Podcast Summary: Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield

Episode: Hollywood Hills Horror: Grisly Discovery of Missing Teen Found Dead in Singer D4VD’s Tesla
Release Date: September 19, 2025
Host: Ashleigh Banfield
Guest: Charles Ledaboutier (TMZ Executive Producer)

Overview

In this gripping true crime episode, Ashleigh Banfield dives deep into the shocking discovery of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a missing 15-year-old girl whose dismembered remains were found in the “frunk” (front trunk) of a Tesla in the Hollywood Hills. The story takes a chilling turn as the car is linked to rising music star David Anthony Burke, known as D4VD. Banfield expertly unpacks the case’s timeline, the unsettling connections between the victim and the singer, speculative details about their possible relationship, and investigative findings with TMZ’s Charles Ledaboutier.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Discovery of the Body and Key Forensic Details

• Timeline of Discovery
  • Tesla with Texas plates was noticed abandoned in the Hollywood Hills, with neighbors first thinking a dead animal was to blame for the odor (03:00).
  • After the smell intensified, police were called, the car was towed, and days later, impound lot workers discovered the decomposed remains inside the frunk (04:00).
• Condition of the Remains
  • The remains were severely decomposed and incomplete: only a head, torso, and at least one hand were found at first (05:00).
  • The body was identified as Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who went missing at age 13 from Lake Elsinore; her 15th birthday had just passed before the grim discovery (06:45).
• Cause of Death
  • The medical examiner deferred the cause of death, citing need for further toxicology and forensic testing due to the state of the remains (12:00).

2. The Victim and The Suspect: Connection Details

• Links to David Anthony Burke (D4VD)
  • The Tesla was registered directly to David Anthony Burke, known as D4VD—a 20-year-old singer with a rapid rise on TikTok and a debut album released earlier in 2025 (07:45).
• Possible Relationship Between Celeste and D4VD
  • Celeste’s mother claimed her daughter had been dating “David” at age 13 and noted a matching "SHH" tattoo on Celeste’s right index finger, the same as D4VD’s tattoo (08:00).
• Photos and Geography
  • TMZ found photographs of D4VD in Celeste’s neighborhood before her disappearance—a significant distance from his then-residence, raising suspicion about the purpose of his visit (09:30).
• Lyric Clues
  • Unreleased D4VD track “Celeste,” leaked December 2023, includes lyrics strongly suggesting intimacy and obsession with a girl bearing the same name (21:12).

    “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.” (21:12, D4VD lyrics via Charles Ledaboutier)

  • His hit single “Romantic Homicide” (2022) includes these disturbing lines:

    “In the back of my mind, I killed you, and I didn't even regret it.” (24:09, D4VD lyrics via Charles Ledaboutier)

3. Law Enforcement Actions & Forensic Hopes

• House Raided
  • LAPD searched a house in the Hollywood Hills—rented by D4VD’s manager and frequently occupied by the singer; they seized computers and evidence bags (17:10).
  • The proximity of the house (block and a half) to where the Tesla was abandoned is considered critical by Banfield and Ledaboutier (18:03).
• Forensic Searches
  • Police performed extensive forensic sweeps with luminol and searched drains and garage for possible blood or tissue traces, suspecting dismemberment could have occurred onsite (26:09).
• Tesla Data as Potential Evidence
  • Banfield and Ledaboutier highlight the importance of Tesla's “sentry mode” and internal cameras, which may hold footage of the perpetrator or vehicle movements (16:27).

4. The Bigger Picture: Social, Legal, and Industry Consequences

• Neighborhood Response
  • Neighbors identified the Tesla by its Texas plates and noted past complaints about the house (parties, noise, “problem house”) (18:20, 35:28).
• Impact on D4VD's Career
  • Concerts canceled; rumors of brands (Crocs, Hollister) dropping him circulated but weren’t formally confirmed at the time of recording (30:38, 34:07).
  • No criminal charges or formal suspect status for D4VD as of the episode’s recording (07:45, 33:58).
• Open Questions
  • The podcast underscores many unanswered questions: Who drove or parked the Tesla? Was Celeste killed at the house? Was there a sexual or romantic relationship? What does the digital evidence show? (18:20, 29:59, 37:46).
  • Banfield cautions that pending forensic leads may crack the case soon, thanks in part to technology and neighborhood surveillance (36:47).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Ashleigh Banfield reflecting on the gruesome discovery:

  "The body that was found rotting in this Tesla was just a head and a torso and at least one body part that included a hand…maybe the torso with the arms? Hard to say. We'll get more information as the case becomes more robust." (05:00)

• Charles Ledaboutier (TMZ) on the significance of the Tesla as evidence:

  "The fact that the car that the body was found in is a Tesla is kind of a godsend to police. If you know anyone who has a Tesla…there’s a lot of data from the cameras on that car." (15:58)

• On the song “Celeste” and its implications:

  “Looking through today's lens…very interesting. This is a song, it was unreleased, but it did leak…Some of the lyrics: ‘Oh Celeste, the girl with my name tattooed on her chest…I'm obsessed.’” (21:12, Charles Ledaboutier)

• On law enforcement’s search of the Hollywood Hills house:

  “There were photos of detectives leaving the house with a computer and then several other bags of evidence...using luminol, checking drains for blood, tissue—that was on the list, a very long list…they were looking for.” (17:10 and 26:09, Charles Ledaboutier)

• On the evolving legal situation:

  "You don't know what kind of charges can come out of this, whether they're murder or whether there's something sexual with a child…those are the kinds of things that are on the table potentially for anybody who may have been involved with her this way." (37:46, Ashleigh Banfield)

• On the case's future developments:

  "We are in the infancy of this case, but I think within days there's going to be movement. Teslas have cameras—like 8 to 12 cameras. It's just a matter of days until we have movement in this case and maybe an arrest." (38:01, Ashleigh Banfield)

Timestamps for Critical Segments

• [05:00] – Discovery and forensic description of remains
• [07:45] – D4VD’s identity, background, and initial legal status
• [08:00] – Celeste’s mother on the “David” connection and matching tattoos
• [09:30] – Photo evidence of D4VD in Celeste’s neighborhood
• [12:00] – Medical examiner’s findings and limitations
• [13:58] – The timing of the SHH tattoo acquisition by D4VD
• [16:27] – Discussion on Tesla sentry mode and possible video evidence
• [17:10] – Search of D4VD’s manager’s Hollywood Hills home
• [21:12] – Lyrics from “Celeste” and implications
• [24:09] – Lyrics from “Romantic Homicide”
• [26:09] – Forensic search details (luminol, drains)
• [29:59] – Difficulty getting information from D4VD’s inner circle
• [30:38, 34:07] – Concerts and endorsements potentially affected
• [35:28] – Neighborhood reaction, noise complaints
• [36:47] – Optimism about imminent investigative breakthroughs
• [37:46] – Legal possibilities ahead

Final Thoughts

Ashleigh Banfield delivers a thorough, sensitive examination of a case still in its early days. She contextualizes the evidence, underscores the personal tragedies, and unpacks the social implications. The episode is a cautionary tale of celebrity, youth, and danger, leaving listeners anticipating major developments as police and technology inch closer to the truth behind Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s tragic death.