A Los Angeles detective has for the first time described the probe into the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez as an active murder investigation, court documents show and a judge has ordered the medical examiner’s findings kept under wraps while police continue their work.
The girl’s badly decomposed body was discovered in the trunk of a Tesla that had been towed from a Hollywood yard on Sept. 8. The car belonged to singer David Anthony Burke, known as D4vd. Officials say the vehicle had been sitting abandoned in the Hollywood Hills since late July.
LAPD detective Joshua Byers, a member of the Robbery Homicide Division, filed a court declaration asking that autopsy details not be released. Byers told the court that publishing the medical examiner’s report could reveal sensitive aspects of the ongoing investigation, expose cooperating witnesses, and put people’s safety at risk. A judge agreed and sealed the report and related court papers.
Until now, investigators had been careful not to label the case publicly as a homicide, waiting instead for the coroner’s conclusion. The medical examiner’s office confirmed it received the court order and that it cannot release any cause-or-manner-of-death information while the order stands. The county medical examiner’s chief, Dr. Odey Ukpo, said he prefers transparency but is bound by the court’s decision.
The LAPD says the case remains under active investigation and that detectives have been stepping up efforts in recent days. Officers searched the Hollywood Hills residence linked to Burke and seized electronics and other items as part of the inquiry. LAPD leadership told reporters that “accountability is coming” and warned that no one is off the table as the probe continues.
Published medical examiner notes released before the court order said the girl’s body weighed 71 pounds and that she had a “Shhh” tattoo on a finger. Authorities have said she had been dead for several weeks before being found, and investigators believe more than one person may have been involved in attempts to dispose of the remains.
Family members and law enforcement sources say Celeste had run away from her home in Lake Elsinore last year and had been reported missing multiple times in 2024. She appeared in social media posts connected to the singer, and authorities say she had stayed at a rental home where he lived.
The medical examiner first received a request from LAPD on Sept. 15 to place a security hold on the case; that initial request was denied for lack of justification, the coroner’s office said. The department tried again and the court has now issued the sealing order. The medical examiner’s office said it would release information once the hold is lifted.
Detectives have not named any suspects, and no charges have been filed publicly. LAPD Capt. Mike Bland said the court order exists to make sure investigators learn critical facts before that information becomes public. Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton, who oversees detective operations, said detectives are working diligently and promised justice for Celeste.
The story has drawn attention to the balance between transparency and protecting an active investigation. The medical examiner noted that security holds are rare in other counties and questioned whether they improve case outcomes. For now, the family, investigators and the public must wait to learn the full circumstances surrounding the teen’s death while police continue their work.
