“No records or details associated with the case, including the cause and manner of death and medical examiner report, can be released” until further notice, medical examiners say.
A musician has been arrested in Los Angeles after authorities linked him to a case involving a missing teenage girl whose remains were found in a vehicle registered in his name. David Burke, 21, known professionally as D4vd, is being held without bail, police said Thursday. Officials did not outline specific evidence tied to the arrest but confirmed the case will be presented to prosecutors on Monday.
The investigation began months earlier when a car registered to Burke was towed from a public street in Los Angeles after sitting unattended for weeks. Inside, authorities discovered human remains in the trunk. The vehicle had not been reported stolen. The Los Angeles County medical examiner later identified the remains as Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who had been reported missing in 2024 at age 13. Her body was found on Sept. 8, one day after what would have been her 15th birthday., reports the New York Times.
Police have not publicly disclosed a cause or manner of death. Records related to the case were restricted after investigators obtained a court-ordered “security hold,” preventing the release of additional details. The medical examiner’s office said: “No records or details associated with the case, including the cause and manner of death and medical examiner report, can be released” until further notice.
The move drew criticism from Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey C. Ukpo, who said he had “worked on eradicating the practice of placing security holds on medical examiner cases simply by law enforcement request.” Police stated the hold was necessary to ensure investigators received key information before it became public.
Authorities have also said Burke traveled to the Santa Barbara area in spring 2025, though they have not explained how that trip relates to the case. Before his arrest, Burke had been on tour following the release of his debut album and had gained a large following online. Several performances were canceled after the remains were discovered.
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