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This is an I Heart podcast.
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It starts like any other night. The glass of red, the cozy blanket, then the drop. The stain so dark, so stubborn, it might as well have been a crime scene. But this isn't your average couch. This is Anna Bay. Fully washable, unspeakably comfortable and ready for whatever your life, your kids or your ex throws at it. And here's the kicker. Starting at just $6.99, you can make sure your sofa isn't part of the problem. Fully washable, stain resistant, and built to hide even the darkest defenses. Right now get up to 60% off because no one should have to live with a stain that won't quit. Annabe the only mystery you won't be losing sleepover shop washablesofas.com today that's washablesofas.com.
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With diabetes, everyday decisions feel like a mystery without a solution. But with Dexcom G7, the most accurate CGM system, you can quickly and easily see your glucose in real time on your phone, helping you make confident decisions that keep your glucose levels in range and lower your A1C which can help protect your long term health. Dexcom G7 gives you the knowledge to better control diabetes today for healthier tomorrows. Start your healthier tomorrow@dexcom.com knowledge data on file. For full prescribing information on risks, benefits and compatible smart devices, visit Dexcom.com now streaming on Paramount Plus Hunted by hackers, stalked by assassins and wanted by international police, Tony and Ziva are on the run and getting some action. Car chases, surprise weddings, killer drones, undercover ops, robot dogs, daring heists, prison breaks. Nothing will keep this couple from taking down an international conspiracy and clearing their names. Good thing espionage is their love language. Get ready for the ultimate romantic escape with the premiere of NCIS Tony and Ziva now streaming on Paramount. Plus Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. The singer David Anthony Burke, known as David. It looks like D4VD has fled his $20,000 a month home breaking a very expensive lease. Why? Why run out and flee your home in the middle of the night? Are you concerned about what forensic evidence is found in the home or does it hold bad memories? This is a blood soaked video emerges after a teen girl just 13 years old. When she goes missing, Celeste is found dead in the trunk of his Tesla lapd. Why no arrest? I'm Nancy Grace, this is Crime Stories. I want to thank you for being with us. You could smell the trunk as you approached the Tesla. How could somebody put a then 13 year old little girl in a trunk and leave the car there for weeks on end. An integral part of any homicide investigation is a timeline. It's critical. Based on a timeline, you can alibi people, you can un alibi other people that you're looking at as a suspect. It changes everything. And in the last hours, a video has emerged potentially placing this little girl, just 13 years old when she goes missing at David D4VD concert in Maryland on August 24th. Significance very quickly, Dave Mack joining me, Crime Stories investigative reporter Dave Mack. When was Celeste's body found in David Burke's Tesla trunk?
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She was found on September 8th.
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And it had been sitting out on the street in posh Hollywood Hills for weeks that we know of. So that gives me a timeline. That's what I'm getting at. And this will be very significant when we have Dr. Kendall crowns, renowned medical examiner, explain the degree of decomp in this little girl's body. So if she is alive, if this is in fact her in the video August 24th. And then we've got September 7th. That gives me a timeline. Let's take a look at the video right now. This video has been circulating. Video from ClipsofDavid on TikTok now isn't it true? Melissa McCarty Joining me, investigative reporter, host of the Killer Jeans podcast, author of the Making of a Crime Reporter. Melissa, thank you for being with us. Isn't it true that Celeste's body was found in a black tube top and ripped jeans? Isn't that true, Melissa?
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She was about 75 miles away from where she was living with her family in Lake Elsinore in the Hollywood Hills.
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Now, I'm going to come back to you on that, Melissa, because I don't think she was living with her family anymore. She was at one time and then she goes missing. And according to neighbors that we have heard about tonight, she had been living with this grown man, David Anthony Burke, AKA David, for a long time. So some sources date her relationship back to her age 11. Did you see that picture of her as a little girl? Yeah. Age 11, we can establish age 13. You are seeing video from clipsofdavid on TikTok. I want to see that again because now we are learning. We are learning. Moses Castillo joining me, former supervisor, detective, lapd, private investigator for the d' Ordealian Law group. Castillo, look at this. People are saying, no, that's not her. So it's a woman that a young girl that looks just like her that is wearing her clothes, that is in a balcony reserved for special guests and family. Aunt Moses Castillo, oh, by the way this is from clipsofdavid on TikTok Moses, same clothes. People are saying, oh, wait, I don't think that's her. Sure looks like her. Who should I believe, them or my lying eyes?
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Yes, I believe it is her. And I believe many people also believe it's her. I've been getting several DMs on my social media with that same video saying, oh my gosh, he killed her in August.
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Guys, this is from a Silver springs, Maryland concert, August 24th. And if true, these photos create a timeline from August 24th until her decomposing body is found in Burke artist known as David Tesla in an impound lot on September 8th. It's reported the Tesla was parked on the street for about a month before being reported abandoned. There is, I assume that is the front of the tow lot. It was reported abandoned September 3rd. Now, we now have a timeline from August 24th to September 3rd. Not when the body was discovered in the parking in the tow lot, but when it was reported abandoned. The body was already in there. We have now narrowed the timeline down from August 24th to September 3rd. Joining me right now is a renowned medical examiner, and when I say that, I mean it. I go to Dr. Kendall Crowns repeatedly on and off air with questions. Why? Because he has performed over 10,000 autopsies. I'm talking accident, natural causes, suicide, homicide, and of course, undetermined deaths. He has autopsied infants, the elderly, bizarre deaths, and found the answer from inside his morgue. He is the host a hit podcast, Mayhem in the Morgue, and he is a chief medical examiner in Tarrant county, that's Fort Worth. And esteemed lecturer at the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU. Dr. Crowns, what does this mean to you? The fact that we have a narrow timeline. August 24 to September 3. Her body was an advanced state of decomposure. I don't even know if we're going to get a COD Cause of death.
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Well, with individuals that have been placed in trunks or have been murdered and then not found for a period of time, especially in a warm environment, you can have a significant amount of decomposition occur where the body begins to bloat or fill up with gases, it turns a discoloration of a green discoloration and almost gets a black color. At some points, the skin starts to slip off. And this can obscure injuries, but it won't completely obscure gunshot wounds and knife wounds. It can actually make strangulations hard to detect. But all in all, you can still.
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Dr. Kendall, Krause, can you See your monitor as you're just tripping is the word just tripping off your tongue. You see who we're talking about? That little girl. You're talking about her body turning green and then black and white. How? I don't know how you do that. How you just look at this gorgeous little girl, just 13 at the time she goes missing and talking about her skin turning green. Okay, that's for you and your shrink to figure out. How are we going to get a COD on this little girl?
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Well, by doing a complete autopsy, they'll be able to evaluate the body for injuries and any fractures or anything of that nature. You can look at the neck structures, looking at the hyoid bone, which is a bone in the neck, looking for fractures, things of that nature. You can look at the skeletal system, looking for fractures of bone. You can still see the skin surface even though they're decomposing. And you can see injuries that look like gunshot wounds or stabbings. The only problem is, when the body is decomposing, if you get insect activity, insects can alter how injuries will look, and they can also create their own burrowing into the body that can look like injuries themselves. So you're going to want to look for blood.
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Okay, stop right there, please. You are now talking about a very, very advanced technology, and it is forensic entomology, where the age of, for instance, a blowfly, a maggot. The age of the maggot can determine how long the body has been dead, because maggots or blowflies appear at a certain point in decomposition. So if they're one day old, two days old, three days old, if they have already laid their own eggs, that can give you a date of death. Did I enunciate that correctly?
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Yes. The life cycle of a blowfly can be helpful in trying to help pinpoint the time frame in which this individual died. Although the life cycle can be altered by things like cocaine, which can speed up the life cycle. So you have to take into effect the environmental conditions around it when you're making those determinations on how long that individual's been dead.
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Many listeners and viewers have asked, how can a blowfly get into a sealed trunk? And as you know, with the Tesla, it's a frunk. The trunk is in the front. But they somehow managed to get in spaces that seem to be hermetically sealed. I don't know how they do it, but they do get in. And their existence can help you pinpoint a time of death. Now, I'd like to draw the attention of our Veteran trial lawyer Troy Slayton to a video I'm about to play. So Slayton, out of this jurisdiction, L.A. criminal Defense Attorney at Slayton lawyers, let's roll the video, please. Take a look. Troy Slayton. Oh, who's that? Oh, it's the artist known as David. What's he doing? Oh, he's putting a dead, bloody body into a car trunk. Let's just let that soak in for a moment. Okay? Troy Slayton joining me, guys. This is from David YouTube. That's not helping any potential defense.
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So we're going to prosecute people now because of their art? We're going to prosecute people because of music videos that were heavily produced and edited and created by a team of creative experts? I don't think so, Nancy. He also had a casket on stage sometimes when he would perform. So just because he was obsessed with these morbid themes, that doesn't mean that he's a murderer.
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I don't think that's really helping anything that you bring up. He had a Cassidy. Wouldn't be the perfect thing.
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Wouldn't it be the perfect thing for somebody who wanted to frame him?
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I'm totally not hiring you anymore. When I murder someone, if you're gonna bring up that I've been obsessing on a casket and then I commit a murder. No, no, no, no, no, no. Slayton, Freedom of art.
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He's obsessed with this animation.
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Now let's see the video again. It's not just that he may be obsessed with death. Here's an MO. You know what that is, right? Modus operandi, method of debt, method of operation. Can I see the video? This is not a casket. This is him dragging a body, as you say, for art's sake, and putting it in a trunk. A dead body, a bloody dead body in a truck. That's the method of operation here.
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There's all sorts of other imagery that's going on here. And this is a person, an artist, who's obsessed with Japanese anime, which glorifies certain death and alter egos. He talked about having an alter ego that was obsessed with death. And so I don't think that somebody's music video.
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Well, you know what? That's really interesting that you would say that, because you remember the name Oriental JJ. Simpson, right? OJ Simpson. He talked about sports on TV, but he also had a premonition that he murdered his wife Nicole, and he did.
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Oh, you mean the book.
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If I did it, Trust me, if you did it, I am not making a cameo appearance as a defense attorney. Just know that. And while you chalk this up to freedom of expression and first amendment. You know what? Just stop that. Dr. Angela Arnold is psychiatrist who has been voted to the top of all sorts of accolades. She's an Angela Arnold, MD, and former professor psychiatry at Emory University, former medical director at psychiatric clinic at Grady Memorial, which is known for its high traffic. Dr. Angie, thank you for being with us. Yes, Troy Slayton, I knew he was going to fall back on the First Amendment there, but I want you to look again at your monitor and tell me who creates that. I mean, think about Picasso. Remember how he treated women in his life? Like crap. And I'm putting that very mildly. And his art showed them dissected and in cubes and their bodies all ripped apart and very ugly, like their tongues hanging out and their eyes one over here and one over here. Yes, that was freedom of expression, too. And he also hated women. So help me out with this video. I'm not saying this is state's exhibit number one. I think we're going to have hard evidence if this ever goes to trial as to who murdered this little girl. But I want you to analyze this video.
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So, Nancy, the control and domination that can be shown in this are signs for the musician of hyper masculinity. So that is what we're seeing in his performance. That is what he is enacting. He is enacting the thoughts in his head that give him hyper masculinity.
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I'm not really sure how you're equating depicting murder and hiding the. The body in a car trunk with masculinity, but again, that's for a shrink.
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To figure out what it's for, because these are signs of control and dominance. What more control could you have over someone than wrapping a body up and putting it in the trunk of a car? To me, that is the sign of ultimate control.
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Actually, Troy Slayton does have a good point. The video in itself proves nothing, and it can be argued it's just his art. So let's talk about hard evidence. I want to see the picture that some say is not Celeste, who happens to be, According to Melissa McCarty joining us, Star of Killer Jeans podcast. Some are saying that's not her. So I guess it's somebody wearing her tube top, her jeans with similar hair. Can I see the video? I don't know how to act it out for you. With the same hairstyle, the same mannerisms, and sitting in the box reserved for friends and family. This clip From David on TikTok.
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Photos circulating alleging Celeste Was with David at his concert in stage Silver springs, Maryland on August 24th. If true, these photos create a timeline from August 24th until her dismembered decomposing body is found in David's Tesla in an impound lot on September 8th. It's reported the Tesla was parked on the street for a month before it was reported abandoned on September 3rd and towed on September 5th.
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Hey, wait, wait.
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Oh, look it.
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Answer that one.
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That's so mean. If you don't answer. 13 year old girlfriend is found disappointed dismembered and decomposing in your Tesla. Neighbors complained about a foul odor coming from the Tesla. Neighbors now reporting that Celeste Rivas had been living with the artist known as David. It looks like D4VD for a long time. So how old was she when she moved in with him? And what interest would he have in a little girl? Curious. That video we just showed you, is him with her? That's her in life. She's dead. Found decomposing in his Tesla trunk. I want to show you another video that we dug up. Take a look at this. The words, I got time to kill, you got time to fill. We got blood to spill all over the new car seats that I'm sleeping on. Okay, let that sink in just for a moment. You got time to feel. We got blood to spill all over the new car seats that I'm sleeping on. She's dead. I'm curious. Straight out to Tammy Ballard. Joining us, DNA crime scene consultant, crime scene investigation and reconstruction. Former DNA criminalist in the San Diego PD crime lab. Never a lack of business there, Tammy Ballard. Thank you for being with us. Explain to me. I know all the focus is on the trunk of that car where her body was not only decomposing, but dismembered. Tell me there's not going to be a tertiary crime scene such as where her body was dismembered. That said, all the focus is on the trunk. What about the rest of the car? What about the seats of the car? He sings about blood on the car seats. How do you process a scene like this? How long will it take? Tammy Ballard.
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The rest of the vehicle is fair game. You are going to need to be looking up and you're going to need to be looking under. You always want to see what's on the ceiling of the vehicle. You want to see what has wicked through possible seats. Because a lot of the cleaning that gets done doesn't actually get rid of any of the blood if this truly is the crime scene. So a lot of the Issues are going to be where do we find the blood? And making sure you don't miss the blood. So literally pulling those seats out, cutting through that material and making sure that there is not blood saturated through onto that foam, which is definitely some of my cases.
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It starts like any other night. The glass of red, the cozy blanket, then the drop. The stain so dark, so stubborn, it might as well have been a crime scene. But this isn't your average couch. This is Anna Bay. Fully washable, unspeakably comfortable, and ready for whatever your life, your kids or your ex throws at it. And here's the kicker. Starting at just $6.99, you can make sure your sofa isn't part of the problem. Fully washable, stain resistant, and built to hide even the darkest defenses. Right now, get up to 60% off because no one should have to live with a stain that won't quit. Annabe the only mystery you won't be losing sleep over shop. Washablesofas.com today, that's washablesofas.com.
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Crime stories with Nancy Grace. Tammy Ballard. You just brought up a really interesting point, and I hope LAPD criminologists are hearing what you're saying. It's reminding me of the murder of a little boy. And when you look in his room, you don't see anything. You see no evidence of a crime at all. When criminologists ripped up the carpet, on that carpet liner that goes under your carpet, between the cement or the hardwood floor and the actual carpet, there's, there's a mat, there's like a filler right there. It was soaked, soaked with the little boy's blood, but you couldn't see it. So you're saying, Timmy Ballard, which many people have not discussed this, you're saying the seats have to be ripped open to see if blood has soaked down into the foam under the car seat cover. Is that what you're saying?
J
Exactly. And I have worked those carpets from residents as well. That Elizabeth Sullivan case in San Diego is a big one. It actually had saturation stains all the way through to the wood subflo. And that's because you have that wicking material just like you would have in the foam seating of a vehicle. And if you try to clean that, say, with a carpet cleaner or some sort of cleaning agent on top of a car seat, that doesn't necessarily get rid of that blood. And usually, sad to say, with a case like this, there's probably going to be a lot of blood. They're going to assume that They've been able to clean that up if they were still using the vehicle or the residence. But you can't get rid of it once it gets through that surface. So hoping that they a very thorough job and just absolutely tear that vehicle apart and tear his residents apart.
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Tammy Ballard, I assume that you've seen your car get its oil change right at an oil change station, not you sliding under it in your garage, but where they jack it up and then they go under it and work or repairing. That's what has to be done here. We just investigated the case of missing mom Nikki Chang and her bloody sheets were found in the trunk of her truck. But when the car was jacked up and they looked under it, blood in mass quantity had leaked down into the underworkings of the car. Changing oil, not a good example. You don't need to necessarily get under the car for that car repair. They're going to have to jack this car up to see if blood has soaked down. How does that work?
J
They're going to have to put it up on. They have. Should have the equipment available, especially with la, to put those up on jacks where you can actually get a very thorough analysis of under the vehicle. But I would. The undercarriage in the vehicle. But I would also stress that this is probably, probably if it's the crime scene, the primary crime scene, it's going to be most likely contained within that vehicle with all of those materials that can actually soak up blood. I've had a case where a woman was stabbed 91 times in the passenger seat. Very, very thorough cleaning by the perpetrator. But you're obviously going to miss something. Good thing is that most people can't effectively clean up a crime scene to absolutely get rid of everything. So I would be willing to bet there's some decent evidence within that view.
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This one, Tammy Ballard I think that's quite the understatement because the killer left the body in the trunk. I don't think there was an extensive cleanup at all. And curious. Before I move on to the next topic, Tammy Ballard just said you have to look up and down. Down would be cutting open the seats and looking at the foam under the seat cover and the undercarriage of the car. But up. You said you have to look at the top of the car and the dome, explain why. And you're right, of course.
J
I think most people forget. I shouldn't say most people forget. I would hope that most people would in this field would remember to always look up. You need to look at the Ceiling of that vehicle. If that's where that crime scene occ, you need to look behind the mirrors, everything, just to see if there is any potential blood spatter evidence that's present that could easily get overlooked if you're not very, very thorough. And looking at the entirety of the inside of that vehicle, we learned that.
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Overnight the musician known as David flees his three plus million dollar mansion. He was paying $20,000 a month and breaks a lease. So getting out of that mansion was more important to him than losing a lot of money.
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Burke was living in a home leased by his manager, Josh Marshall. But since police served a search warrant looking for blood at the residence, the singer decided not to live in the $20,000 a month home. The owner, Mladen Trifunovic, says Marshall signed the lease in February and he didn't know Burke was living in the house. After the raid. Trifunovic says they didn' want to live there anymore and are breaking the lease. The home was previously owned by Halle Berry.
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You're not seeing a really good shot of it. The beautiful side of the front. Oh, by the way, these shots are from our friend Harvey Levin over at tmz. Take a look at this. So he leaves and breaks a lease, coincidentally. Melissa McCarty joining us, investigative reporter and host of Killer Jeans podcast. He breaks the lease to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars. He may have had to pay out the lease. I don't know how many years, it was 20,000amonth for how long, how many months, how many years. He breaks the lease and flees in the middle of the night. Tell me about the search of that mansion that just went down, the mansion that once belonged to Halle Berry.
D
Well, police officers are looking for anything to help build a case at point this. So they're looking for traces of blood throughout the property. They're also collecting all kinds of electronics because they also a huge issue here. They need to prove the extent of this relationship that he had with this child. You know, so they're looking at communications when they met, what age was she, when they connected. So anything that could help them build a physical and digital forensic pathway, you.
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Know, Very curious to Moses Castillo joining us, former LAPD detective, supervising detective. How do you go about placing the time she started living there? According to neighbors, it was a long time ago. She went missing at age 13. Some allegations the relationship started much longer than before she was 13. Much longer before, yeah.
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One of the things they'll do is they're going to analyze all the digital evidence. Cell phone records, cell Site locations, any interviews with people close to. To the family, close to her friends, interviewing students from her classroom. All those are going to be very important to conduct in a very thorough manner.
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Troy Slayton joining us, veteran defense attorney out of this jurisdiction. LA Troy. I guess you're going to tell me that it means nothing that he fled the home they shared. So I guess he never thought she was going to walk back in the front door.
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Well, you said that he broke his lease. I think that the reporting is that his manager actually is the one who signed the lease, is the one who is legally responsible for the $20,000 a month lease payment. It was not the artist known as David. And I would think that after the police conduct a raid at a home and remove all types of evidence, I wouldn't want to be there either. So I think that seems perfectly reasonable.
A
So you don't think there's any chance that Celeste was actually killed there? By the way, this video from our friends at Fox 11.
G
Oh, she certainly. She certainly could have been. And I think that there's a lot of video. Look, we live in the digital age where everyone has a ring camera. Everyone in that neighborhood has advanced security systems and cctv. The police are going to be combing through everything. If a body was dragged out of that house, we're going to eventually have video of it. Either video from the house security footage itself or by a neighbor or by the Tesla, which also has about six cameras all around it that are recording at various times in the night.
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The musician known as David, it looks like D4VD flees his home, his mansion in upscale Hollywood Hill, after it was searched and processed for fingerprints and blood. His little girlfriend, who took up with him, that we know of around 13 years old, has been found dead in his Tesla trunk tonight. No arrest. This brings to mind another little girl whose case I investigated. Her name was Miranda Corset. Now, here is home video. It's surveillance video of Miranda. There. She's to the right. She's walking around in the alleged killer's front yard. And then we see her walking back into the home. This little teen girl was tortured, brutalized, and murdered. She was seen by neighbors in the home, completely naked, crying in the corner. Now, Miranda Corset is seen walking into the home, but not much after that. She is seen being carried out of the home and placed in the killer's car trunk. Keep watching. It's like he doesn't even care if the neighbors are watching, much less their security cams going the whole time. Yeah, he puts Little Miranda in the trunk, slams it shut and then wipes his hand like, okay, task accomplished. My only question is, is video going to emerge in the current case of a little teen girl found dead in a trunk? I'm referring of course to Celeste Rivas joining me and all star panel to make sense of what we are learning. And I'd like to see now the photos taken by tmz, our friend Harvey Levin that show the outside of the home. As you see, the red arrows are pointing at what we believe to be see home video. Take a listen to this.
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Police are scouring the area around the home where the Tesla with the dismembered and decomposing body in the trunk was parked before being towed. And they are looking for video. The rental home has security cameras positioned at all entry points in the backyard and on the street so people can't go in or out of the house without being recorded.
A
Straight out to Moses Castillo joining us, former supervising detective, lapd. I want to hear your take on that, what you would make of it if any of that video had been deleted. If that's true and how that video, especially if it's up in the cloud, how is that video recaptured and used?
E
Yes, Nancy, what they're going to do is very thorough search of this location from top to bottom. And information I have is that the prosecution team is already on board with the elite team of detectives at Robbery Homicide Division. So that tells me that they're being very.
A
Slow down, slow down, slow down the train. Because my follow up question to you is going to be why is this being investigated by robbery at lapd? This is not about a robbery. This is about a homicide. But you're telling me an assistant district attorney has already been assigned to the case?
E
Yes. Robbery Homicide Division is the elite team of detectives that investigate not only robberies, but homicides as well, especially those complex murder investigations. And I have information that an assigned prosecutor is already on board with this team of detectives. And that's awesome because they get to see things real time, not playing catch up at a later time.
A
I want to talk to you about the fact that you're saying LAPD Robbery Homicide. Much has been made online that LAPD Robbery is investigating the case. But you're saying it's one of the same Robbery Homicide?
E
Yes, it's actually named Robbery Homicide Division is the name of the division. It's a specialized unit that the best of the best of detectives are assigned to this unit and they investigate the.
A
Most common good to know. Because Castillo, I want to just Put out that fire right now for our online sleuths. Don't stop sleuthing, keep sleuthing. But let me take you all that particular avenue of inquiry. So Moses, you're saying that all of this cam video is being amassed and if this girl was carried out or walked out of that mansion at any time leading up to the discovery of her in the musician known as Davis Tesla trunk, we're going to get it. And that includes next door neighbors, neighbors across the street, street, you name it. And think about this Castillo. What about cam video of who was moving that car from place to place to place in Hollywood Hills and who put it there to start with? Because whoever did that is somebody I want to talk to. Castillo.
E
Absolutely. And you know what? The Tesla's record video all the time. So I'm sure they're going to look at that as well. And yes, every bit of digital evidence will be examined and thoroughly investigated by these detectives who are dedicated to uncover the truth, ultimately getting justice for Celeste.
B
It starts like any other night. The glass of red, the cozy blanket. Then the drop. The stain so dark, so stubborn, it might as well have been a crime scene. But this isn't your average couch. This is Annabe. Fully washable, unspeakably comfortable and ready for whatever your life, your kids or your ex throws at it. And here's the kicker. Starting at just 6:99, you can make sure your sofa isn't part of the problem. Fully washable, stain resistant and built to hide even the darkest defenses. Right now get up to 60% off because no one should have to live with a stain that won't quit. Anna Bay. The only mystery you won't be losing sleep over shop washablesofas.com today that's washablesofas.com.
A
Crime stories with Nancy Grace. Another issue, Mrs. Castillo. Our online sleuths have been working 247 on this and they were concerned this had not been sent to homicide because there was not a COD or any evidence that Celeste had been murdered. Let me throw that to Dr. Kendall Crown. So what would be the alternative? That she crawls into the trunk and has a heart attack? Of course she was murdered.
F
Yes. I mean nobody's going to go into a trunk and then shut themselves in willingly that it's obviously a homicide. We just have to figure out what. And I think there is some mention that I've seen that she was possibly dismembered, which is obviously not something that would occur naturally.
A
And another thing, Dr. Kendall Crown. Speaking of partial dismemberment of this little girl. I gotta follow up with a shrink that. But Dr. Kendall. Crowns. You can tell so much from the tool markings on the body when someone has been dismembered. And since a body is dismembered with, of course, some sort of cutting utensil like a knife, does that lead you to believe her COD may have been stabbing? Or statistically, it would be some sort of strangulation or asphyxiation. Explain.
F
That's correct. More likely than not, it's a strangulation followed up by them cutting her up.
A
Is there any way that. Normal decomp, which of course is not normal to decompose in a car trunk. So right off the bat, that question is a non sequitur. Does not follow. But can normal decomposition in any way resemble partial dismemberment?
F
Well, if you get, like, animal scavenging involved, yes. The limbs can be pulled away from the body by animals, but usually in normal decomposition, which an individual is.
A
Animals have nothing to do with this. Can we stick to the facts, please, Dr. Crown stuff?
F
Certainly. So she's laying in a trunk where animals can't get to her. Your limbs are not going to look like they've been dismembered. If you get to the point of skeletonization, yes, your bones will fall apart, but you won't look like you've been dismembered.
A
There is a clear difference. When a body decomposes naturally as opposed to when the body has been dismembered, you see tool marks or you see see bones out of place. There's nothing close to there. They don't fit together. One will not be mistaken for the other. Is that fair to say?
F
Yes, that is fair to say.
C
Now comes the story of 2 Celeste. A video called 2 Celeste is gaining attention after being shared on X by Josh R. Post with a caption that reads, quote, david, why are there two Celeste? The clip features the user claiming Celeste has two faces, one being a Celeste Rivas Hernandez and another Celeste Herrera, who interacts with Burke on social media. The claim is that Burke was obsessed with Celeste and something terrible happened and he can't be with her, so he's trying to replace her with a lookalike.
A
To Melissa McCarty, investigative reporter, host of Killer Jeans podcast, and author of the Making of a Crime Reporter. Again, Melissa. Melissa, thanks for being with us tonight. What can you tell me about the existence of two Celestes?
D
This is fascinating. And again, one of those Internet sleuthing phenomenons that I've researched that the LAPD I'M sure is trying to track down. You have an older adult version, Celeste, and then you have the minor, Celeste Hernandez. But the most important information is we have one that was found dead in the trunk of his vehicle, and another you really have to investigate the extent of the relationship. Did he actually know both of them? Was he intimate with either of them? How did he know these two? And who is this other person? What does she have to do with the other?
A
Well, from what we've been told, Celeste Herrera, the 23 year old, interacts extensively with David on social media. I'm referring to David Anthony Burke. The claim is that. And this would have to go to Dr. Angela Arnold, renowned psychiatrist joining us. The claim is that Burke was obsessed with teen girl Celeste and that as soon as she was gone, he's trying to replace her with a look alike. Now, is that hard evidence? No, it's not. I'm sure Slayton's doing a backflip right now, but what do you make of that? That a Celeste lookalike is his online protege.
H
As you can see, with these two young girls, there's a pattern in how they appear. I have a feeling that the younger girl, the younger Celeste, was much easier for him to control. He's now found someone that appears to look much like her. And we don't know what his motives are. His motives are. His motives could be directly what we're doing here. When did these two girls, you know.
A
Another issue, Dr. Angie. We don't even know the extent of their relationship. For all I know, it's just an online relationship where she interacts online. But we're finding out. I want to look at the leaked lyrics of Burke's song. Celeste, oh, Celeste the girl with my name tattooed on her chest Smell her on my clothes like cigarettes I hear her voice each time I take a breath I'm obsessed oh, Celeste now remember 13 at the time they started their relationship. Oh, Celeste Afraid you'll only love me when undressed. But you look so, so damn gorgeous in that dress. Missing you so much makes me depressed. But I digress. Because I love you so much. Okay. Troy Slayton. Yeah. He's not obsessed, is he?
G
Again, this is art, Nancy. You can't convict somebody based on art. And we keep mentioning that she was 13. Now, I know that this is not a legal defense, and it wouldn't provide a legal defense in court, but how do we know what age she said that she was? There's been some reporting that she had some fake IDs. I don't know of anyone that's ever dated somebody.
A
Oh, it's her fault.
G
I'm not saying that.
A
Those fake IDs when she was murdered and put in that trunk.
G
Not saying that at all.
A
If it's not a legal defense, why are you even even saying it?
G
Because we're talking about.
A
With the claim that you think she might have had a fake id, Not Nancy.
G
But what I am saying is he didn't necessarily know that she was underage this whole time. She was a runaway. He didn't necessarily know she was living with their family or that she was missing. We don't know that he knew any of this. You were bringing up modus operandi.
A
You were bringing up. That doesn't matter. Every statutory rapist I've ever met said I thought she was 18. Yeah, how is this any different?
G
We've all heard that, Nancy, of course. But what I'm saying is this just goes to his potential state of mind, and that's why it's important.
A
Okay. Okay. Important to you, not to me. She's dead. And I want to know who did it. And I want to remind everyone that the musician known as David. His real name is David Anthony Burke, is innocent. He stands innocent tonight. He will not be guilty unless he has been charged and proven guilty in a court of law by a jury of his peers. If you know or think you know anything about the disappearance and death of this little girl, Celeste, please dial 213-486-6890. You can remain anonymous. 213-486-6890. And now we remember an American hero, firefighter. Paramedic. Stephen Scott, Houston PD Killed in the line of duty. Served Ellie, 30 years. Survived by grieving wife and three children. American hero, firefighter, paramedic Steven Scott, Nancy Grace, signing off. Goodbye, friend.
B
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A
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Episode: SINGER D4VD FLEES $20K/MONTH HOME, ‘BLOOD-SOAKED’ VIDEO AFTER TEEN GIRL DEAD IN HIS TESLA
Date: September 25, 2025
Host: Nancy Grace
Podcast by: iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline
Nancy Grace investigates the tragic and shocking case of singer David Anthony Burke (“D4VD”), whose 13-year-old girlfriend, Celeste Rivas, was found murdered and decomposing in the trunk of his Tesla in Hollywood Hills. As rumors swirl, a “blood-soaked” music video emerges, and D4VD flees his $20,000/month mansion. The episode dives deep into the investigation, the evidence, potential timelines, legal implications, and the psychology at play.
“An integral part of any homicide investigation is a timeline. It’s critical.”
— Nancy Grace [02:41]
“With individuals that... have been murdered and then not found for a period of time... you can have a significant amount of decomposition occur where the body begins to bloat ...almost gets a black color.”
— Dr. Kendall Crowns [09:26]
“Literally pulling those seats out, cutting through that material and making sure that there is not blood saturated through onto that foam…”
— Tammy Ballard [21:57]
“After the raid... they didn’t want to live there anymore and are breaking the lease.”
— Dave Mack [29:15]
“We got blood to spill all over the new car seats that I’m sleeping on.”
— Nancy Grace reading Burke’s lyrics [20:32]
Direct, investigative, relentless, and occasionally confrontational, Nancy Grace delivers with her characteristic fervor—asking tough questions, challenging legal defenses, and driving the urgency of finding justice for Celeste. The expert panel provides analytic, sometimes clinical, insights, balancing Grace’s emotional approach with detailed professional experience.
This episode provides a comprehensive, real-time look at a disturbing Hollywood true crime, explaining not just what happened but how investigators unravel the truth using forensics, digital evidence, and expert analysis. It highlights the dangers of predatory relationships, the dark intersections of art and life, and the persistent need for vigilance and public assistance in seeking justice.
If you have any information about Celeste Rivas’s case, please contact LAPD at 213-486-6890. Tips can be anonymous.