A decomposing body found in a car registered to singer D4vd has been identified as a missing 15-year-old girl, US authorities say. Police officers discovered the remains of Celeste Rivas inside the boot of the impounded Tesla on 8 September, after responding to reports of a foul smell at the Hollywood tow yard in Los Angeles. Authorities said both the cause and time of her death remain unknown. Rivas, from Lake Elsinore in California, was 13 at the time of her disappearance and was last seen on 5 April 2024, according to a missing person flyer cited by CBS, the BBC's US partner.

Earlier, officers said the Tesla was likely to have been at the Hollywood tow yard for a couple of days before the remains were found. The car, which has a Texas license plate, was towed from the Hollywood Hills after it was abandoned five days earlier. The car is registered to 20-year-old David Anthony Burke, the official name of singer D4vd. Last week, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner stated that the remains were of a 5ft 2in tall individual with wavy black hair. Clothing found on the body included a tube top and black leggings, along with a tattoo on the right index finger that read: Shhh.

The remains were not intact and appeared to have been deceased for an extended period, according to law enforcement sources cited by NBC News. D4vd, who has millions of followers on social media, is known for viral hits such as 'Here With Me' and 'Romantic Homicide'. He released his debut album in April and was on tour when the remains were found in the Tesla, leading to the cancellation of a scheduled concert in Seattle. Police have confirmed that D4vd is cooperating with the ongoing investigation.