Newly unsealed court filings show that U.S. singer D4vd, real name David Anthony Burke, is the focus of a grand jury investigation into the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose remains were discovered in his car in September 2025.
The documents were released after D4vd’s family were summoned by a California court to testify before the grand jury. D4vd’s father, Dawud Burke, challenged the summons in Texas, including portions of previously undisclosed material from the California case in his filings.
The court papers confirm that D4vd is a «target» of the investigation and could face proceedings for one count of murder. He has not been charged or officially named as a suspect, and no indictment has been issued. Grand jury proceedings remain ongoing.
D4vd, who released his debut album in April 2025, has not commented on the case, though his representatives said he is cooperating with authorities.
Discovery of remains
On September 8, 2025, investigators found the decomposed head and torso of Celeste Rivas Hernandez in a cadaver bag in the front boot of a Tesla registered to D4vd’s Texas address. Severed arms and legs were discovered in a separate black bag, according to court filings.
Rivas Hernandez, from Lake Elsinore, California, had been missing since April 2024. Police reported that the body showed signs of having been deceased for several weeks. The discovery followed complaints of a foul odour at a Hollywood tow yard.
Family subpoena dispute
The filings outline that prosecutors viewed testimony from D4vd’s family as «material and necessary» to the investigation. However, Dawud Burke, his wife Colleen, and son Caleb argued that the subpoena violated their due process rights, citing redacted information in the court notice.
«The Court ordered Mr. Burke to travel across the country to appear before a California grand jury without ever allowing him to see the full documents that justified the extraordinary compulsion,» Dawud Burke’s attorney said.
Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department travelled to Texas to bring the family to California for testimony.
Security hold on the case
The Los Angeles County medical examiner imposed a security hold on the investigation in November, preventing the release of information about Rivas Hernandez’s death. Chief Medical Examiner Dr Odey Ukpo said such security holds are «virtually unheard of in other counties» and have not been shown to improve legal outcomes.
The unsealed filings provide the most detailed public information about the case so far, revealing key aspects of the ongoing investigation that has remained largely secret.
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