Singer D4vd has been charged with murder after being arrested last Thursday in connection with the death of a teenage girl whose decomposed body was found in the trunk of his Tesla. At a press conference on Monday, District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the artist—whose real name is David Burke—will face a first-degree murder charge, which could make him eligible for the death penalty. He will also face charges for lewd acts with a child and for dismembering the girl’s body.
According to Hochman, the victim, Celeste Rivas Hernandez, went to Burke’s home in the Hollywood Hills on April 23, 2025. That was the last time she was seen alive. Her body was discovered five months later. While Hochman did not reveal how she was killed, he said the coroner’s report would be released soon, as reported by Variety.
“There is physical evidence and there is forensic and digital evidence that we intend to present in court to prove these charges beyond a reasonable doubt,” Hochman said.
The charges also include allegations that Burke used a “sharp instrument” to kill Rivas. During his arraignment on Monday afternoon, Burke’s attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. As per Variety, Hochman further alleged that Burke was in a sexual relationship with Rivas, who was 14 at the time of her death and 13 when she ran away from home.
Burke is accused of murder with multiple “special circumstances” that could make him eligible for either the death penalty or life without parole. These include “lying in wait,” murder for financial gain, and killing a witness to a crime, as Rivas is considered a witness in relation to the lewd acts charge.
At the press conference, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell responded to criticism about why details of the investigation were not released earlier.
“My duty is not to fuel speculation,” he said. “It’s to deliver justice, and that requires patience and discipline on everybody’s part. This investigation was driven by a single purpose — to secure justice for Celeste Rivas and for those who loved her.”
Burke was arrested last week and is being held without bail following a lengthy investigation by the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division.
The case dates back to September 2025, when LAPD officers were called to a Hollywood tow yard after reports of a foul smell coming from a car that had been sitting there for days. When they examined the vehicle, they found a decomposed body placed inside a bag in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke in Hempstead, Texas. The car had been impounded the previous week after it was found abandoned in the Hollywood Hills, where neighbors had complained about a rotting smell.
Early reports suggested that D4vd was cooperating with investigators. However, about a week after he was linked to the discovery of the body, he canceled the remaining dates of his U.S. tour.
The body was later identified as Rivas, who had been reported missing in 2024 when she was 13. In November, the LAPD confirmed they were investigating a trip Burke took to the Santa Barbara area in the spring of 2025, shortly after her disappearance. The medical examiner’s office also said that the LAPD had blocked the release of further details about the death.
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