Prosecutors are advancing the investigation of a teenage girl found deceased in the trunk of musician D4vd’s Tesla by presenting it to an investigative grand jury.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the grand jury convened for several days in mid-November. However, it remains uncertain whether the LA County District Attorney’s Office has finished presenting all the evidence.
The Times explains that an investigative grand jury is used to subpoena witnesses and gather additional evidence. While they can suggest charges, they do not have the authority to issue an indictment.
Information from two law enforcement sources confirmed the existence of the panel to the Times, and a court document reviewed by the newspaper on Monday displayed a “GJ number,” indicating involvement with a grand jury.
On September 8, Los Angeles police discovered the body of Celeste inside a Tesla registered to 20-year-old artist David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, reported CrimeOnline. The Tesla was initially located near Burke’s rental property in the upscale Bird Streets area of Hollywood Hills. It was later found at a tow yard in Hollywood after local residents reported an abandoned car with Texas plates on September 6, prompting police action.
The car had been impounded for several days before LAPD officers made their grim discovery. According to the LAPD, Rivas’ body was placed in a bag inside the front trunk, and authorities believe she had been deceased for several weeks prior to the towing of the vehicle.
The girl’s body was found the day after what would have been her 15th birthday.
On Monday, a judge placed a security hold on the case barring details — including the cause and manner of death and the autopsy report — from release, following a court order initiated by the LAPD on Friday.
It was that document that referenced the “GJ number,” according to the Times.
Although police have not called Rivas’s death a homicide, the document called the investigation “an investigation into murder.”
One of the law enforcement sources told the Times that Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman called several witnesses before the grand jury.
Sources have said that investigators believe more than one person was involved in handling the teen’s body before her remains were ultimately found, and LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said this week that “accountability is coming.”
“Our RHD detectives have been working … They are going to get justice for Celeste Rivas,” Hamilton said. “No one is off the table, including him,” referring to D4vd.
