D4vd Named 'Target' in Grand Jury Murder Probe After Dismembered 14-Year-Old Was Found in His Tesla

Unsealed court documents from Texas identify D4vd by his legal name, David Burke, as the "Target" of a Los Angeles County criminal grand jury investigation into the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a development that corroborates earlier accounts and has intensified legal and investigative activity.

D4vd named 'Target' in unsealed Texas court documents

The court filings, unsealed in Texas where David Burke is from and where his family still lives, refer to Burke repeatedly as "Target" and state that the Target "may be involved in having committed the following criminal offenses: One Count of Murder. " The petitions further identify the 14-year-old victim as Celeste Rivas Hernandez and state she "may have been a victim of foul play. "

What investigators found in the Tesla

Documents describe the discovery of Hernandez's body late last year, decomposing inside the front storage compartment of David Burke's Tesla after the vehicle was towed to a Hollywood tow lot. When detectives opened the front trunk they found a black cadaver bag covered with insects and a strong odor of decay. Investigators partially unzipped the bag and found a decomposed head and torso.

Criminalists and medical examiners processed the remains. Upon removing the cadaver bag from the front storage compartment, investigators found that the arms and legs had been severed from the body. A second black bag was discovered beneath the first; opening it revealed additional dismembered body parts. The documents describe those details as gruesome and disturbing.

Search warrant, timeline and grand jury activity

Investigators were granted a search warrant to inspect the Tesla on Sept. 8 after a tow yard worker noticed a rotting smell coming from the vehicle. The matter has been treated as an active criminal investigation: prosecutors began presenting evidence to a grand jury in November, with that panel described in filings as an investigative grand jury. Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman issued subpoenas on Jan. 15, and Superior Court Judge Craig Richman approved them.

Subpoenas, witnesses and legal fights over testimony

The grand jury subpoenas seek to bring Burke's father, mother and brother to Los Angeles to testify. The petitions name the family members and identify Burke as "Target David Burke. " The family challenged the subpoenas in Texas courts. The First Court of Appeals in Texas denied petitions from the three Burke family members on Feb. 9 that sought to avoid compliance with the subpoenas.

Since prosecutors began presenting evidence, numerous witnesses have been called, including one of the musician's managers. A friend identified in filings as Neo Langston was arrested in Montana after ignoring a subpoena and was recently compelled to return to Los Angeles to testify.

Family, court record details and procedural notes

Court records identify the family members by name: father Dawud Burke, mother Colleen Burke and brother Caleb Burke, all residing in Texas. A Texas appeals court footnote references the singer's legal name and states the underlying case caption as 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. The filings note that there is no public case with that name and that grand jury proceedings remain confidential.

The family's legal team has said they are still fighting the appearance and argue that their due process rights are being violated. At the same time, filings state that lawyers for the trio could not be reached for comment. Requests for comment to D4vd's publicist have not been answered.

Investigation status and remaining uncertainties

Although the Los Angeles Police Department has publicly declined to label the death a homicide, a recent court filing characterizes the matter as "an investigation into murder. " Prosecutors presented evidence to the grand jury beginning in November and many witnesses have been called since then. Detectives have spent months investigating the circumstances surrounding the girl, unclear in the provided context.

These unsealed Texas documents have added legal clarity about who investigators have identified as the Target and have documented the forensic details found in the Tesla, while brisk court activity and continuing witness testimony indicate the matter is ongoing and procedural rulings will shape what testimony reaches the grand jury.