By Charlie Gainor, Staff Writer

Singer-songwriter and TikTok sensation d4vd is now under investigation after a decomposed body was found in his Tesla last week.

Last Tuesday, Los Angeles police were called to a local impound lot to investigate a “foul odor coming from a vehicle.” According to a statement, officers found a bag containing “badly decomposed” body parts of a woman in the trunk. The medical examiner was not able to identify the victim’s age or ethnicity, and the office concluded that she “had been dead for an extended period of time” before being found.

Though there were few recognizable features, the woman was wearing a tube top, black leggings, a yellow metal chain and stud earrings at the time of discovery. Los Angeles Police Captain Robert Peters added that the car had been in the lot for a few days and that identification would be delayed due to the “decomposition of the victim.” 

Officials are currently treating the case as a death investigation and have not labeled d4vd, the stage name of David Anthony Burke, as a suspect. The car was impounded after it was reported abandoned in the Hollywood Hills. 

d4vd, a 20-year-old singer from Houston, gained attention in 2022 with the release of his debut single “Romantic Homicide” on SoundCloud. Snippets of the song went viral on TikTok and the full release peaked at No. 3 on Billboard’s “Hot Alternative Chart.” This landed him a signing with Interscope Records and Darkroom, who work with artists like Billie Eilish. 

He released his debut EP “Petals to Thorns” in 2023 and has written singles for both video game Fortnite and the award-winning television series “Invincible.” d4vd has also collaborated with high-profile artists like Hyunjin of Stray Kids, Kali Uchis and Laufey, as well as performing at the Camp Flog Gnaw music festival in Nov. 2023. He released his debut album “WITHERED” this past April.

d4vd is currently touring the country on his “Withered World Tour” and was set to perform in Minneapolis when the body was discovered in his car.

“d4vd has been informed about what’s happened,” a spokesperson for the singer said. “And, although he is still out on tour, he is fully cooperating with the authorities.” The singer himself has not released a statement on the incident.

Crocs and Hollister, which have a sponsorship deal with d4vd, have temporarily removed all promotional content involving him while the results of the investigation are pending. The 20-year-old, meanwhile, is wrapping up the final domestic leg of his tour this week before setting off on the international leg of his tour next month.