D4VD’S DEADLY SECRET: GRAND JURY NAMES INDIE STAR ‘TARGET’ IN TEEN’S BRUTAL MURDER AS DISMEMBERED BODY FOUND IN HIS TESLA TRUNK

By Investigative Desk | Los Angeles, February 26, 2026

The music world is reeling in horror after explosive court documents confirmed what investigators have long suspected: rising indie sensation D4vd — real name David Anthony Burke, the 20-year-old Houston-born singer behind viral hits like “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me” — is the official “target” of a Los Angeles County grand jury murder investigation into the savage death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

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Newly unsealed filings from Texas courts, where Burke’s family fought to dodge subpoenas, lay bare the nightmare: prosecutors explicitly state Burke “may be involved in the death of a 14-year-old victim” and “may have committed… One count of Murder.”

The victim’s dismembered, decomposing remains were discovered last September in the front trunk (frunk) of a black Tesla Model X registered to Burke. The car had sat abandoned on a Hollywood Hills street since late July 2025, ticketed for parking violations, then towed to a Hollywood impound lot. On September 8, 2025 — the day after what would have been Celeste’s 15th birthday — a tow-yard worker noticed a sickening stench of decay and swarms of flies.

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Detectives opened the frunk and recoiled. Inside was a black cadaver bag crawling with insects. They unzipped it to find a decomposed head and torso. Beneath it, a second black bag held the severed arms and legs. The body was not decapitated or frozen, but the advanced decomposition made determining the exact cause of death nearly impossible. LAPD later confirmed she had been dead for several weeks.

Celeste had been reported missing multiple times from Lake Elsinore, California, with the final report in April 2024. Yet surveillance and digital evidence placed her alive as late as January 2025. Prosecutors believe she died in spring 2025. Her family has spoken of a boyfriend named “David,” matching tattoos (including a “Shhh…” on the finger), and alleged photos linking her to Burke. Friends of the singer reportedly believed the girl was a 19-year-old USC student.

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Burke was on his “Withered” tour when the car was abandoned. He canceled the remaining dates after the discovery. His team initially claimed he was “fully cooperating,” but sources told police he had not been. A search warrant executed at his Hollywood Hills rental turned up electronic devices and a “burn cage” incinerator. He broke the lease and moved out days later.

The grand jury probe, convened in mid-November 2025 under Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman, has been shrouded in secrecy. But the Texas filings rip the lid off: Burke is listed as “Target David Burke” in “The People of the State of California v. David Burke.” Prosecutors are pushing for murder charges and believe he may have had help disposing of the body.

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In a stunning escalation, subpoenas were issued January 15, 2026, ordering Burke’s parents — Colleen and Dawud Burke — and brother Caleb to fly from Texas and testify before the grand jury on February 11. All three filed emergency petitions in Texas claiming the subpoenas violated their due process rights. A Texas appeals court rejected every challenge on February 9, forcing them to comply or face contempt.

One of Burke’s associates, streamer Neo Langston, was arrested in Montana after ignoring his own subpoena and forcibly returned to Los Angeles to testify. The probe has now dragged in family, friends, a record-label executive, and others.

Burke, who skyrocketed to fame with raw, emotional songs about love and heartbreak, now watches his career implode. Collaborations were dropped. His music was pulled from video games and festivals. Dark themes in his videos and lyrics are being re-examined under a horrifying new light.

As of today, no charges have been filed. Burke has retained high-profile celebrity defense attorney Blair Berk. His representatives have not commented on the latest filings. The medical examiner’s full report — including cause of death — remains under a rare court-ordered seal at LAPD’s request.

Celeste’s family, devastated, buried her in October after a private funeral. They have demanded transparency and justice. Community vigils in Lake Elsinore continue. LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division has vowed “accountability is coming.”

For the millions who streamed D4vd’s music, the contrast is grotesque: a young artist who sang of romantic tragedy now stands accused in the most literal, gruesome sense. The grand jury continues hearing evidence in secret. More subpoenas and potential arrests are expected. The case that began with a foul smell in a Hollywood tow yard has become one of the most disturbing celebrity-linked investigations in recent memory.

Sources close to the probe tell reporters the evidence presented so far is compelling enough to name Burke the target. Yet until an indictment drops — or the grand jury declines to charge — the singer remains presumed innocent under the law.

The music industry is holding its breath. Parents across the country are asking how a 14-year-old girl ended up in a pop star’s trunk. And Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s family is still waiting for answers about the final months of their daughter’s short life — and who put her there.