Singer-songwriter d4vd, legally David Anthony Burke, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced. Burke, 21, faces counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances, lewd and lascivious acts with an individual under 14, and mutilating a body. The DA said these are among the most serious charges his office can bring.
According to the charging documents, prosecutors allege Burke engaged in continuous sexual abuse beginning around September 2023, the month Rivas turned 13. They say that when Rivas threatened to expose him and harm his music career, Burke allegedly killed her, dismembered her body, placed parts in two bags and left them in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to him. Authorities say the remains sat in the vehicle for months and were discovered in September 2025.
The complaint includes special-circumstance allegations that the killing involved lying in wait, was committed for financial gain, and was the murder of a witness. It also alleges that Burke personally used a deadly and dangerous weapon, a sharp instrument, in April 2025. Hochman said the first-degree murder charge could carry life without parole or the death penalty; a decision on seeking capital punishment will be made later.
Burke was arrested last week after becoming the target of a grand jury investigation. He appeared in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom where his attorneys entered a not guilty plea on his behalf and said they believe evidence will show Burke did not kill Rivas. Defense counsel requested a preliminary hearing within 10 days. Burke remains jailed without bail and is due back in court on Thursday. Media outlets reported that Burke’s attorneys have been contacted for comment.
Rivas’s remains were discovered Sept. 8, 2025, after a foul odor was reported at a Hollywood tow yard. Investigators found a decomposed head and torso inside a cadaver bag in the Tesla and additional dismembered parts in a separate bag. The condition of the remains delayed the medical examiner’s ability to determine cause of death, and authorities said decomposition harmed some potential evidence.
Riverside County authorities said Rivas had been reported missing from Lake Elsinore about a year before prosecutors believe she was killed; a missing-person flyer noted she was last seen April 5, 2024. Hochman said Rivas was at Burke’s Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025, “at his invitation,” and Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the teen was in a sexual relationship with Burke.
McDonnell acknowledged criticism of how the department handled aspects of the case and emphasized his duty to pursue justice without fueling speculation. Hochman said prosecutors will rely on witness testimony, documents and digital and forensic evidence in the absence of an eyewitness account.
Burke was on the “d4vd Withered 2025 World Tour” when Rivas’s identity became public; he canceled a Seattle concert the day she was identified and later canceled additional shows. A statement from Burke’s family, issued through their attorney, said they were “not surprised but are terribly disappointed” that charges were filed and that they support him.
Hochman urged anyone with information about the case to come forward to investigators. All allegations in the charging documents are accusations; Burke is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.