D4vd named as 'target' in grand jury murder probe; d4vd linked to dismembered teen found in Tesla
Newly unsealed Texas court documents identify the singer D4vd as the "Target" in an investigation into the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez and describe gruesome evidence found in the front storage compartment of his Tesla. The filings also refer to d4vd by his legal name, David Burke, and seek to bring members of his family to Los Angeles to testify before a grand jury.
D4vd identified as "Target" in Texas filings
The petitions unsealed in Texas refer to David Burke by the label "Target, " saying, "Target may be involved in having committed the following criminal offenses...: One Count of Murder. " The same filings add that "Target may be involved in the death of 14-year-old victim Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who may have been a victim of foul play. " The documents were filed out of the state where Burke is from and where his family still lives.
Petitions seek Burke family testimony before Los Angeles grand jury
The unsealed papers include requests for Burke's father, mother and brother to travel to Los Angeles to testify in front of a grand jury. Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman issued subpoenas on Jan. 15 that were approved by Superior Court Judge Craig Richman. The petitions were part of a legal challenge brought by the singer's family in Texas, and the First Court of Appeals in Texas on Feb. 9 denied petitions from the three Burke family members to ignore the subpoenas.
The filings name Burke's father as Dawud, his mother as Colleen and his brother as Caleb, and court records show the three reside in Texas. The family's attorneys have argued that their due process rights are being violated and are still fighting the appearance in Los Angeles. Lawyers for the trio could not be reached for comment.
Gruesome discovery in front trunk of Tesla at Hollywood tow lot
The filings say the decomposing remains of Celeste Rivas Hernandez were found inside David Burke's Tesla late last year after the vehicle was towed from a street in Hollywood and parked at a tow lot. Investigators were granted a search warrant to examine the vehicle on Sept. 8 after a tow yard worker noticed a rotting smell emanating from the car.
When Los Angeles police opened the front storage compartment, the documents say they discovered "a black cadaver bag covered with insects and a strong odor of decay. " Detectives partially unzipped that bag and found a decomposed head and torso. Criminalists and medical examiners then processed the remains.
Dismemberment and evidence in two black bags
The unsealed subpoenas describe that, "Upon removing the cadaver bag from the front storage compartment, it was discovered the arms and legs had been severed from the body. " Investigators found a second black bag beneath the first; "Upon opening the second bag, the dismembered body parts were discovered. " The filings note the body parts were located in two separate bags in the front storage compartment.
Although the Los Angeles Police Department has publicly declined to classify the death as a homicide, the court paperwork and an LAPD detective's filing refer to the matter as an investigation into murder. Prosecutors began presenting evidence to a grand jury in November, described at the time as an investigative grand jury.
Witnesses, arrests and the ongoing probe
Months of investigative work have included numerous witnesses being called before the grand jury, among them one of the musician's managers. A friend of Burke's, Neo Langston, was arrested in Montana after ignoring a subpoena and was subsequently required to return to Los Angeles to testify. The filings note that prosecutors have continued to pursue testimony and evidence as the probe proceeds.
The unsealed Texas court notes also reference an underlying matter styled "The People of the State of California v. David Burke, " pending in the 506th District Court of Waller County, Texas, with Judge Gary W. Chaney presiding, while acknowledging that there is no public case with that name because grand jury proceedings are confidential. The documents and the ongoing subpoenas represent an escalation in a matter that began drawing investigative attention in November, after the discovery of Celeste Rivas Hernandez's remains.
D4vd's publicist had not responded to requests for comment.
