D4vd has been charged with the murder of a teenage girl who went missing last year.
In February, the musician (real name David Anthony Burke) was named as the target of a grand jury investigation into the apparent murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Her remains were found severely decomposed in the front boot of a Tesla registered to Burke last September.
The Los Angeles Police Department said last week that they had arrested Burke “for the murder of Celeste Rivas”. He was held without bail, and the case was then presented to the District Attorney’s office yesterday (Monday April 20).
Burke was charged with first-degree murder, as well as murder for “financial gain” and with murder of a witness to an investigation, the Los Angeles district attorney said (via BBC News).
DA Nathan Hochman said in a press conference that Rivas Hernandez went to Burke’s house in the Hollywood Hills, and “she was never heard from again”.
“A parent’s nightmare is a situation where your daughter goes out one night and never comes back,” he explained.
The first charge is first-degree murder with special circumstances of “lying in wait”, while the second is an additional special circumstance of alleged murder for “financial gain”. Burke is accused of murdering the 14-year-old to maintain his lucrative music career, “that Celeste was threatening on that particular night”.
The third charge of murdering a witness to an investigation is related to evidence that shows the victim was a witness in an investigation of sexual acts committed by Burke, said Hochman.
The DA added that the charges involve numerous sexual acts with a minor and the mutilation of a body. Hochman confirmed that the DA’s office could eventually seek the death penalty in the case. Burke could also face life in prison without parole.
Burke has pleaded not guilty. However, he did not speak during yesterday’s court appearance, and lawyers entered his plea on his behalf.
His defence team said it believed that the “actual evidence will show that David did not kill Celeste”, and claimed that he was not the cause of her death.
Attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter said they would “vigorously defend David’s innocence”.
They had responded to Burke’s arrest in a similar statement earlier (via AP News): “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.
“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.”
The Rivas Hernandez family said they were “committed to ensuring that Celeste’s voice is heard and her memory is honoured throughout this process”.
The victim was first reported missing in April 2024, with the Tesla later being discovered after it had been moved to an impound lot in LA. The LAPD subsequently confirmed that the case was being treated as an “investigation into murder”.
Up until last November, investigators repeatedly declined to say whether or not they were treating the teenager’s death as a homicide, and shared that they were awaiting a conclusion from the medical examiner.
The victim’s exact cause of death had been listed as “deferred” around the same time, and a statement from police suggested that she may have died in the spring.
After the body was found, it was revealed that Burke had been informed of the investigation and was “cooperating” with the authorities. The artist was subsequently linked to the home that the LAPD had searched in connection with the deceased’s disappearance.
The singer cancelled his US tour and axed plans to release a deluxe edition of his debut album ‘Withered’ amid the investigation. His headline tour dates in Europe and the UK were also cancelled.
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