Singer D4vd Named as Target in Grand Jury Investigation Into Teen's Death
Court documents have revealed that singer D4vd is the target of a Los Angeles County grand jury investigation into the killing of a 14-year-old girl. The decomposed body of Celeste Rivas Hernandez was discovered last year in a Tesla that had been towed from the Hollywood Hills.
Details of the Investigation and Subpoenas
Prosecutors describe the 20-year-old Houston-born alt-pop singer, whose legal name is David Burke, as the target of the investigation in grand jury subpoenas issued on January 15. The subpoenas seek to have three of his relatives testify. The documents were obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday and were initially sealed in California, where the grand jury investigation has been kept secret. However, they were made public through an appeal of the subpoenas in Texas by the singer's mother, father, and brother.
The documents state that the "Target may be involved in having committed the following criminal offenses against the laws of the State of California, to wit: One count of Murder." Authorities had not previously publicly named D4vd—pronounced "David"—as a suspect in the case.
Discovery of the Body and Gruesome Findings
The long-dead body of Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found on September 8, a day after she would have turned 15. She was a 13-year-old seventh grader when her family reported her missing in 2024 from her hometown of Lake Elsinore, approximately 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Authorities list her age as 14 at the time of her death in the court documents.
The subpoena details that police investigators searching the 2023 Tesla Model Y in a tow yard found a cadaver bag "covered with insects and a strong odor of decay." It further notes that "detectives partially unzipped the bag and observed a decomposed head and torso." Investigators from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office responded to the scene.
"Upon removing the cadaver bag from the front storage compartment, it was discovered the arms and legs had been severed from the body," the document states. "A second black bag was discovered underneath the cadaver bag. Upon opening the second bag, the dismembered body parts were discovered."
Responses and Legal Proceedings
Representatives for D4vd did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday, and they have not previously responded to emails seeking comment on the case. District attorney's representatives also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A judge in Texas ruled that the three family members could not ignore the subpoenas and must appear to testify.
The Tesla had been towed from an upscale neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills where it had been sitting, seemingly abandoned. D4vd was in the middle of a U.S. tour and continued to play several shows after the body was found. However, he eventually canceled the rest of his concerts and a European tour after his connection to the case became widely reported.
Background on the Case and D4vd's Career
The Medical Examiner's Office had previously stated only that the body was found severely decomposed and had likely been "deceased inside the vehicle for an extended period of time before being found." In November, Los Angeles police obtained a court order to prevent Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey Ukpo from releasing the findings of the autopsy. As a result, no cause of death and little else about the investigation has been revealed.
D4vd gained popularity among Gen Z fans for his blend of indie rock, R&B, and lo-fi pop. He went viral on TikTok in 2022 with the hit "Romantic Homicide," which peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. He then signed with Darkroom and Interscope Records and released his debut EP "Petals to Thorns" and a follow-up, "The Lost Petals," in 2023.
When the body was discovered, D4vd had been on tour in support of his first full-length album, "Withered." Later, the last two North American shows, in San Francisco and Los Angeles, along with a scheduled performance at LA's Grammy Museum, were canceled, as was the European tour that was set to begin in Norway.
