U.S. singer D4vd charged with murder over teen girl's death

Los Angeles prosecutors on Monday charged U.S. singer and social media figure D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, with first-degree murder in connection with the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose dismembered and decomposed remains were found last year in a Tesla registered to him. 

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said that Burke, 21, also faces charges of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 and mutilating a body. District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the murder count includes special-circumstance allegations -- including lying in wait, murder for financial gain and killing a witness -- that could increase potential penalties if Burke is convicted. Prosecutors have not said whether they will seek the death penalty.

"A parent's nightmare is a situation where your daughter goes out one night and never comes back," Hochman said at a news conference announcing the filing. Hochman said authorities contend the girl went to Burke's Hollywood Hills home in the spring of 2025 and "was never heard from again."

Burke was arrested last week by detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department and was being held without bail while prosecutors reviewed the case for filing. His first court appearance and arraignment were expected this week.

In a statement issued after his arrest, Burke's attorneys said he is innocent and plans to fight the case.

"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 said. They said they will "vigorously defend" him.

The investigation began Sept. 8, 2025, after employees at a Los Angeles tow yard reported a strong odor coming from a Tesla Model Y that had been impounded after it was found parked for weeks in a Hollywood Hills neighborhood. Police said investigators opened the vehicle's front storage compartment and found human remains inside bags. Court documents described a cadaver bag with insects, a strong odor of decay, containing human remains that had been dismembered.

Authorities later identified the remains as Rivas Hernandez, who had been reported missing by her family in 2024 from Lake Elsinore, about 113 km southeast of Los Angeles. Officials have not publicly released a cause of death.

If convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstances, Burke could face life in prison without the possibility of parole and the case could be eligible for capital punishment under California law. The district attorney's office said a decision on whether to pursue the death penalty would be made later in the prosecution.

Burke, born in New York and raised in Texas, rose to fame as D4vd with songs that gained traction on TikTok and streaming services. His 2022 track "Romantic Homicide" became a viral hit and has logged hundreds of millions of streams, helping propel him into the pop and alternative mainstream.

The case has sparked widespread public attention in the country and prompted renewed scrutiny of how minors can come into contact with celebrities and influencers. Advocates have urged families to report missing children immediately and to keep pressure on agencies to share information and coordinate across jurisdictions.