The day after a body was found in his car in Hollywood, singer D4vd was belting his TikTok hit Romantic Homicide - a brooding breakup song about killing an ex with no regret - to a sold-out crowd in Minneapolis.
The US recording artist had self-launched his music career from his sister's closet while working a part-time gig at Starbucks. It led him to viral fame, millions of followers online, and a global tour.
But all of it came to an abrupt halt last month with the discovery of a severely decomposed body in the front trunk of his Tesla.
The corpse was identified as that of 15-year-old runaway Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
A month later, mystery still surrounds the teen's death, as well as her relationship to the 20-year-old singer, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke.
Deep dives into his macabre oeuvre - which is peppered with references to death, remembrance, violence and bloody motifs - have led some to question if life was imitating art and vice versa.
The young singer has yet to publicly comment on the case or the grim discovery in his car. His spokesperson has only said that he is fully cooperating with authorities and he has since hired a prominent criminal defense attorney who has represented celebrities such as Mel Gibson, Lindsay Lohan, Kanye West and Britney Spears.
Rivas Hernandez's cause of death has yet to be determined.
The county's medical examiner has said her body was severely decomposed when it was found and has deferred making a ruling on how she died - an investigation they say could take months.
Police have also not named a suspect or person of interest in the case, even weeks after discovering her body.
The Los Angeles Police Department has not offered many details in the case or the probe, calling it an open death investigation. The department would not comment on multiple questions posed about the case, the investigation, and any connections the singer may have to Rivas Hernandez.
Rivas Hernandez - who lived about 75 miles away from where her body was discovered - had last been reported missing by her family in April 2024, but it was not the first time she had run away from their Lake Elsinore home.
When the teen's remains were found in a bag in D4vd's Tesla, the medical examiner stated that she was wearing a tube top, size small black leggings and jewelry, including a yellow metal stud earring and a yellow metal chain bracelet.
She also had a tattoo that read Shhh... on her index finger - a marking nearly identical to that on the pop singer's own index finger.
The decomposition of her body indicated that she had already been deceased for several weeks, investigators said.
Her family, who described her as a beloved daughter, sister, cousin and friend, has since solicited money on a crowdfunding website to pay for her funeral.
This ascent to fame came to a pause when his Tesla was towed to an impoundment lot, leading authorities to discover a bag containing Rivas Hernandez's remains after someone complained about a foul smell.
His world tour was cancelled within days of the discovery, and various brands have distanced themselves from D4vd amid the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the teen's death. Meanwhile, the LAPD's ongoing silence on the investigation raises more questions than answers.
