The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has identified the woman whose dismembered remains were discovered in the front trunk of an impounded Tesla registered to 20-year-old pop singer David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, officials said Tuesday.
The office said it had completed identification but that the legal next of kin had not yet been notified, and therefore the name of the deceased will not be released publicly at this time. Police previously described the victim as a 5-foot-1 female weighing approximately 71 pounds with black hair and a tattoo on her right index finger that read “Shhh.”
Los Angeles Police Department officers discovered the remains last week after impound-lot workers reported a foul odor coming from the vehicle, according to law enforcement statements. The body was found inside a bag placed in the vehicle’s front trunk, commonly called the frunk. Authorities said the car bore Texas license plates and had been abandoned in the Hollywood Hills before being towed to the impound lot, where it sat for several days.
Investigators described the clothing and jewelry recovered with the remains as a tube top, black leggings, a metal stud earring and a metal bracelet shaped like the letter "W." Police also noted the tattoo on the victim’s right index finger in their earlier public description.
Police notified Burke that the Tesla registered to him was in the impound lot amid the ongoing investigation. A spokesperson for the singer told NBC Los Angeles that Burke had been informed and, while continuing to tour, was cooperating with authorities. It remained unclear whether the vehicle had been loaned to someone, stolen, or otherwise came into another person's possession prior to the discovery.
Burke, who performs under the stage name D4vd, rose to prominence with songs such as "Here with Me" and "Romantic Homicide" and has been on a world tour with dates in Europe scheduled in coming weeks. He performed at Coachella in April and made a musical guest appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert earlier this year. In early September he promoted a deluxe version of his debut album on social media; his public Instagram feed showed no new posts after Sept. 7.
The Los Angeles Police Department and the county medical examiner continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the discovery. No arrests or charges have been announced, and officials have not released further details as they work to notify next of kin and determine the cause and manner of death.