Singer D4vd is target of L.A. County grand jury investigation into teen’s death, according to court documents

Singer D4vd is Subject of L.A. County Grand Jury Inquiry into Teen’s Death, Per Court Records

A Los Angeles County grand jury is examining the circumstances surrounding the death of a 14-year-old girl, Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose remains were discovered in the front trunk of D4vd’s car last year. The investigation, as detailed in court filings, centers on allegations that the singer, David Anthony Burke, may have been linked to her demise.

Hernandez went missing from Lake Elsinore, California, in 2024. Her dismembered body parts were found on September 8 at a Hollywood vehicle impound lot. Officers were alerted by a manager who noticed a strong scent of decay and the presence of flies near the car, which had been left unattended on a Los Angeles street. The vehicle was reported abandoned in August and later towed after being cited by the Department of Transportation.

As per court documents, D4vd’s parents, Colleen and Dawud Burke, were summoned to appear before the grand jury on February 11. His father is expected to testify as part of the inquiry, while the singer himself remains uncharged. A police source confirmed that D4vd was identified as a suspect in Hernandez’s death but noted his lack of cooperation with investigators.

“Detectives approached the vehicle, which was parked on the upper deck of the impound lot, and immediately noticed a smell of decaying biological material consistent with a decomposing corpse coming from the front storage compartment of the vehicle,” the documents state.

Inside the trunk, authorities uncovered a black cadaver bag covered in insects. When unzipped, the bag revealed a decomposed head and torso, with a second bag containing additional body parts. The discovery prompted D4vd to cancel the remainder of his U.S. tour following the news of Hernandez’s death.

D4vd’s legal team has not yet commented on the case. However, in September, his representative claimed he was “fully cooperating with authorities.” A correction issued on February 25, 2026, clarified that the victim was 14 years old, not 15, as previously stated.

Minyvonne Burke, a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News, authored the original report.