Lead: On November 22, 2025, investigators reported that the remains of 26-year-old Celeste Rivas were recovered in Los Angeles in a partially frozen, dismembered state, and the L.A. County Medical Examiner is likely to record the cause and manner of death as “undetermined.” Authorities say the parts were found inside a vehicle linked to musician D4vd after the car was towed from a Hollywood Hills street where it had sat for days. The Robbery Homicide Division is treating the case as a homicide and has identified D4vd as a suspect; officials also believe a second person may have assisted in the disposal or dismemberment.
Key Takeaways
- Remains: Celeste Rivas’ body was reportedly decapitated, with limbs removed and cut into multiple pieces; portions of the remains were partially frozen when recovered.
- Medical examiner: The L.A. County Medical Examiner initially categorized the case as an “apparent homicide,” but sources now say the official manner and cause will likely be listed as “undetermined.”
- Location and timing: Parts were found in the trunk of a Tesla linked to D4vd after the vehicle was towed from a Hollywood Hills street; TMZ reports the car had been parked and unmoved for several days.
- Suspects: D4vd is considered a suspect in the investigation; investigators believe a second person may have been involved in the dismemberment.
- Earlier trip: Investigators have identified a mid-spring nighttime trip by D4vd to a remote area of Santa Barbara County where he spent roughly two hours; prosecutors are examining whether that trip relates to the case.
- Forensic limits: Freezing and extended storage can obscure trauma and toxicology findings, which helps explain why the medical examiner may not be able to determine cause of death.
- Investigative path: Even if the ME records an “undetermined” cause, LAPD can still pursue criminal charges based on other evidence, including witness statements, digital records, and physical links to suspects.
Background
The investigation began when a towed vehicle in the Hollywood Hills was found to contain human remains reported by the tow company and later linked by police to 26-year-old Celeste Rivas. L.A. media outlets reported the discovery on November 22, 2025; the vehicle is identified in reporting as a Tesla registered to the artist known as D4vd. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office received the remains in severely compromised condition, with multiple body parts showing signs of prolonged cold storage.
Dismemberment and postmortem alteration are not common in routine homicide caseloads in Los Angeles, and they typically trigger specialized forensic and investigative responses, including regional homicide task forces. Past cases with prolonged refrigerated storage have complicated toxicology and blunt/penetrating trauma analysis because freezing can mask soft-tissue indicators and degrade biological samples. Stakeholders in this case include the LAPD Robbery Homicide Division, the L.A. County Medical Examiner-Coroner, prosecutorial investigators, defense counsel representing named suspects, and media outlets covering developments.
Main Event
According to sources cited in contemporaneous reporting, the body recovered showed extensive postmortem alteration: decapitation, removal and cutting of limbs, and partial freezing of the recovered parts. Investigators told reporters the remains appeared to have been thawing inside the vehicle’s trunk when the car was towed. The timeline in public reports indicates the vehicle had been stationary on a Hollywood Hills street for several days before it was removed by authorities.
When the Medical Examiner’s Office first received the remains, examiners were initially unable to determine biological sex because of the condition of the tissues. The office’s preliminary classification framed the case as an “apparent homicide,” but forensic limitations introduced by freezing and long-term storage have prompted medical examiners to consider recording the official manner and cause as “undetermined.” That determination reflects the scientific standard that a cause must be established to a reasonable degree of medical certainty.
Investigators with LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Division have continued a criminal inquiry regardless of the ME’s expected ruling, reflecting the legal principle that a coroner’s determination and a criminal prosecution are related but separate processes. Law enforcement sources quoted in media coverage indicate D4vd is a suspect and that authorities believe a second person aided in the dismemberment process. Separately, reporting cites a springtime nocturnal trip by D4vd to a remote area of Santa Barbara County where he reportedly spent about two hours; investigators are probing whether remains were moved to or stored in that locale prior to discovery in Los Angeles.
Analysis & Implications
Forensic impact: Freezing of human remains complicates multiple forensic disciplines. Cold temperatures can preserve tissue but also cause cellular disruption that obscures evidence of antemortem injury, and repeated freeze-thaw cycles accelerate decomposition of nucleic acids, complicating toxicology and DNA analysis. As a result, the Medical Examiner may lack the physiological markers needed to identify a definitive cause such as asphyxia, strangulation, or sharp-force trauma.
Legal implications: An “undetermined” finding by a medical examiner does not prevent criminal charges. Prosecutors can present circumstantial evidence, witness testimony, forensic links (fingerprints, DNA from associated objects), and digital records to support an arrest and indictment. However, the absence of a clear medical cause can make proving homicide beyond a reasonable doubt more challenging if the defense emphasizes evidentiary gaps.
Investigative focus and burden: Police will likely concentrate on timelines, phone and location data, witness statements, surveillance footage, and vehicle forensics (including trace evidence and interior/exterior fibers). The reported Santa Barbara County trip will be a key investigative node; establishing travel, presence, and activity there could supply context about movement of remains and possible opportunities for concealment.
Comparison & Data
| Event | Reported Timing |
|---|---|
| Spring nighttime trip to Santa Barbara County | Mid-spring, ~2 hours (reported) |
| Vehicle parked in Hollywood Hills | Vehicle unmoved for several days (reported) |
| Discovery and reporting | Late summer discovery reported publicly Nov 22, 2025 |
Context: The table summarizes the publicly reported timeline elements that investigators and reporters have emphasized. While the table captures published milestones, exact dates and finer-grain timestamps remain in the investigatory record and will be relevant to prosecutors and defense counsel during charging decisions and any subsequent trial preparation.
Reactions & Quotes
Media reporting, defense counsel remarks, and law enforcement labeling have each shaped public understanding of the case; below are representative public statements with context.
Before the Medical Examiner signaled uncertainty about an official cause, sources connected to the exam office told reporters a determination was unlikely.
“It will most likely be ‘undetermined.'”
L.A. County Medical Examiner sources (reported)
This remark, as cited in media coverage, reflects internal assessments from examiners who told reporters that freezing and tissue loss limit their ability to identify a clear physiological cause of death.
On the legal front, a high-profile attorney involved in public commentary said he had been told the identity of a second person law enforcement views as relevant.
“I know the name of the second suspect,”
Mark Geragos, attorney (2 Angry Men podcast)
Geragos discussed what he said were disclosures to him by investigators on a public podcast; his comment signals that criminal investigators have identified additional persons of interest, though identifying someone publicly does not equate to formal charges.
Finally, reporting on the condition of the remains has been explicit about freezing and partial thawing inside the vehicle.
“All of the body parts were ‘partially frozen’ … and had, apparently, been thawing out while sitting in the trunk of D4vd’s Tesla.”
Media reporting (TMZ, Nov 22, 2025)
That description has shaped forensic hypotheses about prolonged refrigerated storage and subsequent movement of the remains.
Unconfirmed
- Whether Celeste Rivas died at the remote Santa Barbara County location is not established; investigators are still determining movement of remains and storage locations.
- The exact role and identity of the alleged second suspect cited in reporting have not been publicly confirmed by prosecutors or in court records.
- Specific forensic findings (toxicology results, exact mechanisms of any antemortem injury) have not been released and remain pending further laboratory analysis.
Bottom Line
The discovery of Celeste Rivas’ partially frozen, dismembered remains has created a complex forensic and criminal investigation that blends technical limitations with criminal inquiry. The likely “undetermined” finding from the Medical Examiner reflects real scientific constraints caused by freezing and tissue loss; it is not a statement about whether a crime occurred. LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Division continues to pursue leads, and reporting indicates prosecutors and investigators are treating the matter as a homicide investigation despite potential gaps in the medical record.
For readers and observers, the case underscores two points: first, medical-legal findings and criminal charges are separate determinations that follow different evidentiary paths; second, publicly reported elements—vehicle location, reported spring trip to Santa Barbara County, and alleged involvement of a second person—will be focal points if authorities move toward charging. Expect further development as forensic reports, charging decisions, and official statements emerge.
Sources
- TMZ (tabloid/initial media reporting)
- Los Angeles Police Department (official law enforcement site)
- L.A. County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner (official/forensic authority)
- 2 Angry Men podcast (public podcast where Mark Geragos commented)