Celeste Rivas case: D4vd named grand jury target as new court docs reveal dismemberment details
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LOS ANGELES - Newly unsealed court documents reveal gruesome details that name 20-year-old D4vd as the target of a Los Angeles grand jury investigation into the murder of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose dismembered remains were discovered in a Tesla belonging to the singer.
What we know:
The court documents, which were unsealed via motion by a Texas court, state D4vd "may be involved in the death of a 15-year-old victim" identified as Rivas Hernandez, who was reported missing from Lake Elsinore in 2024.
Rivas Hernandez’s body was discovered on September 8, 2025, inside a Tesla registered to D4vd. The car had been towed to a police lot after being abandoned near a Hollywood Hills home Burke was renting. Workers at the impound lot had called the police due to a foul odor emanating from the car, which had been there for several days.
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The filings, which state Rivas Hernandez "may have been the victim of foul play," also revealed disturbing new details of how authorities discovered the girl's heavily decomposed remains.
According to the court docs, officers found two separate cadaver bags in the front storage compartment: one covered with insects containing a "decomposed head and torso" and a second containing the girl's arms and legs. Officers described her body as "severely decomposed" and said the strong smell of decay was attracting flies to the car.
The Department of Transportation marked the vehicle and issued a citation before impounding it, the filings stated. D4vd was on tour at the time the car was impounded.
D4vd 'likely' to be indicted in murder case
Singer D4vd could face murder charges in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, TMZ reports.
A grand jury in Los Angeles has officially labeled Burke a "target" of the investigation.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Celeste Rivas case: Private investigator questions circumstances of teen’s death in D4vd’s Tesla
The documents also reveal that D4vd’s father, Dawud Burke, had been called in to testify earlier this month.
What we don't know:
While the dismemberment is confirmed, the official cause of death remains under a court-ordered seal brought on by the Los Angeles Police Department.
The exact timeline of when Rivas was killed is unclear. It's also unknown exactly how or where the homicide took place, or how the body came to be placed in the Tesla before it was abandoned.
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While the grand jury is investigating Burke for "one count of murder," he has not been formally charged.
Timeline:
April 2024: Rivas Hernandez is reported missing from Lake Elsinore.
September 5, 2025: D4vd’s Tesla is towed to an impound yard.
September 8, 2025: Police discover Rivas' remains in the vehicle's "frunk."
Sept. 17, 2025: Detectives with the LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division served a search warrant on D4vd's $20,000 a month rental home located not far from where the Tesla was parked. Several bags of evidence were seized from the home.
Sept. 19, 2025: D4vd cancels the remainder of his "Withered" world tour.
Sept. 24, 2025: Rivas Hernandez's body is released back to her family. The same day, movers are seen hauling boxes and other items from the home into a moving truck. The homeowner confirmed with TMZ that D4vd's manager, Josh Marshall, informed him they'd be breaking the lease and move out by the end of the week.
January 2026: Streamer Neo Langston is arrested for failing to appear as a witness.
February 2026: A Texas judge denies a request from D4vd’s father, Dawud Burke, to quash a subpoena for his testimony.
What's next:
The grand jury probe has formally extended to Burke's family and friends. His father, Dawud Burke, was called to testify earlier this month. Additionally, 23-year-old streamer Neo Langston—a friend of the artist—was arrested last month after dodging a mandated appearance as a witness in the homicide probe.
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D4vd has not been formally charged, but the investigation remains active.
The Source: This report is based on a review of newly unsealed court filings obtained through a legal motion in a Texas court, alongside investigative records from the Los Angeles Police Department and previous FOX 11 reports.