Teen found in singer D4vd’s trunk died from ‘multiple penetrating injuries,’ officials say

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has revealed the cause of death Wednesday for 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose remains were found last year in the front storage area of an abandoned Tesla owned by the singer and TikTok star known as D4vd.

The medical examiner listed multiple penetrating injuries caused by an object or objects as the cause of death for the teen, whose decomposed remains were discovered in September 2025 inside the Tesla that was impounded after it had been parked for an extended period in a Hollywood Hills neighborhood not far from a rental property where Burke had been living.

Police said Celeste’s death likely occurred in the spring of last year.

The cause and manner of death, homicide, were determined Dec. 9, but in November the medical examiner received a court order to place a security hold on information connected with the case. The order meant that no records or details about the case, including cause of death, could be published, until further notice.

In a statement, the chief medical examiner called the family’s wait for answers “unfathomable.”

“After several months, I am grateful this information can now be released, not only to the public, but also to the grieving family enduring loss,” said Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey Ukpo. “It is unfathomable they have had to wait this long to learn what happened to their daughter. The transparency of the information contained in our findings and reports is essential for empowering the community to make informed changes to affectively reduce fear and allowing the community to take informed action.

“Making the Department’s information publicly available is not just about accountability, it is about social justice and prevention. By ensuring access to this information, we strengthen our ability to learn, to act, and ultimately to prevent the next tragic loss of life. I want to extend my gratitude to our partner agencies for taking the necessary step of filing an order with the court to make this disclosure possible.”

D4vd, whose real name is David Burke, was arrested Thursday in the months-long investigation that began after Celeste’s remains were found in the car at a Hollywood tow yard. Burke was charged Monday with first-degree murder, including special circumstances allegations. He also faces one count each of continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.

His attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf at his first court appearance later that day. He was scheduled to appear in court again Thursday.

Celeste’s family issued a statement earlier this week.

“We would like to thank the Los Angeles Police Department and the District Attorney’s Office for their hard work,” a statement by Jesus Rivas and Mercedes Martinez, the girl’s parents, said. “We would also like to thank the people of Lake Elsinore for all their support.”

Celeste, who disappeared in the Lake Elsinore area in 2024, was identified through forensics. She was last seen April 5, 2024, in the western Riverside County community.

Celeste’s brother told NBCLA last year that family members, who still live in Lake Elsinore, were aware that the girl knew D4vd.

Her decomposed body was found Sept. 8 after workers at Hollywood Tow reported a strong odor coming from the Tesla registered to the singer. Officers opened the front trunk, also known as a frunk, and found the remains in two cadaver bags.

The Tesla was impounded by LA parking enforcement officers after someone reported it was abandoned in the Hollywood Hills, where neighbors say it had been parked for more than a month.

The remains were found a day after what would have been Celeste’s 15th birthday.

The singer known as D4vd makes his first court appearance. Alex Rozier reports for the NBC4 News at 3 p.m. on Monday April 20, 2026.

More details about events leading to her death were provided at a Monday news conference with District Attorney Nathan Hochman when he announced charges. Hochman and LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said Celeste visited Burke’s Hollywood Hills home April 23, 2025, but was never “heard from” again.

Burke faces several special circumstances allegations, which can increase penalties at sentencing, including lying in wait, murder for financial gain, murdering a witnesses in an investigation and an allegation that Burke personally used a deadly and dangerous weapon, a sharp instrument, to commit the crime, Hochman said.

The financial gain allegation stemmed from the singer’s music career, which was being threatened by his alleged sexual relationship with the underage girl, Hochman said. Celeste was considered the key witness in that investigation, warranting the allegation of murdering a witness, he said.

“As the evidence will show, the financial gain was for Mr. Burke to maintain a lucrative musical career that Celeste was threatening that night,” Hochman said.

Hochman said possible sentences, if Burke is convicted as charged, include life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. A decision will be made at a later date.

Burke’s attorneys, Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter, issued a statement after the announcement.

“The actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death,” the attorneys said. “We will vigorously defend David’s innocence”

The “Romantic Homicide” singer’s world tour was in Minneapolis at the time of the discovery with a stop in Kansas City the next day. A representative told NBCLA at the time that D4vd was cooperating with authorities in their investigation.

In November, an LAPD source with direct knowledge of the investigation told NBC4 Investigates that the Houston-raised artist has not been cooperative in the investigation.

In February Burke’s parents and brother, who live in Texas, asked a judge to block LA grand jury subpoenas for their testimony, and the court there filed the grand jury documents in an open court file. The judge there declined to intervene, and it appeared the family members were compelled to come to Los Angeles and appear before the grand jury in February or March, but prosecutors declined to discuss what happened, citing the secrecy of grand jury proceedings prior to an indictment.

D4vd had not previously been publicly identified as a suspect in the teen’s death, but law enforcement sources told NBC4 Investigates months prior that he was the focus of the investigation.

Law enforcement sources also told NBC4 Investigates that more than one person may have been involved in Celeste’s death and the attempted disposal of her body.

Citing the ongoing investigation, the LA County Department of Medical Examiner removed public information about the case last November, which indicated at the time that Celeste’s cause of death was still undetermined.

D4vd is a singer-songwriter who rose to fame with viral hits on TikTok, where he has 3.8 million followers. That success led to signings with Darkroom and Interscope Records.

Born in Queens, New York, Burke moved to Texas in his early teens and gained a following on YouTube playing Fortnite and other online games. He started creating original music, some of which went viral on TikTok.

D4vd released his debut album “Withered” in April 2025 and embarked on a world tour.

In an interview on the “Zach Sang Show,” D4vd said the 4 substituted for the a in his name was for search-engine optimization and a representation of four cinematic universes with various characters that he was creating.