Los Angeles police have intervened to prevent the county coroner’s office from disclosing information regarding the death of a teenage girl discovered in the trunk of a car linked to the artist d4vd, as confirmed by the medical examiner’s office on Monday.
The deceased, Celeste Rivas Hernandez, was found on September 8 in a Tesla located in Los Angeles shortly after celebrating her 15th birthday. Various news sources identified the vehicle as belonging to d4vd, also known as David Anthony Burke, aged 20.
A statement from the medical examiner’s office revealed that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) initiated a court order to impose a security hold on Rivas Hernandez’s case. This order, issued on Friday, mandates a restriction on the release of any records or details associated with the case, including the cause of death and the Medical Examiner report, until further notice.
Following reports by multiple Los Angeles television stations suggesting that the Houston-born alternative-pop singer is a suspect, based on anonymous sources, the LAPD has not officially confirmed this. Additionally, d4vd’s attorney, Blair Berk, did not provide any comments when contacted on Monday.
LAPD Captain Mike Bland clarified that the security hold was not intended to obscure information but to safeguard the integrity of the ongoing police investigation led by detectives from the robbery homicide division. Bland emphasized that the action was taken to ensure that investigators receive pertinent information prior to its dissemination to the media and the public.
Dr. Odey Ukpo, the chief medical examiner, expressed that such security holds are rare in other California counties. Ukpo reiterated the office’s commitment to transparency but stated that legal constraints prohibit disclosure while the court order remains in effect for this particular case.
The medical examiner’s office previously stated in a September release that Rivas Hernandez’s body was discovered in an advanced state of decomposition, indicating she had likely been deceased within the vehicle for an extended period before being discovered.
Rivas Hernandez was last seen in April 2024 in Lake Elsinore, her hometown located approximately 95 kilometers southeast of downtown Los Angeles.
D4vd, known for fusing indie rock, R&B, and lo-fi pop, captured the attention of Gen Z with his music. He gained traction on TikTok in 2022 with the popular track “Romantic Homicide,” which reached No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. Following his success, he signed with Darkroom and Interscope Records, releasing his debut EP “Petals to Thorns” and a subsequent work titled “The Lost Petals” in 2023.
At the time of the discovery of Rivas Hernandez’s body, d4vd was on tour promoting his first full-length album, “Withered.” Subsequently, his last two North American shows in San Francisco and Los Angeles, as well as a scheduled performance at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, were canceled. Additionally, his upcoming European tour, slated to commence in Norway on October 1, was also called off.