Updated May 1, 2026

Celeste Rivas-Hernandez, a 13-year-old girl from Lake Elsinore, Calif., was first reported missing on April 5, 2024; she was reported missing at least two more times. On Sept. 8, 2025, the teen’s body was found in the trunk of a Tesla registered under the name David Anthony Burke, popularly known as pop-singer, D4vd.

D4vd gained popularity in 2022 through various social media platforms, particularly TikTok. The 20-year-old musician went viral after the release of his two popular songs, “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me.” “Romantic Homicide” quickly launched into the Billboard Hot 100, and “Here With Me” following suit. He upholds his fame through gaming streams, YouTube videos and collaborations with other major artists and influencers. 

Audrey Lincoln, a senior from Huntington Beach High School (HBHS) and active social media user said, “Social media definitely launched his career.” 

This year, D4vd resurfaced on social media once again. Instead of the headlines being about his music, they warned of a shocking scandal. Officers were called to a Hollywood tow yard in response to a call about a foul smell coming from one of the cars, and it was there that Rivas-Hernandez’s body was discovered. 

Friends of D4vd and Rivas-Hernandez believed the two of them were in a romantic relationship, but they presumed that Rivas-Hernandez was a 19-year-old college student. In reality, the couple met when she was only 12. Law enforcement reported to TMZ that Rivas-Hernandez had multiple fake IDs, which may have given the teen access to age-restricted events with D4vd. Rivas-Hernandez’s mother, Mercedes Martinez-Hernandez, confirmed with TMZ that before she went missing, Rivas-Hernandez was dating a boy named David.

The cause of Rivas-Hernandez’s death is still undetermined, and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) stated that it is unclear if there is any “criminal culpability” apart from the concealment of her body. The medical examiner shared it appeared as though the victim was deceased for several weeks before her remains were found. 

ABC News reached out to D4vd’s representatives to comment, but did not receive a response by their publication date.

While updates on the situation continue to emerge, social media users have inevitably compiled their own theories. Many users believe that D4vd played a role in the death of Rivas-Hernandez due to alleged clues they gathered from his social media accounts. Others believe that D4vd’s lyrics and music videos should be considered crucial insight into the ongoing investigation. For example, his music video for “One More Dance” depicts a female body being dragged into the trunk of a car. 

“A lot of his songs mentioned death, like [in] ‘Romantic Homicide’ and [it’s] really unsettling stuff,” said Makayla Ordaz, a sophomore at HBHS.

HBHS alumnus, Kloie Knighten, said, “Some believe he’s involved somehow, others say maybe he’s being framed or misrepresented. The ‘did-he’ or ‘didn’t he’ vibe is everywhere.”

Authorities have not confirmed D4vd as a suspect in the investigation, although his home was raided by the LAPD about a month ago. There were no further leads from the search, but as a result, the artist moved out of the home just days later.

Following the raid, D4vd’s landlord, Mladen Trifunovic, decided to hire private investigator, Steve Fischer, to search the home after police claimed to find no evidence. “That car, starting in May, was parked in a few different spots around the neighborhood, and then finally, on July 29, 2025, left in its final spot on Bluebird [Avenue],” he said. The investigator believes this information to be significant to the investigation.

The officers on the case are waiting on results from the medical examiner to determine the cause of death. Rivas-Hernandez’s death is currently “deferred,” or postponed, and the case is classified as a death investigation rather than a homicide.

Rivas-Hernandez was laid to rest at a funeral service at the Queen of Heaven Cemetery and Mortuary in Rowland Heights, Calif. on Oct. 6, 2025.

As of April 23, seven months after the initial investigation, Burke has been charged with first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a minor and mutilating human remains. The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office has officially ruled the manner of death as a homicide. In the autopsy report, Rivas-Hernandez’s body was found with “multiple penetrating injuries” including wounds on her chest and abdomen. She was also found to have alcohol in her system as well as skin abrasions, but due to the dismembering and decomposition of the body, the medical examiner can not confirm the causes. The singer has pleaded not guilty to all charges placed against him.

Prosecutors found more than 40 terabytes of evidence against Burke on his electronic devices, noting a significant amount of child sexual abuse material on his phone. A court document alleges that Burke ordered two chainsaws, a body bag and a blue inflatable pool on Amazon after her death. They deducted that Rivas-Hernandez’s body was placed in the pool for dismemberment after the examiner’s office found plastic fragments of what they believe to be the pool in her wounds.