PI Steve Fischer tells us he’s currently examining items and evidence to determine whether they have any relevance to the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez

As Los Angeles previously reported, the owner of the Hollywood Hills mansion recently searched by the LAPD has retained a private investigator amid growing frustration over the lack of public progress in the investigation into the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Malden Trifunovic, who owns the $4.1 million property, initially declined to name the private investigator but confirmed exclusively to Los Angeles on October 15 that he had hired Steve Fischer. We reached out to Fischer to get a better idea of his scope of work amid the LAPD investigation. 

I can confirm I am the private investigator retained by Malden Trifunovic. #Celesterivashernandez #Celesterivas #D4vd https://t.co/s7CtoD1rAu

— SF INVESTIGATES • STEVE FISCHER (@SF_investigates) October 15, 2025

“My job is to collect evidence through more non-traditional means than what might have been covered in a search warrant,” Fischer tells Los Angeles. “It’s my job to speak with people who were in — or close to — the circle that knew David and Celeste, tracking down surveillance footage that may not have been previously known to exist, and examining certain items in our possession but were not taken into custody. Our goal is to determine whether those items have any relevance to what happened to Celeste or if they were meant to conceal her death. We’ve been fully transparent with the LAPD and continue to share any significant findings in near real time.”

Trifunovic said his home was “placed at the center of a serious investigation” and that he wanted “clear answers for our family.” In mid-September, detectives raided the house after extracting Rivas Hernandez’s decomposed remains from the front trunk of the impounded Tesla, which had been registered to D4vd (whose real name is David Anthony Burke). Rivas Hernandez had first gone missing from her Lake Elsinore residence in early 2024 at age 13. 

During the search, LAPD officers collected evidence, but investigators have since offered little in the way of updates. Trifunovic has expressed that he was unaware that D4vd lived at the residence until after the case became public. He acknowledged that nothing in or around the home “seemed off” at the time, but said he wanted the PI to conduct an independent review of the circumstances. 

The body of Rivas Hernandez was discovered in a Tesla registered to singer D4vd on September 8th. Meanwhile, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman told the media the case still lies with the LAPD and has not been formally submitted to his office.

When asked about the investigation at an unrelated press appearance, DA Hochman told TMZ he could offer no comment because the matter has not officially been transferred to his jurisdiction. He also declined to address speculation about suspects, including D4vd himself. “It’s a continuing investigation,” he said. 

No arrests or charges have been made. The case remains active and under investigation by the LAPD.

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