D4vd Celeste Rivas clothes testimony describes damaged evidence
An LAPD analyst testified that Celeste Rivas’ clothing was wet, insect-covered and too damaged for one key comparison.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
3 min read
The D4vd Celeste Rivas clothes evidence became a focus in court Thursday, when an LAPD trace evidence analyst testified that garments recovered after Rivas was found dead arrived at the crime lab wet, odorous and covered with dead insects, according to TMZ’s report from the preliminary hearing.
Prosecutors displayed the clothing during the third day of the hearing, TMZ reported. They said Celeste Rivas had been wearing black leggings, a thong, socks and a tube top when her dismembered body was found in two bags inside a Tesla registered to D4vd.
The LAPD analyst testified that the items had been packaged together and were in very poor condition when they reached the lab, according to TMZ. She said the state of the clothing limited what she could do with the evidence.
What did the analyst say about Celeste Rivas' clothes?
The analyst said heavy contamination on the garments interfered with her forensic examination, TMZ reported. Investigators wanted to know whether a small piece of black fabric found in a trash bag during a search warrant could be physically matched to Rivas’ leggings.
A physical fit comparison is an attempt to determine whether two separate pieces once formed the same object by checking whether their edges line up. The analyst testified that the damaged edges of the fabric and leggings prevented her from making a reliable match, according to TMZ.
She was still able to recover possible hairs and fibers from the fabric, TMZ reported. The analyst also collected samples from two yellow stains found on the material.
What other evidence did prosecutors discuss?
The analyst testified that she saw dark and medium-blue material on the leggings, according to TMZ. She said those fragments looked similar to material recovered from an inflatable pool that prosecutors allege was connected to the dismemberment of Rivas.
The analyst cautioned that the observation was only visual, TMZ reported. She testified that the materials were not formally compared, meaning she did not present it as a confirmed forensic match.
Prosecutors allege D4vd stabbed Rivas to death inside his Hollywood Hills home in April 2025, according to TMZ. They also allege he later dismembered her, placed her remains in bags and left them in the Tesla.
D4vd has pleaded not guilty, TMZ reported. The allegations remain unproven unless established in court.
How has the hearing affected Celeste Rivas' family?
TMZ reported that Rivas’ family has been in court as prosecutors describe the allegations in detail. Their attorney, Patrick Steinfeld, spoke with TMZ outside the courthouse Wednesday.
Steinfeld said the proceedings had been difficult for the family, according to TMZ. He said Rivas’ relatives could not understand why the singer would allegedly use a chainsaw to dismember their daughter.
The preliminary hearing continued with prosecutors presenting evidence tied to the death investigation, TMZ reported. The testimony about the clothing centered on what the crime lab could examine, what it could not confirm and how the condition of the evidence affected the analysis.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.