Authorities in Los Angeles are investigating the shocking discovery of human remains belonging to a missing 15-year-old girl inside a Tesla registered to rising music star David Anthony Burke. The remains of Celeste Rivas were found in the trunk of the vehicle, which had been impounded by police. Rivas had been missing for more than a year, and her disappearance had left her Southern California community desperate for answers.
On Thursday morning, investigators executed a search warrant at a Hollywood Hills home rented by Burke, 20, who has gained critical acclaim in recent years for his genre-blending sound. Police were seen removing several items from the property, including a computer. While Burke has not been charged with any crime, the discovery has cast a dark shadow over his skyrocketing career. A performance at the Grammy Museum scheduled for next week was quietly removed from the venue’s website following the news, and a previously announced Seattle tour stop was canceled.
Authorities have not released details on how Rivas died, and the medical examiner is still working to determine her cause of death. One clue investigators are examining is a tattoo on Rivas’ index finger featuring the letters “sh” — a design that Burke also has and that is popular among musicians. “One would need to get to the bottom of that to see if in fact she had some sort of relationship with him,” a legal expert explained. “That still doesn’t mean that he harmed her, but it would give you a lot more information as to circumstances of her having interactions with him and, in particular, interactions with his vehicle.”
Neighbors in Rivas’ hometown of Lake Elsinore described the teen as quiet and polite. “She always [was] quiet, nice,” one local said. “She’d come, buy like a bag of chips, soda, and leave.” While investigators continue to gather evidence, Burke has yet to make any public statement about the discovery. As of now, tickets remain available for his concert scheduled in California tonight, though it is unclear whether the event will move forward as planned.
Source: Good Morning America
