Crime
Recording Artist D4vd Identified as Suspect in Death of Missing 15-Year-Old Celeste Rivas Found in Impounded Tesla
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Recording artist David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, has been identified as a suspect in the ongoing death investigation of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas, whose remains were discovered inside an impounded vehicle earlier this year, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
Rivas, a resident of Lake Elsinore, was first reported missing in early 2024.
Family members told authorities she had run away multiple times in the past but always returned.
Her final known contact occurred in late May 2024, after which there were no further confirmed sightings or communication.
The investigation took a tragic turn on September 8, when authorities responded to a tow yard near Mansfield Avenue and Romaine Street in Hollywood after personnel reported a strong odor coming from a Tesla that had been impounded for two days.
Police sources say the vehicle had been previously found abandoned on a public roadway.
Upon inspection, officers located a sealed bag in the vehicle’s front storage compartment.
Inside, they found human remains later identified as those of Celeste Rivas. Investigators reported the body had been dismembered and was in an advanced state of decomposition, complicating forensic analysis.
Vehicle registration records show the Tesla is owned by 20-year-old Burke, a rising musician with more than 33 million monthly Spotify listeners, best known for the tracks “Here With Me” and “Romantic Homicide.”
According to multiple investigative sources, Burke has not cooperated with detectives — contradicting public statements made by representatives claiming he was assisting the investigation.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has not yet issued a definitive cause of death due to the condition of the remains.
However, investigators believe Rivas died earlier in the year and are treating the case as a homicide.
No arrests have been made, and detectives are continuing to gather evidence, review timelines, and identify additional witnesses.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Los Angeles Police Department or submit anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers.
Further updates will be released as the investigation progresses.
Crime
Attorneys Argue Jacob Bard Actions in Deadly Kentucky State University Shooting Were Legally Justified
Attorneys representing Jacob Bard, the man accused in a deadly shooting at Kentucky State University, contend that his actions were legally justified and undertaken in defense of his family amid what they describe as a violent and uncontrolled situation on campus.
In a press release issued Monday afternoon, Bard’s legal team from the Indiana-based law firm Danks & Danks asserted that Bard “was completely justified under the law in his use of deadly force.”
Bard is accused of fatally shooting one Kentucky State University student and wounding another during an incident at a campus dormitory.
According to the attorneys’ statement, Bard traveled to Kentucky State University after his younger son reported being attacked on multiple occasions.
The release alleges that on Monday, December 8, a group of approximately 20 to 30 individuals gathered outside the son’s dormitory, some allegedly armed, and began beating on the door. Campus police were reportedly called to respond to the disturbance.
The following morning, Bard and his wife met with Kentucky State University police. While the attorneys stated that officers appeared sincere in their efforts, they claimed it was evident to the family that campus police were “ill-prepared to deal with the out-of-control and violent environment.”
The legal team further alleges that both the university and its police department failed to adequately address what they described as multiple armed and violent felonies against Bard’s sons, ages 18 and 19, as well as other students in the days preceding the shooting.
Those alleged incidents included burglaries and armed assaults.
Later that morning, the family attended a meeting at Young Hall with campus police and a university dean.
According to the release, the meeting left the family convinced that the university would not be able to maintain a safe environment, prompting them to begin removing the son’s belongings from the dormitory.
When the family returned to the residence hall, the attorneys claim that individuals previously involved in the alleged assaults were present, despite assurances they would not be allowed inside.
The statement further alleges that those individuals photographed the family and made verbal threats.
The attorneys contend that, even with two armed Kentucky State University police officers present, a group of 20 to 30 individuals gathered in the dormitory lobby and “violently and viciously attacked” Bard’s son and family members.
According to the release, Bard’s son was slammed into the concrete floor and beaten by multiple people, and the officer on scene allegedly lost control of the situation.
“In the chaos,” the attorneys wrote, Bard attempted to pull attackers off his son but was struck himself. Believing his son to be in imminent danger of death or serious physical injury, Bard then drew his firearm and shot two individuals whom the attorneys say were actively assaulting his son.
The legal team also stated that no charges have been filed against others allegedly involved in the confrontation and claimed the Bard family has continued to receive death threats.
The release further alleges that the mother of the deceased student has publicly called for retaliation against Bard’s son and sought assistance from criminal groups—claims that have not been independently verified by authorities.
The case against Bard was presented to a grand jury on December 16.
During a previous court hearing, a detective testified that at least one video reviewed by investigators did not show the shooting victims assaulting Bard’s son.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not issued a final determination regarding the circumstances surrounding the shooting.