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Despite the teen's body being found in a Tesla trunk registered under D4vd's name and alleged pieces of evidence linking the singer with the teen, authorities have yet to name him as a person of interest.
The teen's dismembered body, who was later identified as Celeste Rivas, was found in the Tesla that was abandoned in an impound lot in LA on September 8. The car had never been reported stolen.
It was also revealed that Celeste, who had been missing for over a year, had a matching "Shhh..." tattoo with D4vd, and her mother revealed that she was dating someone called David before she disappeared.
The 20-year-old singer, best known for his breakout hit Romantic Homicide, initially continued touring; however, he cancelled the rest of his US shows after a week.
On September 17, police also searched a Hollywood Hills home that was presumably rented by the singer, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, and collected some electronic devices as evidence.
The house has since been cleared out by the movers.
Amid the public's confusion about D4vd's not being arrested yet, legal experts shared with the Daily Mail that the situation is not unusual, and the arrest warrant comes down to autopsy.
"This is often standard operating procedure; the medical examiner needs to confirm that this was a homicide before any official charges are filed," said Kevin Angelo Brown, a criminologist and professor at Arkansas State University.
Brown added that while transporting a body in such a manner could result in charges, such as obstruction of justice or improper disposal of human remains, prosecutors cannot pursue murder charges without forensic confirmation.
Authorities have yet to reveal when and how Celeste passed away.
Yosi Yahoudai, co-founder and managing partner at &Y Law, also highlighted the importance of autopsy.
Yahoudai explained, "Until the cause and manner of death are confirmed, police can't legally call this a homicide."
Furthermore, Brown noted that time also plays a crucial role.
"For homicides where the body is found significantly after the time of death, it can take longer to get enough evidence to make an arrest," he said.
Police are believed to be gathering forensic evidence from the vehicle and from items seized in the raid, including potential electronics.
Brown said determining the date of Celeste's death will be critical to ruling suspects in or out, as it could establish an alibi or a direct link to D4vd.
At this stage, experts say most of what authorities have is circumstantial.
The matching tattoo, a rumoured romantic relationship and a leaked track titled Celeste have raised suspicions; however, they are not evidence of murder.
Besides that, new surveillance footage of Celeste has also emerged from weeks before she disappeared. Authorities have revealed that the teen often used to run from home that has been described as "troubled".
Moreover, Brown suggested that lyrics and imagery in D4vd's music videos could be thoroughly inspected if the case reaches trial.
He pointed to the video for One More Dance, which shows a body being dragged into a trunk, and Rehab, which depicts a girl's arm being cut off.
As the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner works to confirm the cause and manner of Celeste's death, experts caution that the case could shift quickly once forensic evidence is analysed.
