Los Angeles police discovered the severely decomposed remains of an unidentified woman inside a Tesla registered to popular singer D4vd at a Hollywood impound lot on Monday afternoon, September 9, 2025, after responding to reports of a foul odor emanating from the vehicle.

Officers were called to Hollywood Tow on North Mansfield Avenue at approximately 12:30 p.m. following complaints about the smell coming from the electric vehicle. The remains were discovered in a bag inside the front trunk of the 2023 Tesla Model Y, which bears Texas license plates and is registered to David Anthony Burke in Hempstead, Texas.

Burke, known professionally as D4vd and pronounced “David,” is a 20-year-old musician from Queens, New York, who later moved to Houston. The rising star has gained significant popularity through social media platforms, particularly TikTok, where he boasts 3.6 million followers. His breakthrough singles “Here With Me” and “Romantic Homicide” have each accumulated over 1.5 billion streams on Spotify, with the latter reaching 1.7 billion streams.

The Tesla had been impounded after being reported abandoned in the upscale Bird Streets neighborhood of the Hollywood Hills approximately five days before the discovery. The vehicle had been sitting at the tow yard for several days before workers detected the odor that led to the grim finding.

According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office, the victim was a woman approximately 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighing 71 pounds. She had wavy black hair and was wearing a tube top and black leggings in size small. The woman also wore yellow metal stud earrings and a yellow metal chain bracelet. A distinctive tattoo on her right index finger reading “Shhh…” may aid in identification efforts.

The medical examiner’s office indicated that the woman “appears to have been deceased inside the vehicle for an extended period of time before being found.” Due to the severe decomposition, officials were unable to determine the victim’s age, race, or ethnicity. Law enforcement sources described the remains as not being intact and heavily decomposed, which will significantly delay identification efforts.

Burke is currently in the middle of his “Withered World Tour,” which began last month in support of his debut album of the same name released in April 2025. He performed in Madison, Wisconsin, on Sunday, September 7, and was scheduled to take the stage in Minneapolis on Tuesday night, September 9. The tour is set to conclude its North American leg with a Los Angeles performance on September 20, followed by European, United Kingdom, and Ireland dates in October and November.

A spokesperson for the singer confirmed that Burke has been informed about the discovery and noted that he “is fully cooperating with the authorities” despite remaining on tour. The singer continued with his scheduled performances, with representatives confirming that the Minneapolis show would proceed as planned.

The case is currently being treated as a death investigation, though law enforcement sources indicate it is being investigated as a homicide. Los Angeles Police Captain Robert Peters confirmed that detectives responded to the scene and located possible human remains. The investigation remains in its early stages, with authorities working to determine the cause of death and identify the victim.

In response to the investigation, fashion companies Crocs and Hollister announced they were pulling back on a campaign featuring Burke modeling a “Dream Drop” collaboration between the brands. The companies issued a joint statement indicating they had removed campaign content featuring D4vd while the investigation continues.

Burke has not personally commented on the investigation, though he maintained his social media presence, posting on Sunday about a deluxe version of his album “Withered” set for release on September 19. Law enforcement sources emphasized that Burke owns several vehicles, with different people using any of the vehicles at various times.

The investigation continues as authorities work to identify the victim and determine the circumstances surrounding her death. Burke’s cooperation with law enforcement remains ongoing as detectives piece together the timeline of events leading to the discovery.