News

Singer/Songwriter, D4vd, At The Center Of A Murder Case

Jocelyn Ocampo-Mateo, Copy Editor • November 12, 2025

D4vd on the left, Celeste Rivas Hernandez on the right.

Back in 2020, big overdone eyeliner, masks of course, and the singer/songwriter, D4vd, was iconic among teens. D4vd became an overnight sensation with his song, “Romantic Homicide,” released on July 20, 2022. However, what wouldn’t be known until years later by the world is that the song would turn into an ironic tragedy. On Sept. 8, news broke of a dismembered body found in the trunk of a Tesla under the singer’s name. The person found in the trunk’s name was Celeste Rivas Hernandez, and she was only 14 years old when she died. This news shocked fans across multiple platforms, with many quickly coming to the singer’s defense, in that it was all “a huge misunderstanding” or “he had been framed.” But as fast as the news broke, many more fans were able to uncover “coincidences” regarding the teenager’s tragic death.

It all started when fans began to notice that many of D4vd’s old posts seemed to contain a very similar-looking girl to Hernandez, whether it be at his concerts or the background of one of his stories. The timeline between her popping up and the real Hernandez disappearing seems to be too apparent. In April 2024, Hernandez was reported missing by her family, partly inferring that she had run away with her known online boyfriend at the time, whose name was David.

Fans online were quick to find out more about Rivas’s and D4vd’s relationship, and what they found was more than just disturbing. Allegedly, D4vd and Rivas first met when Hernandez was just 11 years old on the online chatting app, Discord. When their relationship turned romantic is unknown, but it is alleged that a whole discord server of fans knew and no one said anything, especially when knowing that D4vd was 17. Fans have also discovered that the singer wrote and released romantic songs on Hernandez’s birthday, Sept. 7. On Sept. 7, 2022, he released the music video for his song, Romantic Homicide. Other “coincidences” found by fans were that oftentimes, D4vd hired actresses who looked eerily similar to Hernandez to play his love interest in his music videos, as well as finding what looks to be her bag in the background of some of D4vd’s TikToks.

Perhaps the most concerning one of them all is when what was supposed to be D4vd’s new album got leaked and one particular song contained the following lyrics, “Oh Celeste, the girl with my name tattooed on her chest/ smell her on my clothes like cigarettes,” This piece of evidence shocked fans the most which took him writing that song as a confession to this heinous crime. His new upcoming album has since been canceled after being announced on Sept. 7, Hernandez’s birthday, and the day before her body was discovered.

LAPD has come out to confirm that Hernandez had a matching tattoo with D4vd on her ring finger, but LAPD has not officially declared their suspects. Since the Tesla was in a tow yard when discovered, it also needs further investigation as to whether someone could have tampered with it. LAPD has confirmed that D4vd has been working with the police since the body was found, but no arrests have been made thus far.

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About the Contributor

Jocelyn Ocampo-Mateo, Copy Editor

Jocelyn Ocampo-Mateo is a senior at Morro Bay High School. One of Ocampo-Mateo’s favorite memories so far is when she got to go to London the summer after her sophomore year. Ocampo-Mateo says that “she had never connected to a place so quickly before,” and Ocampo-Mateo later hopes to study abroad there. Ocampo-Mateo’s hobbies, she said, are “singing, planning events, and sometimes painting”. Ocampo-Mateo’s favorite song right now is “Sienna” by The Marías. Ocampo-Mateo loves to watch volleyball, and when she has free time, she also likes to play the sport. Ocampo-Mateo likes writing because she says it’s a way to express people’s feelings. It’s also a form of art, Ocampo-Mateo likes to say. Writing to Ocampo-Mateo helps her express opinions about different topics, and she says that writing has so many styles, and it is super unique to see many ways to write about something. One book that Ocampo-Mateo likes to read is “Little Women.” Some people don’t know what they are going to do at such a young age when they grow up, but not Ocampo-Mateo; she says that her dream job is to be on Broadway. Through her years in high school, Ocampo-Mateo has always kept the same dream of being on Broadway, and hopefully, it will never change. Two words to describe Ocampo-Mateo, she would say, are creative and thoughtful. Some of her friends would say that Ocampo is a great role model and really takes pride in the work she does. People can look up to her, and she sets a good example to many younger people. Ocampo-Mateo wants to attend a 4-year university after high school. She hopes to get into UCLA. Ocampo-Mateo is in 2 clubs; she is the president of ASB and the co-president of Drama Club. “I love to set an example for the school, and to be able to plan events,” said Ocampo-Mateo about ASB. Ocampo-Mateo really likes being in ASB to help the overall community run smoothly. ASB helps Ocampo-Mateo be able to get into a good 4-year college because the college admissions officers can see that you have good leadership skills, and colleges look for a well-rounded student. Ocampo-Mateo said, “I am also in ASB because I just enjoy it.” Ocampo-Mateo has been in ASB for 3 years now, and Ocampo-Mateo was treasurer her junior year. Ocampo-Mateo would love to become a lawyer when she gets older, specifically, an immigration lawyer. Ocampo-Mateo wants to be able to put some good in the world and to be able to help people when they really need it. Some things that will help her achieve this goal are attending a 4-year college, probably majoring in writing, going to law school, and living in a big city like Chicago.