On Sept. 8, in Los Angeles, a 14-year-old girl named Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found in the front trunk of rising singer/songwriter d4vd’s Tesla. Hernandez had been missing since Feb. 14, 2024, and was never found by authorities, until her death this September.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Hernandez lived with her family in an area outside Los Angeles called Lake Elsinore. She had been notorious for running away and was reported missing twice before and came back to Lake Elsinore. Unfortunately, the third time she ran away, she was never found.
According to the Hindustan Times, her body was found dismembered in the front trunk of a Tesla that was registered under the name of David Anthony Burke, also known as the rising artist d4vd. The car was parked on a street in a Hollywood Hills neighborhood, where d4vd was renting out a home. Young Hernandez was declared dead on Sept. 8, 2025, but was assumed by authorities to have been dead for weeks before her body was found.
d4vd has not officially been named as a suspect by authorities, since there is no way to determine the cause of death yet. However, this has not stopped the public from coming up with conspiracy theories of their own.
A few of d4vd’s main hits are “Romantic Homicide,” “Here With Me,” “Feel it,” “Sleep well” and “You and I.” d4vd’s songs are known for their alternative R&B, indie, and rock styles, while mixing heavy emotions and emotionally charged lyrics into his songs.
Recently, social media has been filled with conspiracy videos claiming that d4vd was hinting at Hernandez’s death in his songs. A lyric from his song “Romantic Homicide” that has been raising concern is: “In the back of my mind you died and I didn’t even cry. No, not a single tear.” The next time the chorus comes around, the lyrics are slightly changed: “In the back of my mind I killed you and I didn’t even regret it. I can’t believe I said it, but it’s true. I hate you.”
Sophie Skillings, a sophomore, has been a fan of d4vd’s music for several years now and listens to his music often. “I see him on TikTok a lot where like, the one [lyric], in the back of my mind [you died]. He was talking about how it’s about her,” Skillings said.
There has been no released information stating that d4vd’s ratings dropped or are getting worse due to the finding of Hernandez.
Eastin Popchak, a ninth grader from State High, is also a fan of d4vd. “It’s just music, music’s music,” Popchak said after talking about how he still plans on listening to his music.
However, Milania Rogers, also a freshman at State High, decided to stop supporting the artist altogether. “Continuing to listen to his music is supporting him and if he were to be convicted of the crime I do not want to support him, as an artist or a person,” Rogers said.
The case of Celeste Rivas Hernandez is still an open case, and d4vd is not able to be a suspect due to the fact that authorities cannot confirm how Hernandez died; however, the case still has further investigation to undergo to help confirm or find a suspect.
