Celeste Rivas Murder Case: Grand Jury Hunts D4vd's Dad in Shocking New Twist

A Los Angeles County grand jury is seeking to question the father of singer David "D4vd" Burke as part of its investigation into the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas-Hernandez, newly unsealed court documents show.

Prosecutors told the grand jury that Dawud Burke's testimony is "material and necessary" to the inquiry, according to filings obtained by local media. The documents, as per The Sun, say prosecutors have offered to cover a round-trip plane ticket, provide transportation to and from the airport, and grant assurances he will not face arrest while traveling to California for questioning.

Dawud Burke, who lives in Texas, challenged the subpoena in court, saying he was denied due process because he was not given unredacted copies of documents that support the request. A judge denied his petition, finding the subpoena lawful, but Burke's attorneys filed an appeal, court records show.

The filings do not say what prosecutors expect to learn from Dawud Burke, nor do they indicate whether he has agreed to travel for questioning.

The investigation centers on the discovery on Sept. 8 of human remains in the trunk of a Tesla that had been impounded at a Hollywood tow yard. The vehicle was registered to Burke, a 20-year-old singer who performs under the name D4vd. The Los Angeles County coroner later identified the remains as those of Celeste Rivas-Hernandez.

Rivas-Hernandez, who was reported missing from Lake Elsinore, California, in April 2024, was 13 at the time she was reported missing, according to earlier police statements. Her family and investigators said she had not been seen for several months; however, social media and other material suggested she had been in public as late as January 2025.

Burke has not been charged in the case. He has been identified as a person of interest and is cooperating with investigators, his representatives have said previously. Law enforcement officials have refused to disclose many details of the case, and the coroner's office has been ordered by a judge not to release the cause of death while the court's order remains in effect.

Los Angeles police searched a residence linked to Burke in September and took electronics and other items as part of the probe. Burke subsequently canceled the remainder of a concert tour and has remained largely out of the public eye since the discovery.

The case has prompted public scrutiny over the handling of information by authorities. Los Angeles County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey Ukpo in November criticized the court-ordered restriction on releasing coroner findings as "virtually unheard of in other counties," saying it limits the office's ability to be transparent with the community.

Investigators have said the remains were significantly decomposed when recovered, and authorities have not publicly disclosed the official cause or precise time of death.

The grand jury proceeding and the appeal by Dawud Burke's lawyers are pending. Prosecutors did not immediately respond Friday to requests for comment. Representatives for Burke and for the family of Rivas-Hernandez also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

According to Los Angeles Times, Rivas Hernandez's remains were discovered Sept. 8, 2025, inside the front trunk of a black Tesla Model X impounded in the Hollywood Hills, according to the petition. The vehicle is registered to Burke, who performs under the stage name D4vd.

A tow company manager told police the car had been impounded Sept. 5 and that a "strong smell of decay" was coming from the vehicle, the petition says. After obtaining a search warrant, investigators opened the Tesla's front storage compartment and found a black cadaver bag "covered with insects and a strong odor of decay," the document states. Detectives who partially unzipped the bag said they observed a decomposed head and torso, and further examination revealed the arms and legs had been severed. A second bag beneath the first contained dismembered body parts, the filing said.

Investigators and criminalists from the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner were called to the scene. The petition describes the remains as "severely decomposed" and dismembered.

A citizen first reported the Tesla abandoned on Bluebird Street on Aug. 26, the petition says. At the time the vehicle was impounded, prosecutors noted, Burke was on tour.

No charges have been filed in the case. The Los Angeles County district attorney's office declined further comment on the petition. A law enforcement source who spoke with People magazine in November said Burke had not been cooperating with authorities; that report could not be independently confirmed.

Burke, who rose to prominence with viral songs and a large social‑media following, has not publicly commented on the investigation.

Authorities have not released details about a possible motive or the circumstances leading up to Rivas Hernandez's disappearance. Police and the medical examiner's office have not yet provided additional information about identification or cause of death.

The grand jury process allows prosecutors to present evidence to determine whether criminal charges are warranted. Being named a grand jury "target" indicates prosecutors believe the person may have committed a crime, but it does not constitute a criminal charge.

The investigation remains active. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Los Angeles Police Department.