Why TikTok singer D4vd is being linked to 13-year-old girl’s murder: Explained

NEW YORK - Queens native and TikTok star D4vd is facing a wave of online speculation after the remains of missing 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez were discovered inside a Tesla a car registered to him Los Angeles.

Skip to: Who is D4vd?

Police stress that the 20-year-old singer, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, has not been named a suspect. Still, the discovery has sparked intense scrutiny from fans.

Timeline:

Remains believed to be Celeste's were found on Sept. 8 after the Tesla, abandoned for weeks in the Hollywood Hills, was towed and impounded. 

Tow lot employees later reported a foul odor, leading to the discovery, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The teen had been reported missing by her family at 13, and investigators believe she had been dead for several weeks before being found. 

D4vd music videos: ‘His entire career feels like one big confession’

D4vd rose to fame on TikTok in 2022 with his breakout hit Romantic Homicide, which recently peaked at No. 8 on Spotify’s daily chart. 

But online sleuths have zeroed in on eerily similar imagery from the song’s music video, which shows him dragging a body to a car and placing it in a trunk.

‘This song is basically a confession. absolutely insane’

Fans have also circulated screenshots from his Discord server suggesting he once dated a teen named "Celeste," while others resurfaced an unreleased track in which he mentions the name twice. Posts have gone viral calling the timing "menacing" and "premeditated."

Even his other music videos, including "One More Dance," have been dissected by fans for alleged parallels to the case.

Police investigation

Investigators searched a Hollywood Hills home where the singer had been staying and seized "several items of evidence," according to The Post. 

Still, no charges have been filed.

"The Los Angeles County medical examiner has not determined a cause or manner of her death, so we don’t know for sure if anyone has any criminal culpability for her death beyond the concealment of her dead body," LAPD Capt. Scot M. Williams told People.

D4vd’s representatives told The Post the artist has been "cooperating fully" with investigators.

Fallout for the rising star

Amid the frenzy, D4vd canceled the remainder of his world tour, including dates in the U.S. and Europe.

The controversy has also reignited interest in his music, with "Romantic Homicide" climbing Spotify charts and his videos trending again on YouTube.

Who is D4vd?

David Anthony Burke, better known by his stage name D4vd, was born on March 28, 2005, in Queens, New York City, before his family later relocated to Houston, Texas. 

Known for his moody, indie-inspired style that blends lo-fi, R&B, and alternative rock influences, D4vd quickly rose from posting gaming clips to becoming one of TikTok’s breakout musicians.

Now 20 years old, he began his creative career by making Fortnite gaming montages, which introduced him to the indie music scene. 

Facing repeated copyright claims, he decided to start producing original music.

His breakthrough came on July 20, 2022, with the release of "Romantic Homicide" after snippets of the track went viral on TikTok.

The single became his first major hit, climbing to No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot Alternative Songs chart and reaching No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Is D4vd a suspect?

Police stress that the singer has not been named a suspect, but the case has sparked intense scrutiny from fans.

The investigation remains ongoing.