D4vd is ‘target’ of grand jury murder probe after dismembered teen found in his Tesla
The singer known professionally as D4vd is identified in court documents as the target of a Los Angeles County criminal jury investigation into the death of a teenage girl, a development that has prompted subpoenas for his family and renewed scrutiny of grisly evidence found inside his Tesla. d4vd is named in filings that describe a potential murder charge and outline forensic findings from the vehicle where the girl's remains were recovered.
D4vd named as ‘Target David Burke’ in grand jury subpoenas
Court documents describe the musician—whose legal name is David Burke—as “Target David Burke” and state he may have committed a criminal offense in California, “to wit: One count of Murder. ” The subpoenas sought testimony from Burke’s father, mother and brother and were issued as part of criminal jury proceedings in Los Angeles County. The subpoenas became central to a legal challenge filed by Burke’s family in Texas.
Discovery in the Tesla: what investigators found
The documents detail that investigators opened the front storage compartment of a 2023 Tesla Model Y and found a black cadaver bag covered with insects and emitting a strong odor of decay. Detectives partially unzipped the bag and observed a decomposed head and torso; upon removing the bag, they discovered the arms and legs had been severed. A second black bag beneath the first contained additional dismembered body parts. Criminalists and medical examiners processed the remains at the scene.
Victim identity, age and missing-person timeline
The victim is identified in the documents as Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Authorities state she was 14 when killed. The Tesla in which her body was found was registered to Burke and was towed after being left in an upscale neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills. The vehicle was searched under a warrant issued for a September 8 search after a tow yard worker noticed a rotting smell emanating from the car. The body was found on September 8, 2025—described in filings as one day after the victim would have turned 15. Her family had reported her missing from Lake Elsinore in 2024; Lake Elsinore is noted in filings as about 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles.
Legal maneuvers: subpoenas, appeals and court actions
Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman issued the subpoenas on January 15, with Superior Court Judge Craig Richman approving them. The First Court of Appeals in Texas on February 9 denied petitions from Burke’s three family members seeking to ignore the subpoenas. A Texas appeals court footnote refers to an “underlying case” titled 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; there is no public criminal case bearing that name because grand jury proceedings are confidential. A Texas judge also ordered the family members to appear in California to testify and held they could not ignore the subpoenas.
d4vd, tour activity and witnesses called to testify
At the time the remains were discovered the singer was in the midst of a U. S. tour and performed several shows after the body was found; he later cancelled the remainder of his concerts and a planned European tour after his connection to the case became widely reported. Prosecutors began presenting evidence to a grand jury in November, described at the time as an investigative grand jury; that detail was conveyed by an individual who spoke on condition of anonymity. Since then, numerous witnesses have been called, including one of the musician’s managers. A friend of the singer, Neo Langston, was arrested in Montana after ignoring a subpoena and was recently returned to Los Angeles to testify.
Autopsy status, medical examiner and public statements
The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office had said only that the body was severely decomposed and that the victim had likely been dead for an extended period before discovery; no cause of death has been released. In November, police obtained a court order preventing the chief medical examiner, Dr. Odey Ukpo, from releasing the autopsy findings. Representatives for D4vd did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday, and they had not previously responded to inquiries from a news organization seeking comment. The singer’s family—father Dawud, mother Colleen and brother Caleb—reside in Texas, and their lawyers could not be reached for comment in the filings. Detectives have spent months investigating the circumstances surrounding the gir—unclear in the provided context.
Next steps and public status of the probe
The matter is described in recent filings as an investigation into murder, while the Los Angeles Police Department has publicly declined to characterize the death as a homicide. Grand jury proceedings remain confidential, and the legal process involving subpoenas, testimony and grand jury review is ongoing. Recent updates indicate the case continues to evolve and details may change as additional testimony and evidence are presented.
