A Body in a Tesla, a Missing Girl, and a Star Under Scrutiny

On September 8, 2025, Los Angeles police responded to a report of a foul odor emanating from an impounded Tesla in Hollywood. Inside the front trunk (the “frunk”) they discovered a badly decomposed body, wrapped in plastic and severely dismembered.

Forensic analysis later identified the remains as those of a 15-year-old girl named Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who had been reported missing in April 2024 from Lake Elsinore, California. The body’s condition—highly decomposed, dismembered, and in a plastic bag—suggested it had been in the car for an extended period of time.

The vehicle in question was registered to D4vd (through a Texas registration). However, at the time of the discovery, authorities had not publicly named D4vd as a suspect. D4vd’s representatives stated he was “fully cooperating” with investigators.

As the investigation unfolded, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for a Hollywood Hills residence that D4vd had stayed in (though he did not own it), and conducted a raid on or around September 17, 2025. From that raid, police reportedly seized several items of interest.

What Was Seized: Computers, Electronics, Luminol, and More

While the full inventory of seized items has not been publicly released, multiple media and law enforcement sources have described a set of items that may hold critical import in the ongoing homicide inquiry. Key among them:

Computers, Laptops, and Digital Devices

Police reportedly confiscated a computer (or computers) from the residence. More broadly, “electronics” and “computers” have been cited as part of the evidence haul from the property.

These devices are likely seen as crucial for investigators to analyze communications, internet searches, messages, location data, and possibly file deletions or modifications. As many modern digital investigations hinge on data trails, securing relevant hardware early is often essential.

Use of Luminol to Detect Traces of Blood

Media reports suggest that investigators used luminol, a chemical reagent used to detect trace amounts of blood even after it has been cleaned. According to one TMZ-based source, floors, surfaces and sink drains were sprayed with luminol in an effort to detect hidden blood residue. It is unclear whether any definitive positive reaction was obtained from the test, as public reports have not confirmed that blood traces were found.

Other Items” and Evidence Bags

In addition to computers, LAPD officials stated that “several items of evidence were recovered” during the search.Although not fully itemized, these could include external storage devices (USB drives, external hard drives), mobile phones, memory cards, cables, documents, forensic tools (logs, wiring), or other personal effects.

Media accounts also mention electronics in plural, suggesting the haul went beyond a single device.

Evidence Packaging and Chain-of-Custody Procedures

News reports note that the seized items were placed inevidence bags, standard practice to preserve integrity and prevent contamination. Given the high sensitivity of a homicide investigation, forensic protocols will be paramount—chain-of-custody logs, fingerprinting, digital forensics imaging, and metadata preservation likely will follow.

The Lease, Ownership, and Proximity

While not physical “evidence” per se, investigators reportedly scrutinized the fact that the property was rented by D4vd’s manager, Josh Marshall, even though D4vd had stayed there. The house was on Doheny Place in the Hollywood Hills, just a short distance from where the Tesla had been parked before being towed.That proximity raises questions about whether activity at that location may have had a direct connection to how the car was placed or remained in that area.

How These Seized Items May Factor into the Investigation

By taking control of the residence and securing digital hardware and forensic tools, police are seeking to build a timeline, track interactions between individuals, and determine whether key physical spaces or devices were implicated in the death. Below are several ways the seized items might be employed:

Digital forensics and phone records: Investigators will likely extract historic text messages, call logs, deleted files, browser histories, Wi-Fi logs, geolocation data, and chat transcripts from the devices. Such data could link the victim to the residence or to D4vd’s movements.

Metadata correlation: If photos or media existed on the devices, timestamps, GPS tags, and other metadata could place the victim or D4vd at the house or in proximity at relevant times.

Luminol results as corroborative evidence: If traces of blood are discovered via luminol testing (even in areas that may have been cleaned), they could corroborate that parts of the crime—such as dismemberment or staging—occurred in that location.

Chain-of-custody chain and integrity: The way evidence is seized, logged, transported, and processed will be critical in ensuring its viability in court or in later indictments.

Network activity logs: Internet usage, deleted cloud backups, remote access to devices, or syncing activity could help investigators see whether someone attempted to wipe incriminating evidence or obscure data trails.

Document or paper evidence: If there were physical documents—notes, receipts, maps, printed messages—these too could tie various movements or transactions to the home.

Spatial proximity links: The closeness between the house and where the Tesla was parked may be exploited to argue ease of movement, disposal, or collaboration.

Uncertainties, Gaps, and Legal Constraints

Even with a high-profile raid, many unknowns persist:

No public confirmation of blood findings: While luminol was used, authorities have not publicly stated whether any trace evidence was found, or whether it revealed blood-related chemicals.

Lack of a declared cause or manner of death: Although the case is broadly being treated as a homicide investigation, the medical examiner has deferred the official cause of death or manner until toxicology and autopsy results are available.

No formal suspect or charges yet: D4vd has not been named or indicted as a suspect publicly, and investigators have not confirmed that connection.

Possibility of exculpatory evidence: Some seized devices or forensic tests might offer explanations or absolutions—not just inculpatory evidence. Investigators must remain open to that.

Legal challenges to admissibility: The defense may challenge warrants, claims of improper seizure, or contamination. The integrity of seizure and documentation is critical.

Time decay and contamination risks: Given the decomposed state of the remains and the delay before discovery, biological and environmental degradation may have complicated recovery of crucial trace evidence.

Why the Seizure Matters in a Case of This Magnitude

The seizure of electronics and forensic sampling at a location tied to D4vd is more than a procedural step—it is a pivotal turn in what was a mystery with only circumstantial connections.

It allows investigators to bring hard digital data into a case that was previously reliant on registration records, sightings, tattoos, and social media links.

It transitions the narrative from speculation to concrete forensic lines of inquiry.

The items seized may help corroborate or refute rumored ties between D4vd and the victim (for example, communications or file references).

Finally, the raid signals that investigators consider the residence as a location of potential evidentiary significance—whether as a staging point, meeting place, cleanup site, or record repository.

Conclusion: Seizure as a Turning Point, but Not a Conclusion

At present, the raid and the items seized represent one of the more concrete pivots in the investigation into Celeste Rivas’s tragic death. While much remains unknown—and many questions yet unanswered—the seizure of computers, electronics, use of luminol, and collection of “other items” from the Hollywood Hills residence provide law enforcement with tools to dig deeper into timelines, interactions, and possible connections.