Who Is D4vd? Everything We Know Amid Ongoing Investigation

David Anthony Burke, the 20-year-old singer greatest referred to as D4vd, burst onto the scene as a Gen Z music success story. He began making songs at 16 in his sister’s closet to keep away from copyright strikes on his gaming montages. That rapidly changed into him changing into a viral senxsation throughout social media platforms and securing a file deal from a serious label. His emotionally uncooked and genre-blending sound, typically categorized as various indie, R&B, and pop, introduced him out of obscurity and right into a profession with a devoted fanbase, collaborations with names like 21 Savage, Kali Uchis, and The Child LAROI, and a world headlining tour. Nevertheless, the meteoric rise of the singer, now 20, has just lately been overshadowed by a big authorized investigation.

On September 8, 2025, human stays had been found within the trunk of a Tesla in a Los Angeles impound lot. The Tesla was registered below D4vd’s authorities identify. The physique itself was badly decomposed and dismembered, believed to have been there for an prolonged time frame. 

Eight days later, LAPD recognized the physique as Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Rivas was a 15-year-old who went lacking from her hometown, Lake Elsinore, again in April 2024. Since then, much more grisly particulars and allegations have come out. After flying again to Los Angeles, D4vd canceled the remainder of his Withered Tour. This investigation continues to be ongoing, however that is every thing we find out about D4vd and the knowledge we presently have about his obvious relationship with the deceased.

D4vd was born in Queens, New York, on March 28, 2005. He later relocated to Houston, Texas, in his youth. He grew up in a non secular family, listening to strictly gospel music till he was 13. In school, he found acts like Lil Pump and XXXTentacion at college, which helped form his non-gospel pursuits. 

The singer can also be an avid gamer, together with his recreation of alternative being Fortnite. He used clips from his gameplay to create montages of his greatest moments. He began creating his personal songs after YouTube stored flagging his montages for copyright infringement. D4vd’s made his first songs utilizing his telephone and the favored free music manufacturing app BandLab. The outcomes, with their DIY aesthetics and Juice WRLD-like “hopeless romantic” lyrics, rapidly discovered an viewers on platforms like SoundCloud and TikTok.

The July 2022 single, “Romantic Murder,” a observe a few relationship gone bitter, turned his breakout hit. The track went viral largely for one a part of its hook. “Behind my thoughts, you died / And I didn’t even cry” had been phrases that resonated with younger listeners who’d gone via related heartbreaking experiences. That led to its widespread use in melodramatic TikTok edits and an eventual peak at #33 on the Billboard Scorching 100. His music’s fast virality led to him signing with Darkroom Information (by way of Interscope) in September 2022. That got here simply two months after the discharge of “Romantic Murder” and barely over a yr into his profession. 

D4vd’s standing as a viral artist additionally led to him collaborating with a number of large names. In 2023, he and 21 Savage contributed “Name Me Revenge” to Name of Responsibility: Fashionable Warfare 3. In 2024, he delivered “Bear in mind Me,” which appeared on the soundtrack for Netflix’s acclaimed collection Arcane. He carried out the latter on the Recreation Awards in December of that yr. Earlier this yr, he launched his debut album Withered, which acquired constructive critiques and led to his first headlining tour. In July 2025, he linked up with widespread Twitch streamer JasonTheWeen to create the track “Summer time Uptown” whereas on Jason’s broadcast. In September, he launched “Locked & Loaded,” a collaboration with Fortnite. D4vd’s profession was unquestionably on the rise, however latest occasions could completely alter that.

On September 8, information broke that the physique of a deceased teenager was found in a Tesla. The Tesla, registered to D4vd, was parked in an impound lot after having been towed. The physique, recognized as Celeste Rivas on September 16, was decomposed and dismembered. Particular person physique elements had been reportedly positioned in several plastic baggage. She was 5-foot-2 and 120 kilos on the time of her disappearance, per the lacking poster TMZ uncovered. The Los Angeles County health worker’s workplace weighed her physique at 71 kilos upon discovery. The police division struggled to ID her for over per week due to the decomposition. “She seems to have been deceased contained in the automobile for an prolonged time frame earlier than being discovered,” mentioned the health worker on September 10.

Celeste Rivas Hernandez was a younger woman from Lake Elsinore, a California suburb about 70 miles from Los Angeles. She was born on September 7, 2010, which means that her physique was found a day after what would have been her fifteenth birthday. Rivas was reported lacking in April 2024, when she was simply 13. She made one final name house in Could of that yr. Nobody else bodily noticed her till the latest discovery of her physique. On September 17, after authorities publicly recognized the physique, Rivas’ mom advised TMZ that her daughter dated somebody named David on the time of her disappearance. D4vd’s beginning identify is David, and he’s additionally 5 years older than Rivas.

The identical day, a collection of photographs and messages alleged to have been between Rivas and D4vd surfaced on X. The screenshots embrace messages allegedly despatched by Rivas in D4vd’s fan-driven Discord server from way back to 2022. If professional, meaning D4vd could have identified the younger woman since she was 11 or 12. He would have been 17 on the time. A tweet of his from Could 2022 additionally resurfaced in reply to 2 now-deleted posts that followers now consider could have been from Rivas. “Once I was penning this I bought a noti from you, as you had been speaking about desirous to be along with your mother and your sister once more,” the submit learn partially.

There have been additionally a number of photographs of D4vd posing with a woman alleged to be Rivas. Those that initially circulated featured her face lined or cropped. On September 18, TMZ found a clearer photograph of the pair from October 2023. Additionally they found a Twitch stream clip that includes the 2 of them from January 2024, only a few months earlier than she disappeared. Furthermore, the 2 reportedly had matching index finger tattoos, which learn “Shhh…” The tattoo is seen in photographs taken of the singer throughout the final yr. After that, a track titled “Celeste” resurfaced on social media as properly. The observe initially leaked in December 2023, and naturally, shares a reputation with the woman who went lacking.

TMZ reported that the LAPD searched a house within the Hollywood Hills on September 17, close to the Tesla’s authentic abandonment web site. They left the house with a seized laptop and a number of other extra baggage of proof. Investigators are additionally on the lookout for movies from the world. They’ve acquired footage from two householders within the space. Nevertheless, it’s presently unknown if the footage really reveals who was behind the wheel. A photograph of D4vd about six minutes away from Rivas’ house surfaced as properly, the place he allegedly interacts with somebody holding a bag. It’s not clear when the photograph was taken, what’s within the bag, or who the individuals the singer seems to be chatting with are.

Per a spokesperson for D4vd, he has reportedly been “totally cooperating” with police because the horrific discovery on September 8. He has not commented on the investigation himself. He continued to carry out after the unique report, even handing out Labubus to the Minneapolis viewers an evening after the invention was made. Nevertheless, he canceled his most up-to-date present in Seattle, allegedly flying again to Los Angeles on the night of September 17. The next day, he canceled the remainder of his tour.

Kali Uchis, who collaborated with D4vd on the track “Crashing,” confirmed on September 17 that she might be eradicating it from streaming companies. “Not my pal, I did a track with him which is presently within the technique of being taken down given at the moment’s disturbing information,” Uchis wrote in response to somebody calling her out. Hollister pulled their marketing campaign involving him on September 10. JasonTheWeen initially defended D4vd, saying that he couldn’t have killed anybody since he was on tour. “My idea is somebody killed somebody and stole David’s automobile and left it within the trunk,” he mentioned on September 11. Following the most recent particulars, Jason unfollowed the singer.

On September 18, Darkroom paused all promo concerning D4vd out of respect for the seriousness and severity of the investigation. Additionally they held again his deluxe album, initially set for launch the next day. The identical day, RealestK, a singer set to be on the deluxe album and who just lately carried out with D4vd in Toronto in late August, took to Instagram Tales to distance himself from the mission. “I had no information of this example previous to the characteristic and efficiency that happened. I don’t condone or assist this in any approach,” learn a part of the assertion.

As of this writing, nothing is confirmed, nor have LAPD arrested anybody. Police are presently treating it as a loss of life investigation. Clearly, issues will change if Rivas’ loss of life is deemed a murder. Due to the state of the physique upon restoration, the LAPD has struggled to attract conclusions at this level of their investigation.  HNHH will proceed to maintain you updated with this quickly evolving case as extra info turns into accessible.