Dismembered body found in D4vd’s Tesla had a tattoo eerily matching the rapper’s, but police still can’t charge him

A defense attorney has offered a clearer explanation for why rapper D4vd has not been arrested following the discovery of a dismembered body inside his Tesla. Investigators still lack the kind of direct evidence needed to justify formal charges, despite the disturbing circumstances surrounding the case.

Details later emerged through LADbible that prominent defense attorney Mark Geragos said the absence of clear video footage is the primary obstacle facing law enforcement. Without surveillance or vehicle camera evidence directly tying the artist to the act, prosecutors may be unwilling to move forward.

The case has drawn widespread attention due to the severity of the discovery and the high-profile nature of the Tesla’s owner. D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, is 20 years old and has not been named a suspect, even though the vehicle where the remains were found is registered to him. This gap in evidence appears to be the deciding factor.

This gap in evidence appears to be the deciding factor

Geragos explained that modern criminal cases often hinge on digital proof, especially video. He said that if investigators had footage from nearby Ring cameras, traffic surveillance, or the Tesla’s internal camera system showing Burke placing the remains in the vehicle, an arrest would likely have already happened. Without that visual confirmation, tying a specific individual to the crime at a precise time becomes significantly more difficult. Similar challenges have surfaced in other recent true crime cases involving warning signs that only became clear later, such as a man posting an eerie message about Satan targeting his wife just hours before tragedy struck.

The remains were discovered inside the front trunk of Burke’s impounded Tesla. Tow yard employees in Los Angeles alerted authorities after noticing a strong odor coming from the vehicle. The body was later identified as Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a teenager who had been reported missing more than a year earlier. She disappeared after running away from her home in Lake Elsinore.

Investigators believe Celeste was around 15 years old at the time of her death and was the child of Salvadoran immigrants. One of the more unsettling details in the case is that she reportedly had a small “Shhh…” tattoo on her index finger, a marking that closely resembles a tattoo D4vd is known to have. While this similarity has fueled online speculation, authorities have not indicated that it constitutes meaningful evidence. Other cases have also involved troubling clues that failed to meet the legal threshold for immediate action, including a recent incident in which a Utah mother boarded a one-way international flight with her four children after leaving behind a notebook containing disturbing plans.

Complicating matters further, the cause of death has not been determined. Officials previously said the remains suggested she had been dead for several weeks before being found. A court order has also prevented the Los Angeles County medical examiner from releasing records related to the case, limiting what information can be shared publicly. Police have denied extreme rumors, including claims that the body had been decapitated or frozen. The case remains open, with no arrests made and no charges filed as investigators continue searching for definitive proof.