The Los Angeles County grand jury will decide on a murder indictment for rising R&B singer d4vd after discovering teenage Celeste Rivas Hernandez in the trunk of a car he owned in September 2025.
The grand jury continues to review evidence from prosecutors, which might take multiple weeks to complete. The authorities continue their investigation while d4vd remains free from any formal criminal charges at this time.
“This is obviously a very stressful time for the attorney and client,”
defense attorney Lou Shapiro told KTLA on Monday, underscoring the uncertainty surrounding the proceedings.
How was Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s body discovered?
The public learned about this case after Hollywood tow yard employees discovered a powerful unpleasant smell coming from a Tesla car on September 8, 2025. The police later confirmed that the car belonged to David Anthony Burke, who uses d4vd as his stage name.
Investigators discovered human remains inside the trunk, which they later identified as Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The 14-year-old girl had disappeared from Lake Elsinore, California, after her family reported her missing in April 2024, when she was 13 years old.
The authorities have yet to reveal the cause of death or the exact timeline which led to the discovery. The investigators now focus their attention on the discovery of the body inside a vehicle. It belonged to Burke.
Why prosecutors are seeking an indictment
Prosecutors are presenting physical and circumstantial evidence to the grand jury, including objects discovered during a search of a rented Hollywood Hills home connected to Burke, according to people familiar with the case.
Private investigator Steve Fischer, speaking to News Nation, claimed investigators discovered a burn cage incinerator and a chainsaw inside the property.
“We found a chainsaw … no purpose for a chainsaw to be at the house,”
Fischer said.
“It still had the protective shield over the chain itself. There it is with a burn cage. You got to wonder what this plan was.”
Law enforcement officials have not publicly confirmed how — or whether — these items are directly connected to Hernandez’s death. Defense lawyers stress that the mere possession of such objects does not prove a crime.
The nature of the relationship, if any, between Burke, who is now 20, and Rivas Hernandez, who was a minor when she vanished, is a crucial component of the investigation.
To find out if the two knew one another and how their paths might have crossed, investigators are looking through digital evidence, travel logs, and correspondence. Hernandez’s last known location and how she got into the car have not been disclosed by the authorities.
What legal risks does the singer currently face?
Burke might have to turn himself in right away if the grand jury returns an indictment. An indictment, according to well-known defense lawyer Mark Geragos, who is not involved in the case, would not necessarily result in Burke staying behind bars.
“This is not going to end quickly or easily,”
Geragos told KTLA. He added that Burke’s legal team would likely argue that the singer has been aware of the investigation for months and has not attempted to flee.
“His attorney is going to argue he’s known about the investigation since September … not a flight risk, trust him to make all his court appearances,”
Geragos said. Bail, if granted, could reach several million dollars, depending on the charges.
Who is d4vd and how did he rise to fame?
American singer-songwriter d4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, became well-known due to his viral success on social media and streaming services. In the early 2020s, he became well-known throughout the world for his emotionally charged R&B and alternative pop songs.
He has appeared at international events like the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and performed at major festivals like Coachella. Burke had no known criminal history and a comparatively spotless public image prior to this investigation.
Similar murder cases involving US rappers and singers
Murder indictments involving musicians have happened in the US, though they are uncommon. For the 2018 shooting deaths of fellow rappers Anthony “YNW SakChaser” Williams and Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas Jr., a similar case involving YNW Melly, real name Jamell Demons, was indicted in Florida in February 2019 on two counts of first-degree murder. Prosecutors claim he and co-defendant YNW Bortlen (Cortlen Henry) staged the scene as a drive-by to conceal their involvement, driven by gang ties within the G-Shine Bloods.
