Rotten Mango Podcast Summary

Episode Title:

Body of 14 Year Old Girl Found In Singer D4vd's Car – This Is Everything We Know So Far

Host: Stephanie Soo
Date: September 25, 2025

Overview

This episode centers on the shocking and still-developing case of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 14-year-old girl found dead in a car registered to breakout musician D4vd (David Anthony Burke). Host Stephanie Soo delivers a deep and meticulous breakdown of everything that’s known so far, balancing confirmed facts with rampant internet speculation. The episode explores D4vd’s meteoric rise, his digital footprint, connections to the victim, and the reverberating impact on social media, fan communities, and the victim’s family. Stephanie repeatedly addresses the unresolved nature of the case, emphasizing that much remains alleged and under investigation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: D4vd’s "Death-Funeral" Concerts and the Discovery

• [02:06] Stephanie describes D4vd’s funeral-themed concert experience, where fans pay respects to Itami (D4vd’s bloody-shirted alter ego) at a staged casket—an artistic motif that turns morbid after a real dead body is found in his car during the "Withered Tour."
  • Notable Quote:
    "Until September 8th of 2025 this year. News breaks that while David is on tour hosting fake funerals, the dead body of a 14 year old girl is found in the trunk of his car." — Stephanie ([03:07])
• The key questions: Is D4vd connected? Why hasn’t he been arrested? Was there dismemberment? Why are the police so vague?

2. D4vd’s Background and Artistic Journey

• [11:46]–[18:45] D4vd found fame via TikTok/YouTube, starting as a Fortnite YouTuber before launching a music career by making royalty-free songs. His rise is marked by unusual speed and a quirky DIY ethos (recording on iPhone in his sister’s closet).
  • Quote:
    "His first songs get a billion streams on Spotify ... I would think he was an industry plant, but it's actually a very strange coming up story." — Stephanie ([11:58])
• He developed an online persona that merged art, anime, and religion, leading to his thunderous ascent from 118,000 to 38.5 million monthly Spotify listeners.

3. Car Discovery & Initial Reactions

• [21:46] The car, a 2023 Tesla Model Y, was towed due to suspicious circumstances (foul smell, flies), and a decomposed, possibly dismembered body was found.
  • TMV's initial reports (dismembered), LA Times revision, confusion over specifics (dismemberment or decomposition).
• Ownership quickly linked to D4vd, prompting worries that it was D4vd’s own body—dispelled via his touring schedule.
• Early netizen theories: the car might have been stolen, or he was just unlucky—a general sense of “weird but not necessarily incriminating.”

4. Escalation: Identification and Connections to Celeste

• [48:46]–[53:00]
  • Medical examiner identifies the body as Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who was missing since April 5, 2024.
  • Chilling Coincidence: Celeste’s birthday was September 7; her body was found September 8.
• Reports of matching "shh" tattoos between David and Celeste, and Discord messages linking both.
  • Netizen Quote:
    "There's only three options. This dude needs to change his circle, or he's involved, or he's got too many damn cars." ([53:54])

5. Discord, Digital Footprint, and Social Media Forensics

• [54:20]–[63:00]
  • Multiple discord screenshots show interactions between David and Celeste as early as 2022, with further references to her being his girlfriend, and alarming mentions about a missing girl named "Celeste Rivas Hernandez."
  • Discord moderators claim: "We did not know her age ... From what was shared, we thought she was 18 or 19." ([118:45])
  • Fans and mods were under the impression David was dating an "adult" Celeste—adding layers of confusion due to two Celestes in his circles.

6. Music Videos, Lyrics, and Morbid Symbology

• [77:51]–[100:00+]
  • Many of David’s videos and songs appear, in hindsight, eerily aligned with the imagery of Celeste’s disappearance and death ("bodies in trunks," "bloodied wedding dresses," themes of death and obsession).
  • Romantic Homicide music video: Released on Celeste’s birthday, features lyrics and visuals of death, regret, and a murdered lover.
  • Here With Me video: Love interest with resemblance to Celeste, with an undertone some interpret as obsession.
  • Lyrics and visual motifs (Hello Kitty, blood, death, heartbreak, birthdays) are now hyper-analyzed by the public for confessions or clues.
  • Representative Lyric: “In the back of my mind you died / And I didn’t even cry / No, not a single tear.”
  • Stephanie: "At this point, the number of coincidences my brain is comfortable with has been surpassed." ([91:51])

7. Public and Internet Response

• Immediate reactions varied: Initially, sympathy for D4vd when body not yet identified.
• Once Celeste is named, all speculation accelerates. Brands (Hollister, Crocs) swiftly drop campaign images. Fans reexamine old songs and internet content for hidden "confessions."
  • Quote:
    "If David is found guilty, everyone will agree: no, we were not reading too much into it… If he's not, people will say the Internet overreacted." ([109:06])

8. Possible Theories and Ongoing Investigation

• Theories (none confirmed):
  • David was grooming Celeste and planning to wait till she turned 18 (screenshots and DMs suggest secret or delayed relationships).
  • Police are being unusually vague—possibly due to celebrity status, possibly covering their own previous failings, possibly due to the complex intersection of race, class, and victim profile in LA.
  • Multiple references to grooming, more underage fans stepping forward with messages from David.
  • The existence of another, adult Celeste ("decoy Celeste") is discussed; some suggest she was used as cover for the true relationship.
• Police Activity:
  • A 12-hour search at D4vd’s home, item seizures, and luminol testing for blood/traces.
  • [74:00]: “Technically, as of right now, her manner of death on her medical report is listed as deferred. So… to be determined, not a homicide.”
  • Host repeatedly clarifies: there have been no arrests, and much remains in the realm of rumor and internet sleuthing.

9. Family and Community Responses

• Statements from Celeste’s family are minimal, mostly through GoFundMe; grief and calls for justice dominate.
• A teacher and community members recall Celeste’s absences, failed police follow-up, possible trips to Hollywood.
• Discussion: systemic failures in law enforcement response to missing Latina girls, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• "This is the case of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the little girl found inside of David's trunk." ([03:28])
• “A dead body was found inside the trunk of the Tesla. They run the car plates. The car is registered to David Anthony Burke—famous musician D4vd.” ([25:07])
• “To decide how you want to take this information coming from TMZ. But according to them, the body found in the Tesla was chopped up and heavily decomposed.” ([24:16])
• “It seems like he was in Lake Elsinore … that picture was allegedly taken really close, about a six minute walk from where Celeste Rivas Hernandez lives.” ([57:12])
• "[Celeste's brother]: I knew and went to the police about it, but lack of evidence shows, waved off bullshit… They haven't done anything towards him. That's how it is with celebrities. Just look at fucking Diddy. They don't do shit." ([62:17])
• "As for the alter ego, David says, Itami is the one that is making me withered and feel these emotions like grief and pain and confusion. He's the one that is weaving his way into my relationships and ruining them and introducing trauma and things like that." ([98:31])
• “There are two Celestes. One of them was found dead in his trunk. The other one is very much alive. And she is not a minor.” ([136:54])
• "I will say that in this case specifically, the number of coincidences that my brain is normally comfortable with has been surpassed." ([91:51])

Timeline Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:06] – The "Death-Funeral" Concerts & Casket Theme
• [21:46] – Discovery of Body in D4vd's Tesla
• [48:46] – Medical Examiner Report & Victim’s Identity
• [53:00] – Initial Online Theories & Discord Chat Revelations
• [77:48] – Music Video and Lyric Deep-Dives Begin
• [100:00+] – Netizen Analysis, TikTok, and Social Media Posts
• [118:45] – Discord Moderation Statement & Purging
• [130:31] – Host’s Summary & Reflection on the Weight of Evidence

Tone & Style

Stephanie maintains her trademark "rotten but sweet" approach: grimly humorous, highly detail-oriented, and often pausing to clarify what’s confirmed versus conjecture. She’s careful with the sensitivity of discussing a young victim, and frequently breaks the fourth wall to explain why certain rumors are included and the challenges of vetting information. Banter with her co-host (unnamed) helps clarify confusing threads and injects levity into otherwise heavy subject matter.

Conclusion

This episode is less a closed-case recap and more a living document of collective anxiety and suspicion, as every artifact in D4vd’s digital and musical output is scrutinized against the mounting circumstantial evidence. Stephanie promises a follow-up dive as new information develops, leaving listeners with the sense that, in the fog of social media and true crime obsession, truth is hard to pin down, and no one—least of all the audience—“really knows anything at this point.”

End of Summary

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