D4vd became the primary focus of Los Angeles County prosecutors investigating the brutal murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas-Hernandez after court documents confirmed his status as the investigation’s central target.
The rising music artist, known for hits like “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me,” now faces potential murder charges, according to unsealed court filings obtained by LA Magazine.
Celeste’s dismembered remains were discovered on September 8, 2025, inside a cadaver bag hidden in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to David Burke, D4vd’s legal name.
Police found the abandoned vehicle days earlier after tow yard employees reported a strong odor of decomposition.
Detectives obtained a search warrant and located the teenager’s decomposed head and torso in one cadaver bag, with additional severed body parts found in a second black bag beneath it.
LAPD Detective Alex Alas traveled to Texas court hearings in January and February as California authorities moved to compel D4vd’s family members to testify before a Los Angeles County grand jury.
Burke’s father, Dawud, mother, Colleen, and brother, Caleb, were served subpoenas requiring their appearance on February 11, 2026.
The family challenged the subpoenas in Texas courts, with Dawud Burke filing a petition for a writ of habeas corpus, arguing that the subpoenas violated his constitutional due process rights.
His attorneys claimed key portions establishing why his testimony was “material and necessary” were redacted from documents they received.
Texas courts initially denied the writ, but the Burke family’s attorney, Kent Schaffer, confirmed they filed an appeal with the Court of Criminal Appeals, which granted a motion to stay the lower court’s order.
According to TMZ reports, Celeste’s body was frozen, making it unlikely the L.A. County Medical Examiner can determine an exact cause of death.
Grand jury proceedings remain ongoing, and authorities have not announced whether an indictment has been returned in the case.
