A decomposing female body was discovered in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to music artist D4vd, two days after the vehicle was towed from a street in Hollywood.
Los Angeles police officers responded around midday Monday to an impound lot in Hollywood after staff reported a strong odour coming from the Tesla.
Upon investigation, officers located the body of a woman in an advanced state of decomposition inside the front trunk of the car, authorities said.
The vehicle, a Tesla registered to 20-year-old singer and songwriter David Anthony Burke, professionally known as D4vd, had been towed from a Los Angeles street two days earlier after being found abandoned, sources said.
According to a senior LAPD official, the Tesla is one of several vehicles owned by the artist and was regularly used by multiple individuals.
Detectives are working to determine who last had access to the vehicle and who may be connected to the case.
Details of the body
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed the deceased was female but could not immediately determine her age or further details due to the severity of the decomposition.
Preliminary details describe the victim as approximately 5-foot-1, with wavy black hair. She was found wearing a tube top, black leggings, a yellow metal bracelet, and stud earrings.
A tattoo on her right index finger read “Shhh…,” according to the coroner’s report.
The cause and manner of death remain undetermined, but LAPD officials confirmed that the case is currently being investigated as a homicide pending further examination.
The investigation is in its early stages, and police are awaiting additional findings from the coroner’s office, which could take several days. Authorities plan to interview Burke as well as others potentially connected to the vehicle.
Who is D4vd?
D4vd, born David Anthony Burke on March 28, 2005, rose to fame in 2022 after his breakout singles ‘Romantic Homicide’ and ‘Here With Me’ gained traction on TikTok, ultimately bringing over a billion streams on Spotify.
He released his debut album ‘Withered’ in 2025 under Darkroom and Interscope Records.
He currently has more than 33 million monthly Spotify listeners and is on tour, with a scheduled performance in Minneapolis on Tuesday and a stop in Los Angeles on September 20.
Brands dropping D4vd as brand ambassador
Following news of the investigation, fashion brands Crocs and Hollister have reportedly dropped D4vd as a brand ambassador.
In a joint statement shared with WWD, the companies said, “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 artist had recently starred in the brands’ collaborative “Dream Drop” collection campaign, launched on September 3.
As of Monday, his promotional images have been removed from both companies’ social media platforms, though the campaign materials remain otherwise intact.