Who Is D4vd? What to Know About Singer Involved With Death Investigation
Celeste Rivas Hernandez‘s loved ones are in mourning after her body was discovered in D4vd‘s car.
Remains belonging to the 15-year-old were found stashed in the front trunk of a Tesla registered under the “Romantic Homicide” singer’s legal name David Anthony Burke at a Hollywood impound lot Sept. 8.
In the wake of the tragic discovery, her family remembered her as a “beloved daughter, sister, cousin, and friend.”
“As many of you know, Celeste Rivas Hernandez has been identified as the body found last week,” a statement shared to a GoFundMe page created on Sept. 17 read. “Her family is heartbroken and devastated by this tragic loss. They are seeking help to lay her body to rest.”
Rivas Hernandez’s cause of death has been deferred due to her body being “severely decomposed,” according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Police discovered her remains while responding to a call about foul odors emanating from the Tesla, which investigators said had been sitting in the tow yard lot for several days after it was reported abandoned in the Hollywood Hills.
Rivas Hernandez was initially reported missing over a year ago on April 5, 2024, in Lake Elsinore, Calif., a city approximately 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles.
GoFundMe
E! News has reached out to D4vd’s rep for comment but hasn’t heard back. However, his spokesperson told NBC News that the 20-year-old has been informed of the situation and is “fully cooperating with the authorities.”
D4vd was in the middle of his U.S. tour supporting his debut album Withered when Rivas Hernandez’s body was discovered. He canceled his Sept. 17 show in Seattle, with his next tour date scheduled for Sept. 19 in San Francisco.
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A home near where D4vd’s Tesla was reported abandoned was searched by police on Sept. 17, according to NBC News. The “Here With Me” singer does not own the residence, but allegedly had been staying there prior to touring, law enforcement sources told ABC News.
For more about D4vd, read on.
(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Instagram/D4vd
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.
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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.
Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Riot / Netflix
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.
Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Made on YouTube 2024
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, 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.”
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What Has D4vd Said About the Investigation?
Following the discovery of Rivas’ 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.”
D4vd’s September 17 concert in Seattle was cancelled following the body’s identification, with his next tour date scheduled for September 19 in San Francisco.
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