Singer D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, has been identified as the primary focus of a grand jury investigation into the death of 14-year-classic Celeste Rivas Hernandez, according to recently unsealed court documents. The case has drawn significant attention as authorities piece together the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s disappearance, and death.
Court filings reveal that the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has designated the musician as a “target” in its inquiry. Documents submitted in Texas, where D4vd’s family resides, sought testimony from his father, Dawud Burke, his mother, Colleen Burke, and his brother, Caleb Burke, beginning on February 11. The filings allege D4vd “may be involved in having committed” murder.
Details disclosed in the filings paint a disturbing picture of the condition of Rivas’s remains when discovered on September 8, 2025, at a Hollywood impound yard. “When the front storage compartment was opened, detectives observed a black cadaver bag covered with insects and a strong odor of decay,” the documents stated. “Utilizing black latex gloves, detectives partially unzipped the bag and observed a decomposed head and torso.”
Investigators found that the victim’s arms and legs had been severed from her body, and were contained in a second cadaver bag discovered underneath the first. The filings detailed the grim discovery, stating that “a second black bag was discovered underneath the cadaver bag. Upon opening the second bag, the dismembered body parts were discovered.”
The records were initially sealed in California but became public through proceedings in a Texas appellate court related to the family’s attempts to avoid compelled testimony. Prosecutors described the family members as having “a close relationship” with D4vd. When the family challenged the subpoenas as overly broad, a Texas prosecutor urged a judge to uphold the California requests during a February 2 hearing in Waller County, according to a transcript.
“I would say if a car with a dismembered, decomposing body is registered to your home address, that is something you should expect to be questioned by the authorities about. And that’s what this is, judge,” Waller County Assistant DA Bennett Dodson argued. “So I’m asking this court to find [that the family witnesses] are necessary and material. I’m asking you to find that it will not cause them undue hardship.”
The First District Court of Appeals in Texas denied petitions for habeas corpus filed by all three family members, which sought to overturn a lower court ruling requiring their testimony in California. Although, the legal battle continues, according to an attorney representing the Burke family.
“Although the Court of Appeals denied our writ, later that day, we filed a subsequent writ in a higher court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals,” attorney Kent A. Schaffer said in an email. “They agreed with us and issued a stay of the lower court’s order, which commanded the Burkes’ appearance in California. That matter is still pending in the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.”
Authorities reported discovering a body in the trunk of the musician’s Tesla in September, noting the advanced state of decomposition required a full week to identify the victim as Celeste Rivas. The 14-year-old had been reported missing by her family in February and April 2024.
In November, Los Angeles Police Det. Joshua Byers described the case as a “murder investigation” and requested a court order to prevent the release of Rivas’ autopsy findings, arguing it could compromise the investigation. The request was granted, and the medical examiner’s findings were sealed by a judge, the Los Angeles Times reported.
D4vd, who rose to prominence on TikTok with hits like “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me” in 2022, achieved platinum-selling success. The deluxe edition of his debut album, Withered, was shelved, and the remaining dates of his U.S. Tour were cancelled as the investigation unfolded. The case has sent shockwaves through the music industry and prompted widespread discussion about the circumstances surrounding Rivas Hernandez’s death.
This story was updated on February 26 at 1:54 a.m. ET with a statement from the Burke family’s attorney.
