Singer D4vd was charged Monday with first-degree murder, child sex abuse offenses and mutilating human remains in connection with the death of a missing 14-year-old girl whose remains were later found inside his impounded Tesla in Los Angeles.
The 21-year-old artist, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, was arrested last week as investigators moved forward in the case tied to Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the charges and said prosecutors are also reviewing sentencing enhancements that could make Burke eligible for the death penalty at a later stage.
“I am a parent of three children, and a parent’s nightmare is a situation where your daughter goes out one night and never comes back, as we will show in a court of law,” Hochman said.
Authorities said Celeste’s remains were discovered September 8 after employees at Hollywood Tow reported a foul odor coming from Burke’s abandoned Tesla. Investigators believe she had been dead for an extended period before the discovery.
Police Chief Jim McDonnell said detectives determined Celeste, who had run away from Riverside, was involved in a sexual relationship with Burke. She was last known to be alive on April 23, 2025, when she arrived at Burke’s Hollywood Hills home, according to investigators.
“The substantial amount of time that passed between her death and the discovery meant that crucial evidence had degraded or disappeared, and as detectives worked to uncover the truth, they also had to sift through and debunk a great deal of false information circulating publicly,” McDonnell added.
Officials have not publicly released Celeste’s cause of death. Her case had remained under a security hold while detectives continued their investigation.
Burke’s attorneys said they intend to fight the allegations and maintain his innocence.
Let us be clear — the actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death,” statement said.
