US artist dv4d has been quietly removed from the Spilt Milk 2025 lineup as an investigation into the body of a missing teenager found in a Tesla registered to the singer continues.
The Queens-born artist, real name David Anthony Burke, was announced on the bill for the regional touring festival this December, however he has since been removed from the lineup advertised on the Spilt Milk website, though it is yet to be publicly addressed by organisers.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ has contacted the festival’s PR for comment.
D4vd is still scheduled to perform sideshows during the Australian trip, with gigs confirmed in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Tickets for the headline shows are still on sale.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ has also contacted promoters for comment.
It comes after the deluxe edition of d4vd’s debut album, Withered, was not released as planned on Friday, while US tour dates have been cancelled.
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According to a previously released statement, Burke has been “cooperating” with authorities during the investigation. He has not been named as a suspect or a person of interest, nor has he been accused of any crimes.
The body was discovered in the Tesla trunk after police were called to a tow yard in Hollywood to investigate reports of a foul smell coming from the car. It took a week for medical examiners to identify the victim as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas, who had been missing for over a year. Burke was on tour when Rivas’ body was discovered, and he continued to play shows.
While authorities haven’t identified a suspect or person of interest yet, several details about the investigation have come out. For instance, the impounded Tesla was towed from the affluent Bird Streets neighbourhood in the Hollywood Hills, with neighbors telling Rolling Stone that it had been spotted in various places. It was eventually towed from a spot on Bluebird Avenue, where sources said it had been sitting for at least three weeks.
After Rivas was identified, law enforcement searched a house around the block from where the car was towed. Police left with several items, including a computer. The home’s owner later confirmed to Rolling Stone that the residence had been rented to Burke’s manager, Josh Marshall, last year, starting in February 2024.
