D4vd has been linked to a shocking discovery.
A Tesla registered to the “Romantic Homicide” singer (real name David Anthony Burke) was discovered on Sept. 8 to have human remains in its front trunk after the Los Angeles Police Department responded to reports of a foul odor emanating from the vehicle.
Just over one week later, the Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Office identified the remains as belonging to 15-year-old Celeste Rivas, who was reported missing on April 5, 2024.
Her cause of death was deferred, according to records from the medical examiner’s office obtained by E! News, and while her date of death was listed as Sept. 8—the day her body was discovered—authorities also shared it is suspected her body had been in the car for some time as it was “severely decomposed.”
D4vd—who is currently on a tour throughout North America and Europe for his debut album Withered— hasn’t spoken directly to the investigation, but a spokesperson for the 20-year-old confirmed to NBC News he had been “informed about what’s happened, and although he is still out on tour, he is fully cooperating with the authorities."
E! News has reached out to D4vd's rep for additional comment but has not yet heard back.
D4vd’s career took off within the last few years after he started to create his own music to score Fortnite videos he made for YouTube. He eventually moved to TikTok, where many of his songs went viral. Some of his early releases included “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me.” But D4vd never forgot his gaming roots.
In fact, just five days before Rivas’ body was discovered in his car, Fortnite shared D4vd had written the very first official anthem for the game, a song called “Locked & Loaded.”
“Fortnite has been such a big part of my life and it’s what led me to make music in the first place,” he told Variety in an interview published Sept. 4. “Being able to create the official anthem for Fortnite feels like a true full-circle moment. Fortnite gave me a space to be creative and connect with people all over the world, and that same energy is what I wanted to put into this track.”
He continued, “It’s more than a song—it’s me giving back to something that’s shaped my story as an artist. And even now, playing Fortnite is still my true passion.”
D4vd has been on his Withered World Tour amid the discovery of Rivas’ body. His Sept. 17 concert in Seattle following Rivas’ body being identified. He is scheduled to perform his next show in San Francisco Sept. 19.
For more on the singer and the case, keep reading.
Where is D4vd From?
Born in Queens, New York, D4vd (real name David Anthony Burke) moved to Houston, Texas, when he was 13 years old.
How Did D4vd Become Famous?
D4vd first began his career as a streamer, playing Fortnite and other games in an attempt to go viral on YouTube. When he ran into copyright infringement challenges with the music he was adding to his videos in 2021, he turned to his mom.
“I'm like crying to Mom about it,” he told Benny Blanco during an interview for Hero magazine in September 2024. “I'm like, Yo, I don't know what to do I'm not making any money anymore, blah blah blah.’ And she was on a phone, and she was like, ‘Just make your own music, go get out of my face.’ And I was like, ‘Wait a minute. I could probably do that.'"
From there, despite not having any musical experience other than singing for fun, D4vd downloaded an app on his phone and started making music. Soon, some of his songs went viral, and after more of his original music started to go viral on TikTok, his career began to really take off.
The 20-year-old eventually released his debut album, Withered, in April 2025, embarking on his first world tour shortly thereafter.
When Was the Body Found in D4vd’s Car?
On Sept. 8, the Los Angeles Police Department was called to a tow yard in Hollywood over reports of a foul odor coming from a vehicle, law enforcement sources told NBC News.
The LAPD found human remains wrapped in a bag hidden in the front trunk of a Tesla, which was registered in Hempstead, Texas, under D4vd’s real name, David Anthony Burke.
Police said the vehicle had been towed to the impound lot after it was abandoned in the Hollywood Hills.
Who Was the Victim Found in D4vd’s Car?
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office September 16 said the remains found in the Tesla were identified as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who had been reported missing on April 5, 2024. She was 13 years old at the time of her disappearance.
Her cause of death had been deferred, according to records from the Medical Examiner’s Office viewed by E! News on Sept. 17. Though her date of death was listed as September 8—the day her body was discovered—officials noted her body appeared to have been in the car for an extended period of time before its discovery and was “severely decomposed.”
What Has D4vd Said About the Investigation?
Following the discovery of Rivas Hernandez’s body, a spokesperson for D4vd said in a statement to NBC News that the singer "has been informed about what’s happened, and although he is still out on tour, he is fully cooperating with the authorities."
Since then, D4vd canceled the remainder of his U.S. dates.