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Singer D4vd is now identified as a suspect in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose decomposed remains were found in the trunk of a Tesla registered in his name, as NBC News and ABC report.
NBC News cited a source at the Los Angeles Police Department with direct knowledge of the investigation as saying that D4vd – real name David Anthony Burke – has not been charged with any crime. There have been no arrests so far and the investigation is ongoing, according to ABC.
A representative for D4vd did not immediately respond to ROLLING STONE’s request for comment.
Investigations and current status
Burke was out of state on a national concert tour when news broke on Sept. 8 that human remains had been recovered from his Tesla. Rivas Hernandez’s body was discovered after employees at a Hollywood tow yard reported that the vehicle gave off a “strong odor and attracted flies,” according to a search warrant affidavit obtained by ROLLING STONE.
Rivas Hernandez, who would have been 15 the day before the discovery, had been reported missing several times in 2024, according to online missing person reports. According to TMZ, the teen’s mother said her daughter had a “boyfriend” named David; Photos and videos purporting to show Rivas Hernandez and Burke in close proximity are circulating on social media.
The seized Tesla had been towed from an affluent area in the Hollywood Hills. Residents had previously told ROLLING STONE that the car had been seen in various parts of the neighborhood. Sources in the neighborhood said the vehicle sat there for at least three weeks before it was finally towed.
Background on Rivas Hernandez
After Rivas Hernandez was identified, law enforcement searched a home on Doheny Place, a street away from where the car was towed. The homeowner later confirmed to Rolling Stone that the property was rented to Burke’s manager Josh Marshall in February 2024.
Burke, 20, has not publicly commented on the teen’s death. A day after Rivas Hernandez’s remains were discovered, the platinum-selling singer performed at a show in Minneapolis. The remainder of his tour was later canceled, and fashion brands Crocs and Hollister withdrew a campaign in which Burke modeled a joint collection of the popular brands.