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    D4vd Charged With Murder, “Mutilation” in Celeste Rivas Hernandez Case

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    Watch: D4vd Charged With Murder, “Mutilation” of Human Remains in Celeste Rivas Hernandez Case

    Content warning: This story discusses child sexual abuse and graphic descriptions of an alleged murder.

    D4vd has been charged for the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

    Less than a week after the singerwas arrested in the killing of the 14-year-old, he has been charged with one count of murder, one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and one count of unlawful mutilation of human remains, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office confirmed inan April 20 press release. 

    L.A. County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman also shared more details about Rivas Hernandez’s death, alleging the killing occurred on April 23, 2025, almost five months before her bodywas discovered in a Tesla that was registered to D4vd (real name David Anthony Burke) on Sept. 8. Her body was found just one day after her 15th birthday.

    “Celeste was just a child, under 14 years old, when David Burke allegedly engaged in repeated lewd and lascivious sexual relations with her,” Hochman said in the press release. “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.”

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    D4vd Arrested for Murder: What to Know About the Investigation Into Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s Death

    “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.”

    According to the DA, the criminal complaint against D4vd, 21, “also includes special circumstance allegations of murder of a witness, murder for financial gain and lying in wait.” Additionally, there is a “special allegation” that the musician “personally used a deadly and dangerous weapon, a sharp instrument, to commit the crime.”

    Antoine Flament/Getty Images

    The District Attorney alleges that D4vd had invited Rivas Hernandez to his home in the Hollywood Hills on April 23, 2025, which they believe is the last time she was seen alive. 

    If convicted as charged, D4vd faces life in state prison, without the possibility of parole or the death penalty, with the DA noting a “decision on whether to seek the death penalty will be made at a later date.”

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    Shortly after the charges were announced, the “Romantic Homicide” singer’slawyers had denied that he was involved in the murder of Rivas Hernandez.

    “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,” his attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter said in an April 20 statement to E! News. “We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”

    Rivas Hernandez’s body had been found in the trunk of a Tesla last September after police responded to reports of a foul odor coming from the car. The car was in a Hollywood tow yard at the time after having been reported abandoned in the Hollywood Hills. 

    For more about D4vd and the murder of Rivas Hernandez, keep reading.

    Instagram/D4vd

    Where is D4vd From?Born in Queens, New York, D4vd (real name David Anthony Burke) moved to Houston, Texas, when he was 13 years old. 

    Josh Brasted/FilmMagic

    How Did D4vd Become Famous?D4vd first began his career as a streamer, playing Fortnite and other games in an attempt to go viral on YouTube. When he ran into copyright infringement challenges with the music he was adding to his videos in 2021, he turned to his mom. “I’m like crying to Mom about it,” he told Benny Blanco during an interview for Hero magazine in September 2024. “I’m like, Yo, I don’t know what to do I’m not making any money anymore, blah blah blah.’ And she was on a phone, and she was like, ‘Just make your own music, go get out of my face.’ And I was like, ‘Wait a minute. I could probably do that.'”From there, despite not having any musical experience other than singing for fun, D4vd downloaded an app on his phone and started making music. Soon, some of his songs went viral, and after more of his original music started to go viral on TikTok, his career began to really take off.The 20-year-old eventually released his debut album, Withered, in April 2025, embarking on his first world tour shortly thereafter.

    Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Riot / Netflix

    When Was the Body Found in D4vd’s Car?On Sept. 8, the Los Angeles Police Department was called to a tow yard in Hollywood over reports of a foul odor coming from a vehicle, law enforcement sources told NBC News. The LAPD found human remains wrapped in a bag hidden in the front trunk of a Tesla, which was registered in Hempstead, Texas, under D4vd’s real name, David Anthony Burke. Police said the vehicle had been towed to the impound lot after it was abandoned in the Hollywood Hills. 

    Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Made on YouTube 2024

    Who Was the Victim Found in D4vd’s Car?The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office September 16 said the remains found in the Tesla were identified as Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who had been reported missing on April 5, 2024. She was 13 years old at the time of her disappearance and officials believe she died when she was 14.Her cause of death had been deferred, according to records from the Medical Examiner’s Office viewed by E! News on Sept. 17. Though her date of death was listed as September 8—the day her body was discovered—officials noted her body appeared to have been in the car for an extended period of time before its discovery and was “severely decomposed.”

    Erika Goldring/Getty Images

    What Has D4vd Said About the Investigation?Following the discovery of Rivas Hernandez’s body, a spokesperson for D4vd said in a statement to NBC News that the singer “has been informed about what’s happened, and although he is still out on tour, he is fully cooperating with the authorities.”Since then, D4vd canceled the remainder of his U.S. dates.

    Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock

    What Happened in the Case?D4vd was arrested for Rivas Hernandez’s murder, the Los Angeles Police Department announced April 16, 2026. “Detectives from Los Angeles Police Department, Robbery-Homicide Division have arrested David Burke, a 21-year-old resident of Los Angeles, for the murder of Celeste Rivas,” the public information officer stated on X. “Burke is being held without bail.”

    Antoine Flament/Getty Images

    What Was D4vd Charged With?D4vd was charged with one count of murder, one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and one count of unlawful mutilation of human remains, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office confirmed in an April 20 press release. “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 Nathan J. 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. To Celeste’s loved ones, we will get the justice you seek and deserve.”The criminal complaint against D4vd also “includes special circumstance allegations of murder of a witness, murder for financial gain and lying in wait.” Additionally, there is a “special allegation” that he “personally used a deadly and dangerous weapon, a sharp instrument, to commit the crime.”D4vd’s attorney’s denied he was the cause of her death, telling E! News in an April 20 statement, “We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”

    For free, confidential help, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit rainn.org.

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