Hollywood Hills Horror: Disturbing New Clues in the D4vd Tesla Death Case | Celeste Rivas Hernandez

Summary

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Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Title: Hollywood Hills Horror: Disturbing New Clues in the D4vd Tesla Death Case | Celeste Rivas Hernandez
Host: Ashleigh Banfield
Date: November 6, 2025

This episode dives deep into the mysterious and tragic death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who was found deceased in the trunk of pop star David Anthony Burke's (stage name: d4vd) abandoned Tesla. Ashleigh Banfield brings her signature irreverent-yet-serious style to the case, piecing together public confusion, investigative stalls, and new revelations—especially regarding a Build-A-Bear certificate that could be a critical clue. Private Investigator Steve Fisher joins Ashleigh to discuss timelines, family contradictions, and the looming toxicology report.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Recap of the Tragedy (01:46-06:57)

• Celeste Rivas Hernandez, aged just 15 at discovery, was found decomposing in the trunk of D4vd's Tesla in Los Angeles.
• The car was abandoned for days; neighbors complained of the odor before police found the body.
• Celeste and David had a years-long relationship, starting when she was possibly no older than 12.
• Despite the circumstances, David has never been charged or named a suspect. The cause of death is unclear; autopsy findings are inconclusive and toxicology results are still pending.

"Celeste had just turned 15. In fact, her birthday was the day before she was found dead in that trunk. And since she'd been dead in that trunk for a long time, she died at 14."
— Ashleigh Banfield (04:53)

2. The Build-A-Bear Certificate Clue (04:57-06:57; 08:00-08:41)

• A Build-A-Bear certificate dated April 21, 2024, was discovered in David’s old mansion after an LAPD raid.
• The certificate bears the name “Esmeralda Celeste,” raising questions about the presence of Celeste and her cousin Esmeralda in David’s home.
• That same day, David posted from Six Flags on TikTok, while cousin Esmeralda reportedly built a bear at that park.
• This suggests Celeste was not especially "missing," despite being reported so—family members knew her whereabouts.

"When you're a missing person, usually your family doesn't know where you are. And yet Esmeralda, Celeste's cousin, knew where she was… So I don't think she really was [missing]."
— Ashleigh Banfield (05:55)

"This likely puts Celeste inside David's home, doesn't it?"
— Ashleigh Banfield (08:39)

3. Timeline Irregularities & Family Contradictions (05:30-06:30; 08:41-10:45)

• Celeste's family reported her missing, but she was repeatedly seen with family and at public events (e.g., cousin's graduation, a family backyard incident, Vegas trip).
• The family (notably Esmeralda’s mother) reportedly told others not to look for Celeste during her last disappearance.
• Private investigator Steve Fisher suggests adults in the family failed to inform law enforcement despite knowing Celeste’s location.

"There was people aware of where Celeste was… they should have notified law enforcement that Celeste… we've located her… But that didn't happen."
— Steve Fisher (08:41)

"On the last time she went missing, the family members were saying, ‘Don't look for her. She's staying with other family members near LA.’"
— Steve Fisher (10:00)

4. Toxicology Report Status (07:00-08:00; 10:45)

• Other cases from the same week already have toxicology results; Celeste’s results may return soon, but state of decomposition could cause delays.
• Even if results are in, it’s uncertain if/when they’ll be made public.

"Her initial tox may be back and they're still working through… But there is also a good chance because of the state of decomp, that they have to send this out for additional testing."
— Steve Fisher (07:10)

5. Who’s Responsible? & Ongoing Questions (10:45-11:35)

• The investigation remains in limbo—no arrests, lingering uncertainty about David’s involvement, and whether any adults will face scrutiny for enabling or concealing Celeste's whereabouts.
• Host emphasizes the gravity and unresolved nature of the case.

"So here we are, still waiting for the arrest of whoever left Celeste in that harrowing state in David's trunk, still waiting to hear what police think of the singer dating a runaway as young as 13 when he was clearly an adult."
— Ashleigh Banfield (10:45)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "The smell followed it all the way to the impound lot. And days later, workers there couldn't ignore it any longer. And they too called the police. This time, when the investigators popped the trunk, they realized what they were smelling wasn't an animal at all."
  — Ashleigh Banfield (03:00)

• "[The Build-A-Bear certificate] matters... because it's 16 days after Celeste's family reported her missing for the final time… So it's likely Celeste and cousin Esmeralda were all at that Six Flags resort on the same day, while Celeste was officially a missing person."
  — Ashleigh Banfield (05:10)

• "There's some people pushing back saying… Esmeralda's senior in high school… I don't think Celeste was the only person there for that graduation. I think there was adult family members there as well. And they should have notified law enforcement that Celeste is not… We've located her…"
  — Steve Fisher (08:41)

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Important Timestamps

• 01:46 – Ashleigh sets up the case, summarizes key facts and timeline.
• 04:57 – The Build-A-Bear clue is introduced.
• 05:30 – Discussion of recurring “missing” status, family contradictions.
• 06:57 – Steve Fisher joins; toxicology report timeline discussed.
• 08:00 – Build-A-Bear certificate details, impacts on investigation.
• 08:41 – Family’s knowledge of Celeste’s whereabouts.
• 10:00 – PI reveals family’s instructions to “not look for her.”
• 10:45 – Ashleigh recaps ongoing questions, urges for accountability.

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Summary of Tone and Style

Ashleigh Banfield delivers the episode with a blend of investigative seriousness and biting irreverence. She dissects inconsistencies in witness and family statements with a sharp, direct approach, while PI Steve Fisher complements with methodical and grounded analysis.

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For Listeners New to the Case

This episode offers a comprehensive yet chilling summary of the Celeste Rivas Hernandez case, with new intrigue introduced by family secrecy, overlapping alibis, and a surprising Build-A-Bear clue. The investigation’s future hinges on the upcoming toxicology results and continued scrutiny of both celebrity involvement and potential family failings.

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Stay tuned to Drop Dead Serious for real-time developments—as Ashleigh says: "the truth isn't just serious, it's drop dead serious."

Transcript

[Ashley Banfield]

Hey, everybody, Ashley Banfield here. Before we jump back into today's case, I want to flag another true crime podcast that you have got to listen to. It's called Scorned Love Kills. This is a new hit series from Investigation Discovery, one of my favorites. And it's all about when passion flips into poison. And when love stories don't end well, they end in body bags. Best part about this one, it's a podcast that comes straight from Investigation Discoveries archives. So it's real audio, it's real investigators and real psychologists, all of them walking you through these jaw dropping crimes. Like the husband in South Carolina running an underground gambling ring that blew up into cheating and debt and a deadly showdown. Or the perfect couple in Kentucky whose marriage collapsed into drugs, affairs and a shocking murder no one saw coming. Listen, this podcast is really gripping. It is raw and if you're into true crime like I am, I know you're gonna love it. So make sure you check it out. Scorned Love Kills. Wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Ashley Banfield]

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[Ashley Banfield]

Hey everyone, I'm Ashley Banfield and this is drop dead serious. Big new developments in the case of the rising pop star and his dead underage girlfriend discovered in the trunk of his Tesla. You have probably seen the headlines about David, real name David Anthony Burke, the soft spoken, chart topping singer whose abandoned Tesla contained the rotting remains of his underage girlfriend, Celeste Rivas Hernandez in Los Angeles. Neighbors had complained about the car for days, mostly because of the smell. A brutal smell. At first they thought it might be a dead animal. But when the police finally had the car towed, the smell followed it all the way to the impound lot. And days later, workers there couldn't ignore it any longer. And they too called the police. This time, when the investigators popped the trunk, they realized what they were smelling wasn't an animal at all. Inside the Tesla was the decomposing body of the pop star's underage girlfriend. Very, very underage. Celeste had just turned 15. In fact, her birthday was the day before she was found dead in that trunk. And since she'd been dead in that trunk for a long time, she died at 14. I think it's fair to say she hooked up with David, spelled with the number, four years before even that, possibly when she was only 12. David has never been charged and he has never been named a suspect in any crime. Right. Likely because investigators can't tell how or even when Celeste actually died. The autopsy was inconclusive, but the all important toxicology report has yet to be released, presumably because it hasn't yet been finished. But there is reason to believe that it could be finished at any moment. And that report could answer a trunk load of questions. In the meantime, we've got a build a bear clue. Yeah, you heard me right. I said build a bear. A build a bear certificate turned up inside David's former mansion. You know, the place where he lived up until a week or so after the LAPD raided it. He moved out shortly after the raid, but clearly he did not take everything with him like the build a bear certificate. What's important is what's at the bottom. Take a look closely. You can see the name Esmeralda Celeste. The dead girl had a cousin named Esmeralda. There was also a cousin named Esmeralda who launched a GoFundMe for the family after Celeste's death. Are they the same? Dunno. But there's a lot of coincidences in this story. The certificate, the build a bear certificate is dated April 21, 2024. And that matters why? Because it's 16 days after Celeste's family reported her missing for the final time. We know that she ran away from home, ran away at least twice in the months before that. But also on April 21, David was spotted on TikTok riding a roller coaster at the very same Six Flags park where his girlfriend's cousin built a bear. And we know she built the bear there because there's a build a bear at that Six Flags and it's the date. So it's likely that David and Celeste and cousin Esmeralda were all at that Six Flags resort on that same day, while Celeste was officially a missing person. So I don't think she really was because when you're a missing person, usually your family doesn't know where you are. And yet Esmeralda, Celeste's cousin, knew where she was on April 21, 2024. She was also spotted at Esmeralda's graduation in May of 2020 24. So missing. And we've shown you the video of a runaway, Celeste arguing with her family's next door neighbors in September of last year. Her family, she's home at her family's backyard, yelling at the neighbors a year before she dies. She's not missing, but they didn't tell the police that they kept her as a missing person. And now comes a picture from almost a year before that. October 2023. It is Celeste and Esmeralda in Las Vegas the same day that David was performing there. Celeste would have been just 13 years old at the time. All of this was uncovered by Steve Fisher. He's a private investigator hired by David's former landlord of that mansion, who wants to know why once and for all, what the hell went on in his rental house when David and anybody else were in there. Here's our conversation.

[Interviewer]

Steve, let's talk toxicology report first.

[Ashley Banfield]

I gave a little hint there.

[Interviewer]

You have the answer, though. Why is it that we think the toxicology report on Celeste might actually be coming sooner rather than later?

[Steve Fisher]

Well, I've been tracking the cases around deaths around the same time as hers and from the weeks before. And those that were in deferred status have been changing over to, you know, having cause and manner there. There are a few cases that still haven't, but there are several cases actually on the same day on the 8th, September 8th, as hers, that toxicology has come back because they now list those other, some of the other people's deaths as effects of fentanyl or whatever. So I believe her, her initial talks may be back and they're still working through, you know, cause and. But there is also a good chance because of the state of decomp, that they have to send this out for additional testing or different type of testing to get a result.

[Interviewer]

Just wonder if they're going to tell us about it. Even if it does come in today, yesterday or tomorrow. That's the other issue. I'm so short on time and I got a million questions. Let's talk build a bear. That certificate that says Esmeralda, we don't know if it's Celeste's cousin Esmeralda or if it's the cousin that did the gofundme me. But the date is pretty fascinating and the fact that it's found inside his home. This is April in 2024. The certificate, Celeste would have been 13. And again, Esmeralda might have been what, about 15 or 16. But this puts her, this likely puts Celeste inside David's home, doesn't it?

[Steve Fisher]

Well, inside the home. And it also, you know, there was people aware of where Celeste was, you know, and they're obviously in contact. They planned this out, you know, and I, you know, I don't believe this is just a coincidence. I believe that this is. That Esmeralda and David was there. We know, at six fives that day, Celeste was a missing person. And then shortly after, she shows up at graduation, you know, and I think, you know, there's some people pushing back saying, you know, she's Ezra Alda's senior in high school. The point is that I don't think Celeste was the only person there for that graduation. I think there was adult family members there as well. And they should have notified law enforcement that Celeste is not, you know, we've located her, you know, and then they intervene and find out what's going on. But that didn't happen.

[Interviewer]

Well, we've just put she. She was a runaway, but was she really missing? I mean, I've lost count now of the. And the moments where she was together with family members. I'm gonna combine these two questions for time here. You have heard that the family told people after Celeste went missing not to look for her. And we've noticed that Vegas photo was deleted from the aunt's Instagram. What do you make of that?

[Steve Fisher]

And that's Esmeralda's mom. And yes, I was told by a source very close that on the last time she went missing, the family members were saying, you know, don't look for her. She's staying with other family members near la. And all of a sudden, we see a lot of interaction with Esmeralda and Esmeralda's mom. So it's, you know, these are all dots we're collecting and, you know, and we'll. We'll connect them.

[Interviewer]

Which makes me wonder, what were they saying? If they meant family members, that she's staying with family members. Because if she was staying with David, he was no family member. And I'll remind everybody that she was 14 when she went into that trunk and 15 when her rotting body was taken out of that trunk.

[Ashley Banfield]

So here we are, still waiting for the arrest of whoever left Celeste in that harrowing state in David's trunk, Still waiting to hear what police think of the singer dating a runaway as young as 13 when he was clearly an adult. And we're still waiting to see if the toxicology reports have come back yet. And if they have, when will they be made public? Or will they be made public at all? We'll be following every update in this case to find out the truth of what happened to Celeste Rivas Hernandez, make sure to subscribe so that you get every update the moment it breaks. I sometimes drop little shorts, so I want to make sure you don't miss it. I'm Ashley Banfield. And remember the truth isn't just serious, it's drop dead serious.

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