A Not-So-Romantic Homicide 

“In the back of my mind, you died

And I didn’t even cry

No, not a single tear”

…

“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”

 

Amidst a world recovering from a global pandemic, a world mourning lost loved ones and lost time, it’s not hard to understand why these lyrics ruled the Billboard Hot 100 Alternative song charts and TikTok For You Pages across the United States in September 2022. After going viral and receiving widespread commercial success, the song stayed charted for three consecutive weeks, earning artist d4vd a name in the music industry for his certified multi-platinum hit single “Romantic Homicide” from his debut EP “Petals to Thorns,” as well as a nomination for Best Independent Music Video with the Hollywood Music in Media Awards. His themes were deeply resonant and appealing, surrounding heartbreak, grief, and coinciding with the greater whirlwind of negative emotions amplified by the effects and isolation of COVID-19. His work couldn’t have come out at a better time, with a ready audience of immersive online listeners at his disposal looking for new and talented musicians with whom to pass their time. In addition to the somber lyricism, d4vd was an aspiring bedroom-artist— meaning, an independent creator, writing and performing with accessible DIY technology, or in his case, humbly recording “in [his] sister’s closet with Apple earbuds and an app called BandLab on [his] phone” according to his YouTube interview with Genius. Everything about d4vd and his music seemed so relatable—up until now. Because most of us don’t have decomposing bodies in the back of our cars. 

 

With more information surfacing each day, and the rampant spread of misinformation that passes theory off as truth, it’s important to challenge the claims we’re fed online. These are the verified facts of the case thus far:

 

On September 8th 2025, a decomposing body was found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to a David Anthony Burke, better known for his stage name, d4vd. The car had been abandoned on a Hollywood Hills street, near d4vd’s home, for over a month. After neighbors filed complaints over the vehicle, it had been ticketed eleven days prior, impounded, and brought to a Los Angeles tow yard. At the tow yard, a worker noticed an unsettling smell wafting from the trunk of the car, and alerted the LAPD. That same day, the body was found. 

The body has since been confirmed to be 15 year old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, discovered only a day after her birthday. According to the LAPD, medical examiners have yet to determine the time and cause of Rivas’ death. However, the body had been in the Tesla for at least two weeks before it was found. 

A complicated history between Rivas and d4vd has come to light and has sparked potential concerns of predatory online behavior. In an interview with a TMZ producer, Rivas’ ex-boyfriend and student at their former Lake Elsinore Middle School, Damien Hernandez, said in regard to her relationship with the singer that he “didn’t think it was going to happen,” and that at the time, Rivas had told Hernandez that “she didn’t like where she was at” with her mother and home life. Hernandez said they were 13 or 14 at the time, placing the age difference between Celeste and David to be about five years. 

Social Studies Teacher, Ms. Liz Wade-Stueckle, last year’s Psychology and current Ethnic Studies teacher, offered her knowledge about the unbalanced power dynamic. D4vd has “the societal gendered power of being the man in the relationship,” says Wade-Stueckle, in addition to his wealth and “being an older, famous person [who] is not unaware of the understandable appeal” that comes with his celebrity persona and identity. 

Even if d4vd isn’t arrested or charged for homicide, the relationship, especially if proven sexual, would be considered illegal based on California’s Age of Consent and lack of Romeo and Juliet laws, which dictate that a state can excuse statutory rape charges and penalities if the couple is close in age and consensual. 

Hernandez, born on September 7th, 2010, had run away and been reported missing by her family a number of times in 2024. Her initial disappearance was on April 5th 2024. In the police report, Hernandez’s mother claimed she was dating someone named David. The singer has since canceled his remaining “Withered” international world tour dates but has yet to release any statement or comment on the situation.

With such intense and increased publicity, it gets difficult, if not impossible, to gather an impartial jury, whose job is to judge solely based on authentically presented evidence according to the Sixth Amendment regarding federal cases and the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause for state trials. According to Wade-Stueckle, public silence and refusing comments from the press is one method “that lawyers will coach their clients in – what kind of body language to use, what kind of clothes to wear, how to react to certain things.” Human brains love to recognize patterns, which will therefore contribute to biases. Take for example, the halo effect, which describes a cognitive bias that occurs when an individual has a positive impression of someone in a given area, and makes unsubstantiated positive assumptions about other areas of that person. So, when the brain receives a trait as positive or negative, it will often influence our view on unrelated qualities as well, such as opinions on the individual’s actions, friends, and overall character. Wade-Stueckle says, “People we find attractive, that we like, if we admire something about them ( in relation to David, fans of his music), are more likely to see him in a positive light going in.” In this way, the internet, specifically TikTok, remains relatively torn between their defense and support, leaning to different “sides” with every new update. 

Along with the facts, it’s crucial to acknowledge and debunk the myths that have circulated on social media platforms. Here are some rumours that have proven to be false:

Hernandez was not pregnant when her body was found. 

It has not been confirmed that d4vd is responsible for Hernandez’s death, despite the arguments many have made online connecting the two. 

The LAPD has not even listed Burke, nor any other individual, as a suspect in their investigation, although he is inevitably linked to the case.