Platinum-selling artist D4vd is “cooperating” with authorities after a horrible stench led police to a rotting corpse hidden in the trunk of a Tesla registered to the singer and impounded at a Los Angeles tow yard, sources tell Rolling Stone.
One source confirmed D4vd was aware of and coordinating with the police investigation, while a law enforcement official separately confirmed the Tesla with Texas license plates was registered to David Anthony Burke, which is the singer’s real name.
In a report posted online Tuesday night, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said the victim was a female with wavy black hair who was “severely decomposed.” She had a distinct tattoo on her right index finger that read, “Shhh,” the report said.
“She appears to have been deceased inside the vehicle for an extended period of time before being found. We are unable to determine her age or race/ethnicity. The decedent was wearing a tube top and black leggings (size small),” the report said. She was wearing yellow metal stud earrings and a yellow metal chain bracelet.
Burke, who is currently on tour, performed in Madison, Wisconsin, on Sunday. He was still set to perform in Minneapolis on Tuesday night, Sept. 9. A representative for the Fillmore in Minneapolis told Rolling Stone the show “is happening.”
According to the Los Angeles police, the body was discovered Monday afternoon after officers responded to a call about a “foul odor coming from a vehicle” at the tow yard in Hollywood. “Detectives responded and located possible human remains,” an LAPD spokesman said. “It is currently a death investigation.”
Police sources said the car had been abandoned for at least five days. It was towed from the upscale Bird Streets neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills.
A source told the Los Angeles Times that the remains were a “head and torso” contained in a bag inside the trunk. KTLA first reported that the remains were so badly decomposed, investigators could not make out the person’s gender.
On Tuesday, the fashion companies Crocs and Hollister said they were pulling back on a campaign that featured D4vd modeling a “Dream Drop” collaboration between the popular brands. “We are aware of this developing story. With respect to the current situation, we have removed campaign content featuring D4vd while the investigation continues,” the brands said in a joint statement sent to Footwear News.
Trending Stories
Burke, as D4vd, released his debut album, Withered, back in April. He broke through in 2022 with singles “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me,” which garnered significant traction on TikTok. He released his debut EP, Petals to Thorns, in May 2023, then followed it up a few months later with The Lost Petals.
Burked launched his current tour back in August. He has North American dates scheduled through the end of this month, with his last show currently slated for Sept. 20 in Los Angeles. A tour of Europe, the U.K., and Ireland is supposed to follow in October and November.