CONTENT WARNING: The following article contains details of human remains.
An ongoing Los Angeles County grand jury probe is focusing on singer D4vd in connection to the death of a 14-year-old girl. The girl’s decomposed body was discovered last year inside an abandoned Tesla linked to the singer, court records revealed.
Legal documents indicate that prosecutors have identified the 20-year-old alt-pop artist, born in Houston as David Burke, as the subject of the investigation. Grand jury subpoenas issued on Jan. 15 requested testimony from three of his family members.
The contents of these documents, initially sealed in California, were made public following a legal challenge in Texas by the singer’s mother, father, and brother.
The papers suggest that the “target” may have committed a violation of California state laws, specifically a charge of Murder.
Tesla Linked to Singer, Court Papers Allege
According to court filings, the Tesla was registered under D4vd’s name at the residence of his relatives who were summoned to testify.
Although authorities have refrained from officially naming D4vd as a suspect, the body of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, found on Sept. 8, was identified as a 14-year-old in the court documents. She had been reported missing by her family in 2024 when she was 13 years old.
Police examining the 2023 Tesla Model Y at a tow yard discovered a decaying cadaver bag infested with insects and emitting a strong odor of decomposition, according to the subpoena.
“Detectives opened the bag partially and observed a decomposed head and torso inside,” the document stated.
Officials from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office were called to the scene.
“Upon removing the cadaver bag from the front storage compartment, it was discovered that the body’s arms and legs had been separated,” the document described. “A second bag beneath the first contained the dismembered body parts.”
Representatives for D4vd did not respond to requests for comment, and the District Attorney’s Office declined to provide any statements.
A Texas judge ruled that the family members must comply with the subpoenas and testify in California.
Abandoned Vehicle Discovery
The Tesla had been towed from an affluent Hollywood Hills neighborhood where it was abandoned, prompting further investigation.
Although D4vd continued performing concerts after the discovery, he eventually canceled his remaining shows and a European tour as his involvement in the case became widely known.
Prior reports from the Medical Examiner’s Office indicated the body was severely decomposed, suggesting Rivas Hernandez had been deceased for a considerable period.
In November, a court order prevented the release of the autopsy findings by Los Angeles police, leaving the cause of death undisclosed.
D4vd gained popularity for his music blending indie rock, R&B, and lo-fi pop. His song “Romantic Homicide” went viral on TikTok in 2022, reaching No. 4 on Billboard’s hot rock and alternative songs chart. He signed with Darkroom and Interscope Records, releasing his debut EP “Petals to Thorns” and subsequent album “The Lost Petals” in 2023.
At the time of the discovery, D4vd was touring to support his first full-length album, “Withered.” However, subsequent shows in North America and Europe were canceled following the incident.
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