In a case loaded with disturbing details, questions of culpability, and mounting speculation, 20‑year‑old singer‑songwriter D4vd (born David Anthony Burke) finds himself under intense scrutiny in the discovery of a decomposed body in the front trunk of a vehicle registered to him. According to law‑enforcement sources and recently disclosed investigative records, a private investigator now believes he knows who moved the car after the body was placed inside — raising new questions about what exactly occurred and when.

The discovery

On September 8, 2025, authorities at a Hollywood Hills impound lot uncovered a body inside the “frunk” (front‑trunk) of a Tesla registered to D4vd. Earlier, neighbours had reported the vehicle abandoned on a residential street in the Bird Streets area of the Hollywood Hills for weeks Garage workers at the impound yard had noticed a “foul odour” emanating from the car — what prompted the discovery.

The body was later identified by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner as Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 15‑year‑old girl who had been missing from Lake Elsinore, California, since April 2024. At the time of discovery the remains were badly decomposed — authorities believe the victim had been dead for several weeks before the discovery.

The vehicle, the location, and the timeline

The Tesla had been towed from its parking spot after someone reported it abandoned. According to the impound and parking‑violation records, the vehicle was cited on September 3 for exceeding the 72‑hour parking limit, then towed to the lot on or about September 5. Neighbours and the private investigator indicate the car had been parked at the same spot — roughly 150 feet from the residence rented by D4vd in the Hollywood Hills — for over a month.

The proximity of the car to the residence, plus the suspiciously long period it remained unmoved, raises urgent questions: Who abandoned the car? Who placed the body in the trunk — and when? And how many people, beyond the registered owner, handled or moved the vehicle between its abandonment and impound?

Enter the private investigator

The residence’s landlord, Mladen Trifunovic, whose property D4vd rented for approximately US $20,000 per month, has reportedly retained a private investigator to dig deeper into the matter. The investigator, whose name has not been widely publicised, has focused on forensic logistics: which keys or access codes existed for the house, surveillance footage from external cameras, vehicle movement logs, and the timeline of presence of various individuals at the site.

One key finding: the car’s long period of standing in front of the property means the question of who moved the car is as critical as who placed the body in it. The PI’s sources say they “know” who moved the vehicle post‑incident — though they have not publicly identified the person. Some of this is based on camera footage of someone using the car in the days prior to its impound.

The relationship between D4vd and the victim

Media reports and local sources indicate that Celeste Rivas Hernandez and D4vd “knew each other” — some describe the relationship as “romantic”. Rivas, who was 13 at the time she went missing in April 2024, is alleged to have had a boyfriend named “David,” a detail her mother provided during missing‑persons reporting D4vd has thus far been co‑operating with law enforcement, according to his representative.

It is important to emphasise: no criminal charges have been announced publicly against D4vd at this time — the case remains under investigation.

The unanswered questions

Despite the significant public interest, many fundamental elements remain unresolved. Firstly, the cause and manner of death have been deferred by the coroner’s office and are not yet publicly released. Secondly, the identity of the person(s) who physically placed the body in the car remains unknown. The private investigator claims knowledge of who moved the Tesla — but moving a car is quite different from stacking it with a corpse.

Thirdly, the period during which the young girl died, and whether the body was in that car the entire time, are open to speculation. The vehicle was last reported moved in early September, but the victim may have died much earlier. Some online speculation (unverified) suggests she may have been dead as early as January 2025.

The broader implications

This case touches a number of broader concerns. It raises questions about how extreme decomposition in a vehicle went undetected for so long in a residential neighbourhood. It also highlights the challenge of investigations when the registered owner of a vehicle is not necessarily the only person with access. That someone might “move” the vehicle or otherwise handle it post‑incident underscores the complexity of proving beyond reasonable doubt who committed what act.

Similarly, the involvement of celebrities in criminal investigations draws intense public and media attention, sometimes complicating investigative integrity. The landlord’s decision to hire a private investigator adds a layer of complexity: this is parallel to, but not the same as, the official law‑enforcement process. In particular, the PI’s claim to “know” who moved the car may or may not align with what prosecutors or detectives can prove in court.

What the investigators are doing

Law enforcement agencies — particularly the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and their Robbery‑Homicide Division — have executed searches of the Hollywood Hills residence, seizing surveillance footage and other physical evidence. They are also analysing fingerprints and other forensic data from the Tesla. According to early reports, they have found some prints, but the car had multiple users and the exact timeline of access is still ambiguous.

Meanwhile, the private investigator retained by the landlord is interviewing neighbours, collecting parking and impound records, and attempting to reconstruct a “who moved the car, when, and where” timeline. That timeline may prove critical in narrowing the window during which the body was placed or when the car was moved.

Why the “moved the car” question matters

On its face, the more sensational part of the story centres on the body found in the car. But a secondary question — perhaps equally important in establishing criminal liability — iswho moved the car after the body was placed. If someone after the fact picked up the car key, drove it a short distance, possibly changed parking spots, and left it so it would be found or not found, that movement could show intent to conceal or manipulate the crime scene. The PI’s claim to know who moved the vehicle suggests the investigation has identified that person (or persons), though whether that person is willing to testify or admit anything is another matter.

Potential scenarios

Investigators are effectively considering several possible scenarios:

Celeste died or was killed earlier in the residence or elsewhere, was placed in the Tesla soon afterward, and the car was parked in the neighbourhood until it was towed.

The car was moved multiple times after the placement, perhaps to impede detection, with someone other than D4vd driving it at times.

The registered owner (D4vd) may have had no knowledge of the acts of other persons accessing the vehicle — potentially complicating criminal attribution.

The death may have resulted from foul play, but given the decomposition and delay in discovery, proving cause will be challenging. Investigators must establish time of death, location of death, chain of custody of the remains, and every person who accessed the vehicle.

Public and legal fallout

Once the discovery became public, D4vd cancelled his remaining U.S. tour dates and major brand partners reportedly pulled back from associated campaigns. Fans and the online community have dug into social media, livestreams, and song lyrics for clues and correlations. On Reddit, for example, amateur “internet detectives” have argued the Tesla was parked since January, not just August, and have posted elaborate theories linking the musician’s lyrics to the events. However, despite the speculation, no charges have been publicly filed against D4vd or any other person in connection with the death. Authorities caution that the case is still “a death investigation,” not yet classified as a homicide by the medical examiner

What’s next

Going forward, the investigation will hinge on several key milestones:

The medical examiner’s full report, specifying cause and manner of death.

Confirmation of exactly when and where Celeste died.

Identification of all individuals who accessed the Tesla during the over‑month period it was parked.

Forensic analysis of the residence and the vehicle, including DNA, fingerprint, surveillance footage, and vehicle‑movement records.

The private investigator’s findings on the movement of the car and any associated persons of interest.

If the PI’s claim to “know who moved the car” is correct, the challenge ahead is converting that information into admissible evidence. This could require testimony, footage, records, or confessions. Prosecutors will need to link the movement of the vehicle to the placement of the body and then to whoever caused or concealed the death.

Conclusion

At this time, the story of D4vd and the Tesla‑trunk case combines shock, mystery and suspicion. A teenage girl’s life ended under tragic and still‑murky circumstances. A high‑profile musician’s vehicle became the scene of a grim discovery. A private investigator claims to know who moved the car after the body was placed inside — yet the full truth remains behind a veil of forensic complexity.

The next chapters in this investigation will determine whether the movement of the vehicle becomes a linchpin in prosecuting someone for the crime of concealing a death—or possibly worse. For now, the public waits for answers.