The Celeste Rivas Hernandez Case | Runaway Found Dead in Tesla Trunk

In this episode of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum is joined by attorney Joshua Schiffer to examine the case of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Celeste, a runaway, was found decomposing in the trunk of an abandoned Tesla registered to a rising star named David. They review what is currently known about the investigation and discuss the disturbing connections between Celeste and David, including their matching “shhh” tattoos and a song released on her birthday that now carries chilling significance. They also question how a 13-year-old could vanish for nearly two years, raising concerns about communal responsibility and the protection of vulnerable youth.

Joshua Schiffer is a veteran attorney and one of the Southeast’s most respected legal voices. He is a founder at ChancoSchiffer P.C., where he has litigated high-stakes criminal, civil rights, and personal injury cases for over two decades. Known for his bold courtroom presence and ability to clearly explain complex legal issues, Schiffer is a frequent contributor to Zone 7 and a fearless advocate for accountability.

Highlights:

• (0:00) Sheryl welcomes Joshua Schiffer and introduces the case of Celeste Rivas Hernandez
• (1:45) The discovery of the body in the abandoned Tesla and the first red flags
• (3:00) Tesla technology, surveillance footage, and how modern cars track everything
• (7:15) Celeste's background: How does a 13-year-old vanish without support or detection?
• (9:30) Fan culture and the personal connection between Celeste and the singer
• (11:30) The silence of family, neighbors, schools, and systems that failed her
• (19:30) "You’ve got a head and a torso of a 15-year-old in a Tesla.” Examining decomposition, concealment, and the physical evidence left behind
• (21:30) Third-party defense strategies and future courtroom challenges
• (28:15) A tribute to Celeste, a plea for societal change, and a closing quote from “Romantic Homicide”

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Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award-winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnline, forensic and crime scene expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and co-author of the textbook Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. She is the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a national collaboration that advances techniques for solving cold cases and assists families and law enforcement with unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnappings.

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