Singer D4vd is target of L.A. County grand jury investigation into teen's death, according to court documents

This version of Singer D4vd Target Los Angeles Grand Jury Investigation Rcna260705 - Breaking News | NBC News Clone was adapted by NBC News Clone to help readers digest key facts more efficiently.

Both of the singer's parents, Colleen and Dawud Burke, were ordered to appear before a Los Angeles County grand jury.
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Singer D4vd is the target of a Los Angeles County grand jury investigation into the death of a teenage girl whose dismembered remains were found last year in the trunk of his car, according to court filings.

The filings state a grand jury investigation is pending in Los Angeles County involving allegations that D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, “may be involved in the death of a 14-year-old victim” identified as Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who was reported missing from Lake Elsinore, California, in 2024.

The filings state that Hernandez "may have been the victim of foul play."

A Los Angeles Police Department source with direct knowledge of the investigation previously said that the singer was a suspect in Hernandez’s death. He has not been arrested or charged with any crime.

Both of the singer's parents, Colleen and Dawud Burke, were ordered to appear before a Los Angeles grand jury scheduled for Feb. 11, according to court documents. They live in Texas.

His father was asked to appear as a witness in the investigation, the documents state.

D4vd.
D4vd on Aug. 1, 2024, in Chicago.Josh Brasted / FilmMagic via Getty Images file

Hernandez's remains were found Sept. 8 inside the front trunk of the singer's Tesla at a Hollywood tow lot. The manager called officers to report a "strong smell of decay" coming from the vehicle and the presence of flies, the court documents state.

"Detectives approached the vehicle which was parked on the upper deck of the impound lot and immediately noticed a smell of decaying biological material consistent with a decomposing corpse coming from the front storage compartment of the vehicle," the documents say.

Inside the trunk was a black cadaver bag covered with insects. Officers unzipped the bag and found a decomposed head and torso, according to the documents. A second black bag was also in the trunk, containing additional dismembered body parts.

The car was taken to the tow lot after it was left abandoned on a Los Angeles street. A citizen reported the abandoned vehicle in August.

The documents state that the Department of Transportation marked the vehicle and issued a citation before impounding it. D4vd was on tour at the time the car was impounded, the court documents state.

Following news of Hernandez’s death, he canceled the rest of his U.S. tour.

D4vd's lawyers have not responded to multiple requests for comment. In September, his spokesperson said he was "fully cooperating with authorities." A police source told NBC Los Angeles that the singer has not been cooperative.

CORRECTION (Feb. 25, 2026, 6:20 p.m.): A previous version of this article misquoted a section of the grand jury filings regarding the victim’s age. The filings say Celeste Rivas Hernandez was 14, not 15.

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