Celeste Rivas Murder Probe: Why Did Grand Jury Order D4vd's Parents To Testify?

A California grand jury has ordered the parents of singer D4vd to travel from Texas to testify in the murder probe into teenager Celeste Rivas Hernandez, after her dismembered body was found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to the musician in Los Angeles in September, according to newly filed court documents.

Hernandez disappeared more than a year before her remains were discovered. In September, staff at a Hollywood tow lot reported a foul odour coming from a Tesla that had been impounded. Police later found human remains inside a bag in the car's front trunk.

Court records cited by CBS News describe one bag containing a decomposed head and torso in a cadaver bag, with additional body parts found in another bag inside the car.

The vehicle was registered to D4vd, real name David Anthony Burke, and the Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery‑Homicide Division told USA TODAY that Hernandez was likely dead for "several weeks" before the body was located.

On the other hand, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner had not determined the cause or manner of death at the time of the police statement, leaving investigators with a grim reality but limited public certainty.

According to a copy of the death certificate obtained by ABC News, the manner of her death is still under investigation and the cause is currently recorded as 'deferred'. The date of birth on the document indicates that her remains were discovered just one day after her 15th birthday.

Celeste Rivas Murder Probe Puts D4vd's Family Under Oath Pressure

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Craig Richman later ordered D4vd's parents and brother to appear before the grand jury earlier this month. The three challenged the summons, but a Texas appeals court rejected their petitions for writs of habeas corpus on 9 February.

A lawyer for D4vd's mother and father told ABC News that they subsequently sought relief from the higher Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which issued a stay on the lower court's order requiring them to appear in California. That challenge is still unresolved, the attorney said.

A third relative has also been petitioned, according to documents seen by USA TODAY.

Grand jury proceedings are conducted in secret, and it is still unclear how far the Los Angeles County investigation has progressed, ABC News reported.

Court records indicate that detectives learned that D4vd's mother, Colleen, plays a central role in his career and oversees his business finances. The documents also note that both parents are described as having a close relationship with the singer, CBS New reported.

Murder Probe Entangles D4vd's Friend

Investigators are also applying pressure on the edges of the case. USA Today reported that D4vd's friend and social media influencer Neo Langston was arrested after failing to appear as a witness in the investigation, with jail records reviewed by the outlet showing he was released on $60,000 bail after being taken into custody. As reported, there is no indication that Langston is accused of involvement in the killing itself.

NBC News, citing filings from the First District Court of Appeals in Texas, reports that the paperwork explicitly identifies D4vd as the "target" of the investigation into Hernandez's death. A representative for the 20‑year‑old, best known for his track Romantic Homicide, previously told NBC he was "fully cooperating with the authorities".