Singer D4vd has pleaded not guilty to the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose dismembered remains were found in the trunk of the musician’s apparently abandoned Tesla.
The 21-year-old singer, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, was arrested Thursday in the Hollywood Hills, seven months after the teen’s body was found.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Monday that Burke is charged with first-degree murder, lewd and lascivious acts with an individual under 14, and mutilating a body in the killing of Rivas Hernandez.
Hochman noted the murder charges included special circumstances — lying in wait, committing crime for financial gain and murdering the witness in an investigation — that could carry the death penalty if convicted. Burke pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment on Monday afternoon. He is being held on no bail.
”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 Monday.
D4vd, pronounced “David,” gained popularity among Gen-Z fans for his blend of indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop. He went viral on TikTok in 2022 with the hit “Romantic Homicide,” which peaked at No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.
Key Points
- D4vd pleads not guilty to murder charge
- D4vd charged with murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez
- DA could seek death penalty for D4vd
- Missing teen Celeste Rivas Hernandez found in trunk of D4vd's Tesla
- Here's how D4vd is linked to slain teen
Recap: D4vd arraigned on murder charge
23:53 , Rachel Dobkin- Singer D4vd pleaded not guilty Monday to the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
- The 21-year-old, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, was arraigned at a Los Angeles courthouse Monday after being arrested Thursday in the Hollywood Hills.
- Seven months ago, Rivas Hernandez’s body was found dismembered in the trunk of the musician’s apparently abandoned Tesla.
- Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman accused D4vd of engaging in “repeated lewd and lascivious sexual relations” with Rivas Hernandez.
- Prosecutors could seek the death penalty in D4vd’s case.
- D4vd went viral on TikTok in 2022 with the hit “Romantic Homicide,” which peaked at No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.
Charges expected today for singer D4vd
15:58 , Andrea CavallierLos Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman and LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell are expected to announce charges today against d4vd in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
Follow along with The Independent as we provide updates from the press conference, which will start at 10 a.m. PT, 1 p.m. ET.
Who is d4vd?
16:06 , Andrea CavallierD4vd, pronounced “David,” whose real name is David Anthony Burke, rose to fame in 2022 with the viral TikTok hit “Romantic Homicide,” gaining a large Gen-Z following for his blend of indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop.
He later signed with Darkroom and Interscope Records, releasing the EPs “Petals to Thorns” and “The Lost Petals” before debuting his full-length album, “Withered.”
When the teen’s body was discovered in his Tesla in September, d4vd had been on tour in support of his first full-length album, “Withered.”
Later, the last two North American shows, in San Francisco and Los Angeles, along with a scheduled performance at LA’s Grammy Museum, were canceled, as was the European tour that was to have begun in Norway.
Missing teen Celeste Rivas Hernandez found in trunk of d4vd's Tesla
16:11 , Andrea CavallierCeleste Rivas Hernandez was just 13 years old when she was first reported missing from Lake Elsinore, southeast of Los Angeles, in February 2024.
She would be reported missing three times over the following months.
On September 8, 2025 – a day after she would have turned 15 – her dismembered body was discovered inside a cadaver bag in the trunk of a Tesla that had been towed from a Hollywood Hills street.
The car was registered to singer d4vd.
According to court documents, an employee noticed a foul odor and alerted police, leading to the discovery of Celeste’s remains.
Investigators found the bag “covered with insects and a strong odor of decay,” and when it was partially unzipped, they “observed a decomposed head and torso.”
Her limbs had been severed and placed in a second bag under the other one.
Her death has been ruled a homicide, but the cause has not been publicly released.
Celeste’s links to d4vd
17:00 , Andrea CavallierAuthorities have tied the teen to d4vd months before her disappearance.
In January 2024, Celeste appeared alongside him in a Twitch livestream, where they joked together into the early morning hours before he said, “Delete everything.”
Photos later surfaced showing d4vd near Celeste’s neighborhood in a black Tesla. Those images were posted to TikTok and later verified.
Around the same time, a concerned individual emailed an address associated with the singer, referencing rumors about Celeste’s disappearance and urging: “please do the right thing and take her home. Her parents are very worried.” The sender later confirmed the message’s authenticity, according to CNN.
Celeste returned home shortly after that email, but was reported missing again in March, and then for a final time in April, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.
D4vd arrested 7 months after teen's body found
17:20 , Andrea CavallierD4vd was taken into custody after officers breached a Hollywood Hills home using a ramming device, according to police.
The home is just over a mile from the tow yard where the teen’s body was found in his car.
Defense attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter stressed that D4vd has only been detained under suspicion, no indictment had been returned and no criminal complaint has been filed.
“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 defense lawyers said.
“We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”
‘It broke my heart’
17:45 , Andrea CavallierA neighbor created a memorial of pictures, candles and flowers dedicated to Celeste Rivas Hernandez in front of the slain teen’s Lake Elsinore home.
Kayleigh Cortez added lights spelling the teen's name after getting news that there was an arrest in her murder, ABC7 reported.
"I was sitting down at my table, and I jumped up and I'm like, 'Let's go, let's get this justice,'" Cortez told the outlet.
Cortez started the memorial soon after Rivas Hernandez's body was found last September.
"It broke my heart. I have a 14-year-old daughter, and they would have gone to high school together," Cortez said.
Celeste Rivas Hernandez's family expected to be at presser
17:52 , Andrea CavallierCeleste Rivas Hernandez's family is expected to attend the presser and court hearing, their attorney said.
"The Rivas Hernandez family is committed to ensuring that Celeste's voice is heard and her memory is honored throughout this process," the attorney, Patrick Steinfeld, said in a statement.
Press conference on d4vd is now starting
18:03 , Andrea CavallierThe press conference on the arrest and possible charges of singer d4vd has started.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is expected to announce charges today against the singer for the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez whose body was found in the trunk of a Tesla owned by the musician.
D4vd was arrested last week and is currently being held without bail.
Mugshot of d4vd released
18:07 , Andrea CavallierThe mugshot of singer d4vd was revealed at the presser Monday
D4vd officially charged with murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez
18:07 , Andrea CavallierD4vd is officially charged with murder, sexually abusing a child and mutilating a body in the killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez
DA could seek death penalty
18:15 , Andrea CavallierHochman described the crime as a “brutal and horrific murder.”
"A parent's nightmare is a situation where your daughter goes out one night and never comes back," he says.
Hochman said the DA’s office could eventually seek the death penalty in the case.
More details released
18:18 , Andrea CavallierHochman said d4vd murdered the 14-year-old to maintain his musical career and “that Celeste was threatening on that particular night.”
He explained the three sets of charges – one of which is murdering a witness to an investigation. Evidence to be shown in court shows Celeste was a witness into an investigation of sexual acts committed by d4vd.
What is d4vd charged with?
18:20 , Andrea CavallierThe singer has been charged with first-degree murder; lewd and lascivious acts with an individual under 14; and mutilating a body in the killing of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
The murder charges included special circumstances — lying in wait, committing crime for financial gain and murdering the witness in an investigation — that could carry the death penalty.
Celeste Rivas Hernandez was in a sexual relationship with d4vd, police say
19:03 , Andrea CavallierLos Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said Monday that investigators learned Celeste Rivas Hernandez was involved in a sexual relationship with d4vd.
Rivas Hernandez was last known to be alive on April 23, 2025, when she arrived at d4vd’s Hollywood Hills home, the chief said. Her body wasn’t found until September.
Officials have said it appeared she had been dead for an extended period before she was found given the state of her remains.
“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 said.
Her cause of death was not made public.
Defense attorneys say they are prepared to ‘vigorously defend David’s innocence’
19:30 , Andrea CavallierD4vd’s attorneys, Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter, shared a statement following his arrest last week saying that they are prepared to “vigorously defend David’s 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,” the statement said.
“There has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed. David has only been detained under suspicion. We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”
Possible bomb threat at courthouse
20:54 , Alex LangThe Los Angeles courthouse set to hold D4vd’s arraignment faces a bomb threat, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Authorities are investigating the “possible bomb threat,” and the building has not been evacuated. It’s unclear if there is a connection between the possible threat and the arraignment.
In Pictures: Prosecutors announces charges against D4vd
21:06 , Alex Lang
Death penalty in California
21:32 , Alex LangProsecutors have not decided whether they could seek the death penalty in the case against D4vd.
His charges could include execution as a punishment, but the state hasn’t carried one out since 2006. Governor Gavin Newsom placed a moratorium on the death penalty in 2019.
The state can still pursue charges and if the moratorium is lifted, it could carry out an execution.
D4vd murdered teen girl to protect his music career, DA says
22:05 , Andrea CavallierDistrict Attorney Nathan Hochman alleged David Anthony Burke, known as D4vd, murdered Celeste Rivas Hernandez to protect his music career when she threatened to expose his criminal conduct.
“Celeste was just a child, under 14 years old, when David Burke allegedly engaged in repeated lewd and lascivious sexual relations with her,” District Attorney Hochman said.
“But Burke’s actions did not allegedly stop there. When she threatened to expose his criminal conduct and devastate his musical career, Burke allegedly murdered her, cut up her body and stuffed her body in two bags that were placed in the front trunk of his car. There the dismembered body sat for over four months decomposing until it was found at a tow yard on Sept. 8, 2025.”
“This horrific and gruesome murder committed by the charged sexual predator is shocking and appalling,” he added. “To Celeste’s loved ones, we will get the justice you seek and deserve.”
Family to make statement after arraignment
22:15 , Andrea CavallierCeleste's mother, father and sister will attend Burke’s hearing on Monday, an attorney for the family told ABC7. He was expected to be arraigned around 1:30 p.m. PT.
The family is expected to make a statement through their attorney at a news conference following the arraignment.
D4vd pleads not guilty to murder charge
22:28 , Andrea CavallierD4vd pleaded not guilty to murder charge in death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez at his arraignment on Monday afternoon
In pictures: Celeste's family at LA court
22:51 , Rachel Dobkin
D4vd being held without bail
23:11 , Rachel DobkinD4vd is being held without bail, according to reports.
The singer pleaded not guilty to a murder charge in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez during his arraignment Monday. The judge at the Los Angeles courthouse said he would continue to be held without bail.
D4vd was arrested Thursday in the Hollywood Hills, seven months after the teen’s body was found in the trunk of the musician’s apparently abandoned Tesla.
D4vd’s lawyer demands public preliminary hearing within 10 days
23:30 , Rachel DobkinD4vd’s lawyer has demanded a public preliminary hearing within 10 days.
The singer’s lead defense attorney, Blair Berk, requested a public preliminary hearing as soon as possible during his arraignment Monday, according to reports.
D4vd is entitled to the evidentiary hearing within 10 court days of his arraignment. Usually, defendants waive this right.
Celeste's family will not make statement
23:45 , Rachel DobkinThe family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez will not be making a statement following the arraignment of singer D4vd.
It was previously reported that the family, who attended the arraignment in Los Angeles Monday, was expected to make a statement through their attorney at a news conference following the hearing.
But news crews packed up their microphones and cameras set up outside the courthouse after it was announced that no one involved in the case would be making a statement.
D4vd pleaded not guilty at the hearing to the 14-year-old’s murder.
