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| David Anthony Burke, the 21-year-old viral singer who performs under the moniker D4vd, is shown in a police booking photo. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office officially charged Burke with capital murder on Monday in connection with the brutal death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose dismembered remains were found in his impounded vehicle last fall. (Photo: Los Angeles Police Department) |
The 21-year-old artist, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, was charged Monday in connection with the brutal death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The announcement from Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman comes just days after Burke was arrested by homicide detectives at a Hollywood home on Thursday.
The case initially shocked the public in September 2025, when Rivas Hernandez’s dismembered and heavily decomposed remains were discovered inside an abandoned Tesla Model Y registered to the singer. The vehicle had been towed from an upscale Hollywood Hills neighborhood.
According to prosecutors, Burke now faces charges of first-degree murder, lewd and lascivious acts with a child under age 14, and mutilation of human remains. The murder charge includes severe special circumstances — lying in wait, murder for financial gain, and killing a witness in a criminal investigation — which open the door for a potential death penalty sentence.
During a Monday morning press conference, Hochman outlined the prosecution's harrowing timeline, stating that Rivas Hernandez went to Burke’s Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025, and was never heard from again. He further alleged the "financial gain" circumstance stemmed from Burke's effort to protect his lucrative music career, which was being threatened by an alleged sexual relationship with the underage girl. Celeste was considered a key witness in that underlying investigation.
Burke, who rose to massive viral fame in 2022 with his hit "Romantic Homicide" before releasing projects like "Petals to Thorns" and "The Lost Petals," has maintained his innocence. Following his arrest last week, his defense team — comprised of prominent attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter — released a statement pushing back against the LAPD's allegations.
"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," the lawyers stated. "We will vigorously defend David's innocence."
The singer had been on tour supporting his debut full-length album, "Withered," when the victim's body was originally discovered last fall, forcing the immediate cancellation of his remaining North American and European tour dates. He was scheduled to be arraigned in downtown Los Angeles on Monday afternoon.
Burke, who rose to massive viral fame in 2022 with his hit "Romantic Homicide" before releasing projects like "Petals to Thorns" and "The Lost Petals," has maintained his innocence. Following his arrest last week, his defense team — comprised of prominent attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter — released a statement pushing back against the LAPD's allegations.
"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," the lawyers stated. "We will vigorously defend David's innocence."
The singer had been on tour supporting his debut full-length album, "Withered," when the victim's body was originally discovered last fall, forcing the immediate cancellation of his remaining North American and European tour dates. He was scheduled to be arraigned in downtown Los Angeles on Monday afternoon.
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