D4vd Named as ‘Target’ in Celeste Rivas Hernandez Murder Investigation

Singer D4vd, born David Anthony Burke, has been formally identified as the “target” of a grand jury investigation into the alleged homicide of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, according to recently unsealed court documents obtained by Rolling Stone.

A petition included as an exhibit in a 151-page filing by lawyers representing D4vd’s parents and brother states that the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office identified the singer as the target of its grand jury inquiry. The document, filed in Texas without the sealing protections applied in California, sought grand jury testimony from D4vd’s father, Dawud Burke, on Feb. 11, and described D4vd as someone who “may be involved in having committed” a crime listed as “one count of murder.”

The filing also disclosed new details about the condition of Rivas’s remains when investigators opened the trunk of D4vd’s towed Tesla at an impound yard on Sept. 8, 2025. “When the front storage compartment was opened, detectives observed a black cadaver bag covered with insects and a strong odor of decay,” the document said. “Utilizing black latex gloves, detectives partially unzipped the bag and observed a decomposed head and torso.”

The filing said that once investigators removed the first cadaver bag from the trunk, “it was discovered the arms and legs had been severed from the body.” It said 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 originally filed under seal in California before being made public through a Texas Appellate proceeding tied to the family’s efforts to avoid compelled testimony. The musician’s mother, Colleen Burke, and his brother, Caleb Burke, were also subpoenaed on Jan. 15 to testify in person. The filing identified Dawud Burke as someone who “has a close relationship” with D4vd.

The First District Court of Appeals in Texas denied habeas corpus petitions from all three family members that sought to overturn a lower court ruling requiring them to testify in California. Attempts to reach lawyers for the Burke family were not immediately successful on Wednesday.

After authorities reported that a “severely decomposed” body was found in the trunk of the musician’s Tesla in September, the victim’s body had deteriorated to such a degree that it took medical examiners a full week to identify her as Celeste Rivas. The 14-year-old was reported missing by her family in February and April 2024.

The following November, Los Angeles Police Det. Joshua Byers characterized the case as an “investigation into murder” and requested a court order preventing the release of Rivas’ autopsy findings. Byers argued public release of details surrounding Rivas’ death could jeopardize the homicide investigation and had to be protected, the Los Angeles Times reported. The request was granted by a judge, who ordered that the ME’s findings be sealed.

D4vd, a platinum-selling artist who gained international popularity on TikTok, broke through in 2022 with his singles “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me. The deluxe edition of his debut album, Withered, was shelved, and the remaining dates of his U.S. tour were cancelled amid the ongoing investigation.