spaces around that house, bedrooms, sheets, toilets, I don't care where it is. You pursue this as fully as you possibly can. And as my granddaddy used to say, let the hide come with a hair. Whoever's there, we're going to develop a profile on them and they're going to be brought in for questioning. Now, Some of the stuff is going to be very passive. You know, you can have touch DNA. And I think that defense attorneys will argue this. Well, they occupy the space, so you would expect. Fine, but you have to consider the source of the DNA. What is it? Because some things are richer than others. We've got tons of cases out here, Nancy. We're solving them now based upon seminal deposition that took place years and years ago. It all depends on how far the investigators and scientists are willing to go in this particular case.

[Nancy Grace]

Joe Scott, you keep referring to touch DNA and seminal deposition. You're throwing around a lot of highly technical forensic terms. When you say seminal fluid, you mean sperm, which suggests sex activity, what I'm talking about.

[Joe Scott Morgan]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Nancy Grace]

Now, when you're talking about touch DNA, could you explain that as only you can do so well?

[Joe Scott Morgan]

Yeah, I would love to. So, listen, the Jergens has made tons and tons of money right off of dry skin. The reason we have dry skin is that we have dead skin cells that we slough every day. People don't realize this. You slough thousands of these things all of the time. So when you touch a surface, you can actually leave behind a skin cell. And it's not going to be a complete DNA molecule. It's going to be fragmented, but it can be amplified, and you can develop a profile on that. That's where I'm drawing this difference between the sourcing of the DNA. Okay. So, yeah, you would expect somebody that's touching a doorknob, a counter, those sorts of things, or even handling, you know, cookware, knives, cutlery, anything like that. You could find touch DNA in these environments, but it's a completely different animal when you begin to think about bodily fluids. All right, we're at another level at this point, and so we would have questions relative to this. Maybe it means nothing, but, you know, as you know, as an attorney, if you never ask a question, you never get an answer. And so that's going to be up to them to see how thoroughly they've investigated this space and if they can tie this back to anybody that's in there.

[Dr. Cheryl Ehret]

Burke has a very small circle of friends, and even though the friends have not been named publicly, police know where each friend lived. Inside the house rented for Burke, investigators.

[Nancy Grace]

Have triangulated signals of all cell phones.

[Dr. Cheryl Ehret]

Social media, the Tesla, and more for Burke's inner circle.

[Nancy Grace]

Neo Langston is one of those people in the inner circle, having been close.

[Dr. Cheryl Ehret]

To Burke for years, sharing time and space, creating digital content and vlogs.

[Nancy Grace]

We're learning an Indictment looms and it is a homicide indictment. And the home incinerator doesn't show up. They're like, hell, you know, put her in the trunk, back up and punt.

[Steve Fisher]

I don't think these are geniuses by any means.

[Nancy Grace]

Tonight, the last known photo of Celeste Rivas. And what does it prove? It was found by none other than private investigator Steve Fisher. Tell me about the photo and how you were man, how you managed to date it.

[Steve Fisher]

Yeah, so it was, it was a photo that was on the card that we found and the EXIF metadata that's embedded inside the. The photo shows that it was taken January 2nd of 2025 at 5:05pm at Baldwin Hills, the scenic overlook. And this picture is always really hard for me to look at because she just looks so lost and confused and you know, 14 years old and some guy has lured her into this life, away from her family and her school and she just looks sad, you know, and it just, it's really hard for me to look at.

[Nancy Grace]

When you say lost and alone, what do you mean by that? Somebody was with or someone took that thought photo. On whose digicam was it taken?

[Steve Fisher]

Yeah, I just mean lost it alone. Like she's gotten herself in the situation with David. David. Listen, David took this, this, this photo and I don't think she was happy anymore. And you know, I think at the beginning it was probably, oh, there's the celebrity or whatever, but now, now she's been brought into this world. But that poor girl, she just looks like she's just defeated to me.

[Nancy Grace]

This 14 year old girl, dead and dismembered, decomposing in the trunk of David Anthony Burke. That Tesla moved repeatedly to avoid getting towed. Ultimately it was towed and that's the only reason her body was even found. It was in such a state. We believe that no COD can be determined cause of death. Before I go to Jo Scott Morgan on that issue. Steve Fisher, you stated that this photo is believed to be the last known photo taken of celeste in life. January 2, 2025, in the late afternoon, just before dark. Where is the photo taken?

[Steve Fisher]

Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, which is kind of like in the heart of LA here. It's kind of in between Hollywood Hills and lax.

[Nancy Grace]

And you're stating that this was taken on Burke's camera or cell phone?

[Steve Fisher]

You think it was, it was taken on a camera, not a cell phone. He had a, he had a, you know, standalone EOS or camera that was dslr.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, what do we believe? What have we been led to believe, Steve Fisher, about The approximate date of her death.

[Steve Fisher]

So this photo is the last one that we're aware of. LAPD may have more. I just want to make that clear. But January 2, 2025, and I'll tell you it, shortly after that, the behavior of the Tesla, the black Tesla, changes. There's no more photos of it appearing in David's Instagram like it used to. And. And then on February 1st, first a new Tesla is leased. And so I think, you know, I think something could happen in January. I mean, I know investigators have thrown around like April timeline, but I think it could go back as far as January.

[Nancy Grace]

What date? Approximately. Do you believe the Tesla started moving around in the neighborhood and we were misled at the get go. By our own calculations, we were basing time of death, connecting it to when that Tesla started moving around. But that may or may not be true. It may be arbitrary. She may have been dead long before she was put in the car trunk or long before it started moving around the neighborhood. So what's our best guess, our best educated guest about her date of death? Steve Fisher, what do you think?

[Steve Fisher]

I think it goes back to January. And now people note and the security, private security company note that around May is when the Tesla starts moving around. But keep in mind, the temperatures in January, February are really, you know, they're very cool. So she's in that front trunk. I'll tell you that. Neighbors across the street reported to me that they had a dog die in February. And they buried that dog in the backyard. And they were getting this foul odor which is right next to where the Tesla would park. Anytime the temperature would get above like 75 degrees, they thought they didn't bury the dog deep enough. And this dog died February 22nd. So.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, wait, whoa, whoa, wait. Is this going where I think it's going? You're saying that the stench of Celeste decomposing body, this little girl was mistaken for a dead dog that had been buried.

[Steve Fisher]

Well, they were getting this odor in the backyard and they were going to rebury the dog. And then once this all went down, the Tesla disappeared. They didn't have to rebury. The dogs melted away.

[Nancy Grace]

Crime stories with nancy grace. My stars, Jo Scott Moore. This little girl's remains, because of the stench was confused for a dead dog that had been buried. I mean, you know what, Jo Scott? Just when I think I've heard it all and seen it all, something new happens that just drops on my head like a bomb. The thought of people confusing this, the smell of her decomposing body with that of a dog buried in a yard. I mean, do you not see the poignancy of that?

[Joe Scott Morgan]

Yeah, yeah, it certainly is. And again, that goes back to an earlier comment I made about objectification of her remains. Well, of her, I think probably in life, but also her remains, how they're treated. But Nancy, let me drop this on you. I was just thinking about this because. And I want to go chasing rabbits here, but you know, with Rex Heuerman, there's a hearing that's coming up relative to the unidentified Asian male that they have. And you know what they're going to be using to determine postmortem interval in that case, they're going to be taking the microbial life in that individual's remains and trying to do build out a succession. And did you know that there's been a lot of success with this, with decomposing bodies? As a matter of fact, it's more accurate than say, things that we do relative to, you know, rigor mortis, lyra mortis, all these sorts of things. Because you're going into the gut, these microbes that live in there, and we can profile the DNA and you can put a much tighter, tighter timeline utilizing this. I'm wondering if what kind of sampling has been done relative to this because these microbes indwell in within our body and they continue to live even in death. And so you can do succession. It's kind of like entomology, but much more specific. And you couple that with the smells that were emanating, you couple that with a lot of circumstantial information that we're getting relative to when she's last known alive and you begin to kind of tighten down that window. And that's going to be the big thing here because we've got this huge, mysterious gap in time. You know, we've heard things all the way from spring.

[Nancy Grace]

You have put it in DEFCON 4 yet again, put the brakes on it. Nellie. Hold on. When you say microbial lifetime timeline, you are stating that based on the gut microorganisms in her body, in her stomach, they can date the time of her death. Much like here's a good comparison from my layperson point of view, forensic etymology, based on the date and the development of maggots, from being tiny eggs to turning into maggots to turning into full on blowflies, you can tell how long the body's been here. That's how I compare a microbial timeline. Would you say that's an accurate comparison?

[Joe Scott Morgan]

Yeah, it's accurate, but this is that's an accurate comparison, but what I'm talking about is much more specific. Now, I'm not saying that they could utilize this to bring it down to the very minute that this happened, but with this succession that takes place in the microbial life.

[Nancy Grace]

Got it. Which leads me to the next point. The next point is, take a look at this concert video. If Steve Fisher and Joe Scott Morgan are correct, did D4BD's camp go so far as to plant a Celeste look alike at concerts and in public to throw everyone off the trail to obscure the fact that Celeste was dead? From clips of David about to give out free sister tickets to a high school.

[Joe Scott Morgan]

Kids in suit.

[Nancy Grace]

Super smart.

[Steve Fisher]

Apparently the past five schools been like.

[Nancy Grace]

These artsy schools that got like super cool electives and whatnot.

[Joe Scott Morgan]

That's my fans like this.

[Alexis Terescuk]

They start fighting the police.

[Dave Mack]

Burke on video loitering around high schools without permission, trying to get attention of high school students who saw posts on social media that Burke would be around the school giving out SZA tickets as part of a scavenger hunt. In light of the death of Celeste Burke, having unfettered access to underage girls without permission from the school is shocking.

[Nancy Grace]

Why is David Anthony Burke an adult, hanging around with unfettered access to high school girls and boys? Isn't that where Celeste was before she got plucked out and ended up living with Burke and all of his cohorts in his mansion? This is from the David Gaming. This is from David Gaming. YouTube. Alexis Trustu. What is he doing at high schools without any chaperone? Nothing.

[Alexis Terescuk]

What he's trying to do is get attention for himself. And to cause an online viral stir, he's handing out concert tickets. He's putting up social media posts saying, hey, I'm outside this school in Philadelphia. Come out. I'll give you guys tickets. It's part of a scavenger hunt. It's really just trying to bring.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, hold on, hold on.

[Joanna Nieves]

Hold.

[Nancy Grace]

Alexis. Yes, yes, I know that much. I just heard that. I'm saying he's not an adult. Let me rephrase my question, you, Honor. How did he get authority to go on a high school premises unchaperoned with all of these teens? I mean, he doesn't. Does not that. Does that not give me a window into him? What about it, Dr. Ehret?

[Dr. Cheryl Ehret]

Well, the thing that keeps striking me is that Celeste was probably not even old enough to be going to that high school. Nancy. She was like 13 and just turned 14 when she was living in his house. And I think when we Think about somebody that young and that vulnerable who was surrounded by adults who were potentially exploiting her and something so awful happened to her. I can understand us being nervous about somebody who may be a person of interest or a suspect being around high school kids. I think there's a lot of investigation that needs to happen to figure out what exactly was his relationship with Celeste. There was that Discord video at one point where. Where he says something about, I'm media trained, you, and that's controversial. And then she said something about as controversial as raping kids and laughs in this, like, wildly inappropriate way. And it really. It just begs the question, what exactly was going on?

[Nancy Grace]

Hey, look at this, Dr. Ehret. This is Burke hanging out by a school without permission. He's handing out merch, talking, and he almost gets maced. And this is in Baltimore. You know, I'm looking Steve Fisher, and I don't see any teachers or security anywhere. What the hey?

[Steve Fisher]

Yeah, but what you do see, that's his manager behind him on the left, who's co signing this, too, which is unbelievable that Morgan Rath is. Is wrapped up in this, too.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, Dave Mack, crime Stories, investigative reporter. Can you say similar transaction to back.

[Dave Mack]

Up very quickly the videos that show him outside the high schools? It was like some kind of a grassroots marketing thing that they planned and purposely avoided telling the schools or seeking permission or anything. I don't know what the police are actually waiting for. Nancy, you would know much more about that than I would, but at some point in time, somebody's got to lay.

[Nancy Grace]

The hammer down, guys, if you know or think you know anything about this case, however inconsequential you think it may be, please dial 213-486-6890. We remember an American hero, Officer Donald Sahota, Vancouver PD, shot in the line of duty, leaving behind a grieving wife and two children without dad. American hero Officer Donald Sahota. Nancy Gray, signing off. Goodbye, friend. This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.