Police have arrested D4vd on suspicion of murder after the death of a teenage girl whose body was found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to the singer.
After human remains were found in a vehicle parked in a California tow yard and registered to D4vd (real name David Anthony Burke), the 21-year-old singer has been put under the spotlight.
Us Weekly confirmed that D4vd was arrested on April 16 and is being held without bail.
“Detectives from Los Angeles Police Department, Robbery-Homicide Division have arrested David Burke, a 21-year-old resident of Los Angeles, for the murder of Celeste Rivas. Burke is being held without bail,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement. “The case will be presented to the District Attorney’s office on Monday for filing consideration.”
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D4vd’s attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter addressed the arrest via a statement to TMZ the same day.
“Let us be clear – the actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death,” the statement read. “There has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed.”
They added, “David has only been detained under suspicion. We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”
In a statement to NBC News in September 2025, 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 was not initially named a suspect in the case, though the LAPD officially named him a suspect in November 2025.
As investigators search for answers to what exactly happened, Us Weekly is breaking down everything you need to know about the case.
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. Rivas turned 15 the day before her body was found.
D4vd Prepares for New Album With a Song Titled ‘Afterlife’
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
Before a body was discovered in a vehicle registered to D4vd, the 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.
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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.
Celeste Rivas’ Family Speaks Out
Shortly after the body was confirmed to be Rivas’, her family began a GoFundMe to raise money for her funeral services.
“As many of you know, Celeste Rivas Hernandez has been identified as the body found last week,” her family wrote on the page. “She was a beloved daughter, sister, cousin, and friend. Her family is heartbroken and devastated by this tragic loss. They are seeking help to lay her body to rest. Any funds you are able to donate are greatly appreciated.”
As of September 19, 2025, the page has raised more than $14,000 out of its $20,000 goal.
D4vd Cancels Tour Dates
Sources told TMZ on September 19, 2025, that D4vd’s team had made the decision to cancel his remaining two U.S. tour stops — San Francisco on September 19 and Los Angeles on September 20 — amid the homicide investigation. His appearance at the Grammy Museum on September 24, 2025, was reportedly canceled as well.
Many of the singer’s international tour dates have also been canceled, including shows in Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and more, according to Ticketmaster. His December 2025 concerts in Australia were later canceled.
D4vd’s Deluxe Album Paused
D4vd’s music label, Interscope, and parent company UMG reportedly paused the release of the deluxe version of the singer’s Withered album “out of respect for the seriousness of the situation and the ongoing investigation,” according to TMZ. The album was due for release on September 19, 2025.
Celeste Rivas’ Body Released to Family
The Los Angeles County Coroner confirmed to TMZ on September 23, 2025, that Rivas’ body had been released to her family. The investigation into her death continued and authorities did not reveal at the time if they had a suspect.
Celeste Rivas Was ‘Dead for Several Weeks’
Rivas was likely “dead for several weeks,” LAPD Captain and Commanding Officer Scot M. Williams told People on September 28, 2025.
“We know that the Tesla had been parked at the location from which it was towed for several weeks, so it is very likely Celeste Rivas Hernandez had been dead for several weeks prior to her body being discovered,” Williams explained.
He added: “The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has not determined a cause or manner of her death, so we don’t know for sure if anyone has any criminal culpability for her death beyond the concealment of her dead body.”
Celesta Rivas Was Not Pregnant When She Died
On September 29, 2025, TMZ reported that Rivas’ death certificate revealed she was not pregnant when she died, and the teen had not been pregnant in the last year.
Police Were Often Called to Celesta Rivas’ Home
Riverside County Sheriff deputies were called to Rivas’ house 11 times in just one year, TMZ reported on October 1, 2025.
According to police records obtained by the outlet, deputies responded to Rivas’ house in Lake Elsinore, California, several times between February 2024 and April 2025. On March 19, 2024, deputies reportedly visited her properties three times in one day.
Per TMZ, the records stated most of the calls were listed as “minor crime investigation” with the exception of one other call for “suspicious circumstances.”
D4vd Named a Suspect in Celeste Rivas’s Death
NBC News reported that D4vd was officially identified as a suspect in Rivas’ death in November 2025, according to a Los Angeles Police Department source.
D4vd had not yet been arrested for his alleged connection to the crime as of December 19, 2025.
Burn Cage Found Inside Home Rented by D4vd
California P.I. Steve Fischer took to X on December 16, 2025, to claim that he was hired by the owner of the property D4vd was renting. Amid his investigation, Fischer alleged he found a 55-pound burn cage inside the home. He also noted that it had not been used and was still in its original packaging.
The P.I. went on to state that the incinerator burns “at 1,600 degrees,” explaining that crematoriums typically set their equipment to 1,400 degrees.
It is barred to use such an incinerator within the city of Los Angeles.
D4vd Arrested on Suspicion of Murder
D4vd was arrested in connection to Rivas’ death on April 16 and held without bail, Us Weekly confirmed.
“Detectives from Los Angeles Police Department, Robbery-Homicide Division have arrested David Burke, a 21-year-old resident of Los Angeles, for the murder of Celeste Rivas. Burke is being held without bail,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement. “The case will be presented to the District Attorney’s office on Monday for filing consideration.”
D4vd’s attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter addressed the arrest via a statement to TMZ on April 16.
“Let us be clear – the actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death,” the statement read. “There has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed.”
They added, “David has only been detained under suspicion. We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”
Us Weekly reached out to D4vd’s attorneys for comment.
