Police are investigating the musician after the body of teenage girl Celeste Rivas Hernandez was discovered in a Tesla reportedly registered in his name earlier this month
On September 8, the body of a teenage girl was discovered in an impounded Tesla registered to artist d4vd (birth name David Anthony Burke).
The Los Angeles county medical examiner’s office confirmed on September 16 that the body has been identified as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. She was reported missing from her home in Lake Elsinore over a year ago, and was 13 at the time.
Here’s everything we know about the case so far.
WHO IS D4VD?
d4vd is a 20-year-old American singer and songwriter. He began sharing his music on SoundCloud before officially releasing the single “Romantic Homicide” in July 2022 after snippets of the song went viral on TikTok. The song charted at No. 3 on the Hot Alternative Songs charts.
Since then, d4vd’s career has gone from strength to strength: he opened for SZA on her ‘S.O.S. tour’ and performed at the Valentino Men’s SS24 Fashion Week show in Milan.
He released his latest album Withered earlier this year, and was on a world tour to promote the album when Hernandez’s body was discovered.
WHAT HAPPENED?
On September 8, police were called to a towing and impounding firm in Los Angeles after reports of a foul smell coming from an impounded Tesla.
A body was subsequently found in the car’s front trunk. Multiple reports claim the body was “dismembered and wrapped in plastic” and that the victim had been deceased “for an extended period of time before being found”.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office confirmed on September 16 that the body was that of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who would be 15 years old if she were still alive (Hernandez was 13 when she went missing in Lake Elsinore, southeast of Los Angeles, in April 2024).
Several local news outlets have reported that the vehicle was registered to d4vd. Police told the Los Angeles Times that the car was towed from the Bird Streets neighbourhood in the Hollywood Hills, where it had been abandoned earlier this month.
The artist has not been formally named as a suspect.
WHO IS THE VICTIM?
Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who would be 15 if still alive, has been named as the victim. Hernandez was reported missing from her home in Lake Elsinore, southwest of Los Angeles, in April 2024.
It’s still unclear exactly how Hernandez and d4vd are connected. One TMZ article reported that one of Hernandez’s former teachers had said the teenager first met d4vd through social media.
TMZ reported on September 17 that its reporters had spoken to Hernandez’s mother, who claimed her daughter had a boyfriend named David. She also flagged that her daughter had “Shhh…” tattooed on the inside of her right index finger, with TMZ subsequently reporting that d4vd has a similar tattoo.
TMZ also reports that d4vd had recorded a song that mentions someone named Celeste, including the lyrics, “Be my valentine / I wanna make you be suicidal / These are the kind of thoughts that cross my mind, just because” and “Oh, Celeste / The girl with my name tattooed on her chest / Smell her on my clothes like cigarettes / Hear her voice each time I take a breath / I’m obsessed.”
WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW?
Hernandez’s cause of death is yet to be determined. The Los Angeles Police Department have been searching the Hollywood Hills home where d4vd had been staying.
d4vd is reportedly cooperating with authorities and has cancelled his world tour in light of the news.
Hollister and Crocs, who had collaborated with d4vd, have removed campaign content featuring him while the investigation is ongoing. Artist Kali Uchis has also stated that she is in the process of removing “Crashing”, a song where she collaborated with d4vd, from streaming services.
Hernandez’s family have started a GoFundMe in light of the news. “As many of you know, Celeste Rivas Hernandez has been identified as the body found last week,” reads a statement on the donation page. “She was a beloved daughter, sister, cousin, and friend. Her family is heartbroken and devastated by this tragic loss. They are seeking help to lay her body to rest. Any funds you are able to donate are greatly appreciated.”