Prosecutors Present Severely Damaged Clothing Evidence in D4vd Murder Case
During a preliminary hearing, prosecutors showed Celeste Rivas' heavily soiled garments, which forensic analysts said were too degraded for definitive comparison, as part of the evidence against suspect D4vd.
Prosecutors displayed the clothing Celeste Rivas wore when her dismembered body was discovered, describing the items as black leggings, a thong, socks and a tube top, during the third day of the preliminary hearing in the D4vd murder case. An LAPD trace evidence analyst testified that the garments arrived at the crime lab wet, with a strong odor and numerous dead insects, and that the extensive soiling hindered forensic analysis.
The analyst explained that a small piece of black fabric recovered from a trash bag could not be reliably matched to the leggings because the edges were damaged. She was able to collect hair, fibers, and samples from two yellow stains, and noted dark and medium-blue fragments on the leggings that appeared similar to material found on an inflatable pool allegedly used during the alleged dismemberment, though she emphasized that no formal comparison was made.
Prosecutors maintain that D4vd stabbed Rivas in his Hollywood Hills home in April 2025, subsequently dismembered her, and placed the remains in bags stored in a Tesla registered to him. The defendant has entered a not-guilty plea.
Family attorney Patrick Steinfeld told reporters that the Rivas family struggles to comprehend the allegations, including claims that a chainsaw was used in the dismemberment.