Prosecutors are pushing for murder charges against R&B singer D4vd as a grand jury examines evidence in the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the 14 year old whose body was discovered in his Tesla four months ago.
The investigation went quiet for weeks after the September discovery. LAPD made no arrests and refused to comment beyond brief statements. The medical examiner sealed the autopsy under court order. Court documents filed in November and witness accounts from the proceedings now reveal that deputy district attorney Beth Silverman has been building a criminal case since mid November.
The Los Angeles Times reported in late November that the grand jury has full authority to indict, not merely investigate. Multiple sources confirmed to TMZ in late December that the 20 year old musician, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, is expected to face murder charges once testimony concludes in February.
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Manager Testified for Days About Tour Operations
Robert Morgenroth appeared before the grand jury for several days. He manages D4vd’s music career and served as president of the singer’s tour company during the Withered World Tour. Prosecutors focused on a crucial question throughout his testimony.
Morgenroth was overheard speaking with his attorney in courthouse hallways after sessions. Silverman pressed him repeatedly on why he didn’t contact police when he learned about Celeste. Morgenroth reportedly said he didn’t feel it was his responsibility and that his job was to keep the tour running.
D4vd cancelled all remaining tour dates the week Celeste’s body was found. The singer hasn’t posted on social media since September 7, 2025, and his current location remains unknown.
A second witness failed to appear for scheduled testimony. She shares the same attorney as Morgenroth. Prosecutors obtained a body attachment order, which compels testimony through potential arrest.
Private Investigator Found Incinerator and Chainsaw at Hollywood Property
Steve Fischer, a private investigator hired by the landlord of D4vd’s former Hollywood Hills home, documented several items left inside after the singer vacated. The New York Post confirmed the findings in December.
Fischer found an industrial burn cage incinerator still in its original packaging. The manufacturer advertises it can reach 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit, approximately 200 degrees hotter than needed to incinerate human bone. Delivery records showed it arrived under a false name. Los Angeles County law prohibits operating incinerators within city limits.
He also documented a new chainsaw with its protective shield still attached and a commercial refrigerator capable of reaching 8 degrees.
LAPD had searched the residence in September, seizing a laptop and other electronics. Investigators didn’t collect these items during that search. Fischer photographed everything, recorded delivery dates and documented the false names on shipping labels before providing all evidence to authorities.
Last Photo Shows Celeste Alive on January 2
Fischer used surveillance footage and digital evidence to construct a timeline for the Celeste Rivas Hernandez investigation. The most recent confirmed photograph showing Celeste alive came from D4vd’s camera and was dated January 2, 2025.
Her family had reported her missing from their Lake Elsinore home in April 2024. They initially believed she had run away again, as she’d done three times previously that year and always returned. Surveillance footage and digital records confirmed she was alive through September 2024 and again in early January 2025.
Prosecutors now believe she died sometime during spring 2025, months before her remains were discovered.
Neighbourhood security cameras tracked the Tesla’s movements starting in May 2025. The vehicle appeared in footage from different locations near the Hollywood Hills rental over several weeks. On July 29, cameras captured someone driving it to Bluebird Avenue, where it was abandoned. That date coincided with D4vd’s departure for San Francisco on his tour bus to begin the Withered World Tour.
Fischer obtained footage showing who drove the Tesla that final time but declined to publicly identify the person to avoid compromising the investigation.
A parking enforcement officer marked the Tesla’s tyres on August 27, documenting their position. The officer returned on September 3 and issued a citation for violating the 72 hour parking limit. The city towed the vehicle to a Hollywood impound lot on September 5.
Three days later, an impound worker detected a strong odour and alerted police. Officers opened the front trunk and discovered a black bag containing Celeste’s decomposed remains. She would have turned 15 the previous day.
Detectives Probe Santa Barbara County Trip From Spring
LAPD confirmed to Variety that investigators are examining a trip D4vd made to Santa Barbara County during spring 2025. TMZ sources reported that tracking data placed him in a remote area during the middle of the night for several hours.
Legal analyst Mark Geragos, who has spoken with sources close to the investigation, discussed the trip on his podcast. Geragos said detectives believe Celeste’s body may have been transported in the Tesla during this journey. Evidence also suggests a second person accompanied D4vd, though that individual has never been publicly identified.
Tesla vehicles generate extensive operational data that forensic specialists can extract. Geragos said investigators constructed a comprehensive timeline using phone records, cloud extractions, IP data and geolocation information gathered through search warrants and grand jury subpoenas.
LAPD’s official statement described the Santa Barbara trip as “under investigation” and said detectives have “drawn no conclusions” about its relevance.
Court Order Blocked Release of Autopsy Findings
The LA County Medical Examiner initially planned to release Celeste’s autopsy results as standard public information. Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey Ukpo objected after LAPD obtained a court order sealing all findings in November.
Ukpo issued a public statement criticizing the practice. “Security holds are virtually unheard of in other counties and have not been proven to improve outcomes in the legal system,” he said. The medical examiner’s office had requested a security hold in September, which a judge denied. When LAPD requested one again in November, a different judge approved it.
Captain Scot Williams disclosed to People magazine what information wasn’t restricted. The body wasn’t frozen when discovered and wasn’t decapitated. It had been partially dismembered and was severely decomposed after spending weeks in a hot vehicle during summer.
TMZ initially reported the body was “partially frozen,” which Williams publicly corrected. He explained that even if the body had been frozen initially, which investigators found no evidence to support, it wouldn’t have remained frozen after five or more weeks in a trunk during sweltering summer heat.
Toxicology Results Still Pending as Prosecutors Build Case
The medical examiner listed cause of death as “deferred” pending additional testing. Severe decomposition prevented pathologists from making an immediate determination, and toxicology results remain outstanding.
This created complications for the prosecution. Without a confirmed cause of death, questions arose about what specific crime prosecutors could charge. Geragos believes this explains why the DA’s office brought in outside forensic experts to re-examine the medical examiner’s findings.
The situation has created tension among three agencies with competing priorities. LAPD secured court orders to seal information, arguing that public disclosure could compromise the investigation. The medical examiner’s office advocated for transparency and criticized the security hold as unnecessary. The district attorney’s office needs a definitive cause of death to support murder charges and brought in independent experts to bolster its case.
Friends Believed Teen Was 19 Year Old College Student
Friends and acquaintances didn’t realize Celeste was underage. D4vd’s friends confirmed to FOX 11 they believed she was 19 and studying at USC. She attended clubs, parties and other age restricted venues without raising suspicion. Law enforcement sources later confirmed she possessed multiple fake IDs.
Both Celeste and D4vd had matching tattoos on their right index fingers reading “Shhh.” Her mother disclosed to investigators that Celeste had mentioned dating someone named David before disappearing but had never met him. Celeste’s brother stated to NBC Los Angeles that his sister got into Burke’s Tesla the last time the family saw her.
Celeste was born to Salvadoran immigrants and lived in Lake Elsinore while attending seventh grade. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office confirmed receiving three separate missing person reports for her in 2024. She returned home each time without explaining where she’d been.
People in D4vd’s Los Angeles music circle said they frequently saw the two together and believed they were in a relationship. Nobody reported observing anything alarming or suspected Celeste might be a minor.
Singer Hired Attorney Known for High Profile Murder Cases
D4vd retained Blair Berk in October 2025. Berk has represented Harvey Weinstein, Kanye West, Mel Gibson and Britney Spears throughout her career. Her most recent homicide case involved Monica Sementilli, who was convicted in 2024 and sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating the 2017 murder of her hairdresser husband.
Legal experts estimate that attorney fees for a case of this complexity and media profile typically exceed seven figures.
D4vd hasn’t appeared publicly since cancelling his tour. He vacated the Hollywood Hills rental property and transferred two Texas properties into his mother’s name on September 23, approximately two weeks after authorities discovered Celeste’s body. Both homes were placed in a trust bearing his mother’s name.
Berk previously represented clients enrolled in inpatient substance abuse treatment programs, where HIPAA privacy laws prevent authorities from confirming a person’s location. This has fuelled speculation about D4vd’s whereabouts and could explain conflicting reports about his cooperation level, despite earlier statements from his representatives describing him as “fully cooperating.”
LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton addressed the investigation’s trajectory publicly. “Accountability is coming,” he said. “Our RHD detectives are going to get justice for Celeste Rivas. No one is off the table, including him,” referring to D4vd.
Grand Jury Indictment Expected Within Weeks
A grand jury indictment would trigger D4vd’s immediate arrest, followed by bail hearings. Defense attorneys not involved in the proceedings told KTLA that murder charges of this nature typically carry bail in the range of several million dollars. While Los Angeles County has adopted more lenient bail policies in recent years, the severity of potential charges would likely result in a substantial figure.
Berk would be expected to argue against flight risk, noting that her client has known about the investigation since September, retained counsel promptly and hasn’t attempted to flee. Geragos said judges evaluate bail decisions on a case by case basis but often grant it when defendants have demonstrated some cooperation with authorities.
Celeste’s family has grown increasingly frustrated with the investigation’s pace. Attorney Neama Rahmani stated to LA Magazine the family is considering civil litigation against LAPD to compel release of evidence and records. “Even if her death was an accident, concealing her body is a crime,” Rahmani said. “They most likely know exactly who placed her in Burke’s Tesla.”
The family buried Celeste on October 6, 2025, at Queen of Heaven Cemetery and Mortuary in Rowland Heights, California, following a private service. They haven’t issued public statements beyond expressing gratitude for community support.
The grand jury is expected to conclude testimony by February 2026. Twenty three citizens will then vote on whether probable cause exists to charge D4vd with murder.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell has declined to discuss specifics, telling reporters in December that doing so “would potentially jeopardise the case.” The court ordered security hold on autopsy results remains in effect while toxicology testing continues. A singer who had 33 million monthly Spotify listeners four months ago now waits to learn whether prosecutors will charge him with a teenager’s death.
Sources close to the prosecution say they believe the evidence supports murder charges and expect an indictment soon. Until the grand jury votes and formal charges are filed, D4vd remains legally presumed innocent. The investigation that began when an impound worker noticed a foul smell continues behind closed doors on the 13th floor of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.
Celeste’s family buried her three months ago. The grand jury that will decide whether anyone faces charges for her death meets again in February.
