Police continue to investigate the death of a teenage girl whose body was found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to D4vd.
After human remains were found in a vehicle parked in a California tow yard and registered to D4vd (real name David Anthony Burke), the 20-year-old singer has been put under the spotlight.
In a statement to NBC News, a spokesperson for D4vd said the singer “has been informed about what’s happened, and although he is still out on tour, he is fully cooperating with the authorities.”
D4vd has not been named a suspect and has not been charged with a crime.
As investigators search for answers to what exactly happened, Us Weekly is breaking down everything you need to know about the case.
15-Year-Old Celeste Rivas Goes Missing
Rivas was first reported missing in April 2024, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to the Los Angeles Times. Her case, however, didn’t gain national attention until a medical examiner confirmed Rivas’ body was found inside a Tesla registered to D4vd in September 2025.
D4vd Prepares for New Album With a Song Titled ‘Afterlife’
d4vd Swan Gallet/WWD via Getty Images
Before an investigation began, D4vd released a brand-new album in April 2025 titled Withered. The body of work featured a variety of songs, including a track called “Afterlife.”
D4vd was expected to release Withered Deluxe: Marcescence on September 19, 2025.
“Every song written exclusively by me on my phone baby, this is a passion project i put together to make sure i didn’t lose the raw emotional weight my music carries and how much it means to u all,” he wrote via Instagram days before the release. “Thank you to all the friends who collaborated with me on this everyone ATE THEIR VERSES UP ❤️❤️❤️.”
In 2022, D4vd also released a song called “Romantic Homicide.” The accompanying music video showed a bloodied woman in a white dress.
“Everything has a meaning behind it. I think that’s what poetry is,” he previously told Genius. “It’s like an interpretation, and another person can read the same thing and take something else out of it, and find new things every time. … All of my songs, I think, are poetry.”
D4vd’s Last Instagram Post Before Being Connected to Celeste Rivas’ Death
D4vd Courtesy of D4vd/Instagram
Before a body was discovered in a vehicle registered to D4vd, the 20-year-old artist took to social media on September 6, 2025, and revealed, “I start media training tomorrow guys wish me luck … ”
Body Found in D4vd’s Tesla
Police confirmed to Us Weekly that officers responded to the 1000 block of Mansfield Avenue in Hollywood on September 8, 2025, “for a foul odor coming from a vehicle at a tow yard.”
Detectives responded and located possible human remains inside a Tesla. Multiple outlets reported that the car was registered in Hempstead, Texas, to David Anthony Burke, also known as D4vd.
Body Found in D4vd’s Car Identified as Celeste Rivas
Law enforcement confirmed to NBC Los Angeles on September 17, 2025, that the body of a girl found in D4vd’s Tesla was Rivas. The girl was identified through forensics and the county medical examiner will need additional time to determine the cause of death.
Celeste Rivas’ Mother Reveals She Had a Boyfriend Named ‘David’
In an interview with TMZ published September 17, 2025, Rivas’ mom said she had a boyfriend named David. D4vd’s real name is David Anthony Burke.
D4vd and Celeste Rivas Had Matching Tattoos
Rivas’ mom told TMZ that her daughter had a tattoo on her finger with the letters “Shhhh.” D4vd, also reportedly has the same tattoo, also located on his right index finger.
The tattoo design, however, was originally popularized by Rihanna in 2008, when she got the ink on her index finger. Lindsay Lohan, Lily Allen and other stars also have a similar tattoo.
Courtesy of Chris O’Donnell/Instagram; Courtesy of Kyle Marisa Roth/Instagram The deaths of several online stars have shaken the TikTok and influencer community — and broken the hearts of countless fans — over the years. Taylor Rousseau Grigg died in October 2024 at the age of 25 after battling undisclosed medical issues. Her husband, Cameron Grigg, […]
D4vd Stayed in a House That Police Searched in Connection to Celeste Rivas’ Murder
Law enforcement confirmed to NBC Los Angeles that authorities searched a house in connection with the investigation on September 17, 2025.
It was not immediately clear how the Hollywood Hills, California, house is connected to the death investigation.
TMZ reported that authorities emerged from the house with a computer and several evidence bags. KABC Los Angeles said D4vd does not own the home, but had been staying at it.
In recent weeks, D4vd was on the Withered world tour. According to Fox 13 Seattle, the singer canceled his show in the city on September 16, 2025.
