A California grand jury has launched an investigation into US singer D4vd after newly unsealed court documents revealed he has been identified as a target in the probe surrounding the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The filings, which recently became public, outline disturbing details tied to the ongoing investigation but confirm that the 20-year-old artist has not been charged with any crime.
According to prosecutors, the remains of the missing teenager were discovered in September 2025 inside a Tesla registered to a Texas address linked to the singer. Investigators reportedly found the decomposed head and torso of Celeste in a cadaver bag in the vehicle’s front boot at a Hollywood tow yard after complaints of a foul odour. Severed arms and legs were allegedly recovered in a separate black bag. Celeste, who was from Lake Elsinore, California, had been missing since April 2024. Authorities previously stated that the case was being handled by the Los Angeles Police Department’s robbery-homicide division.
The court filings surfaced after members of D4vd’s family were summoned to testify before the grand jury in California. His father, Dawud Burke, challenged the out-of-state subpoena in a Texas court, arguing that it violated his due process rights because key portions of the supporting documents were redacted. “The court ordered Mr. Burke to travel across the country to appear before a California grand jury without ever allowing him to see the full documents that justified the extraordinary compulsion,” his lawyer stated. Records show that detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department travelled to Texas to escort family members to California for the secret proceedings.
While D4vd, born David Anthony Burke, has been named a “target” in the investigation, he has not been formally charged or declared a suspect, and no indictment has been announced. In November, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed it had received a court order placing a security hold on the case, preventing the release of further details as the grand jury investigation continues.
