Singer D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke, has become the focus of a Los Angeles County criminal grand jury investigation connected to the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The investigation intensified after the girl’s dismembered remains were discovered inside the front trunk of Burke’s Tesla, a development that halted the musician’s rising career and planned global tour.
The case began months after Celeste was reported missing. Her body was ultimately found when a tow yard worker noticed a strong odor coming from a Tesla that had been parked for weeks on a street in the Hollywood hills. Police obtained a search warrant on Sept. 8 and discovered a black cadaver bag in the vehicle’s front storage compartment. Investigators reported insects, a strong odor of decomposition, and a partially unzipped bag containing a decomposed head and torso. A second bag underneath contained severed arms and legs. Criminalists and medical examiners subsequently processed the remains.
Grand jury subpoenas issued Jan. 15 by Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman seek testimony from Burke’s father, mother, and brother, who live in Texas. The subpoenas describe Burke as a potential suspect — “Target David Burke” — in a possible California murder charge. The family challenged the subpoenas in Texas courts, but the First Court of Appeals denied their petitions on Feb. 9, compelling them to comply.
Although the Los Angeles Police Department has publicly avoided labeling the death a homicide, a detective referred to it as a murder investigation in court filings. Prosecutors began presenting evidence to an investigative grand jury in November, calling multiple witnesses, including one of Burke’s managers. A friend of the singer, Neo Langston, was arrested in Montana after failing to respond to a subpoena and was later required to return to Los Angeles to testify.
Court records indicate the underlying matter is titled The People of the State of California v. David Burke, though grand jury proceedings remain confidential. Detectives continue examining both the circumstances of Celeste’s death and her relationship with Burke.
Authorities believe the Tesla had been parked on Bluebird Avenue since late July, roughly when Burke began a national tour that was later canceled amid widespread media coverage of the investigation. Celeste’s remains were discovered the day after her 15th birthday, and police estimate she had been dead for several weeks. Officials have also disputed reports that the body had been decapitated or frozen.
The investigation remains ongoing.