The Los Angeles Police Department has arrested singer D4vd in connection with the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas, but the case file faces significant issues that could impact the prosecution process.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed the arrest of D4vd on Thursday night and stated that the files would be forwarded to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on Monday.
However, according to TMZ, the prosecutor’s office had already been reviewing the case for several months prior.
Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman reportedly presented evidence to a grand jury starting in November seeking an indictment related to Rivas’s death, similar to cases where defendants were prosecuted following other serious incidents.
If the grand jury reviewed the case but did not return an indictment, it could raise questions about the strength of the prosecution’s file or the existence of concerning legal loopholes.
Another critical factor lies in the victim’s cause of death. The medical examiner has faced difficulties in making a determination due to the condition of the remains when they were discovered.
Celeste Rivas’s body was found dismembered in the trunk of a Tesla owned by D4vd in September—a detail no less shocking than the case of a woman arrested after driving a luxury car and causing an accident in Texas.
It remains unclear whether the cause of death has been ruled a homicide or is still undetermined.
D4vd’s attorney maintains that his client did not murder the victim and did not cause her death, amid a backdrop where police have continuously arrested suspects for attacking celebrities recently.
Legal experts suggest that “having knowledge” of a situation is insufficient to prove the act of murder in a criminal trial.
