Singer d4vd Charged With First-Degree Murder of 14-Year-Old Girl

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Monday that singer and songwriter d4vd, whose real name is David Burke, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose dismembered remains were found in his Tesla last September. The charges include special circumstances, representing the most serious charges the DA's office can bring, according to Hochman. Hernandez's body was discovered on September 8, 2025, after police responded to reports of a foul smell and flies at a Hollywood tow yard. Authorities found her remains "severely decomposed" and dismembered in the trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke's name. A cadaver bag containing a head and torso was found alongside additional body parts in another bag. The Riverside County Sheriff's Department confirmed Hernandez was reported missing from Lake Elsinore over a year earlier, with her last known sighting on April 5, 2024. Burke, 21, was arrested last week following a secret grand jury investigation, becoming the target of the probe after family members were subpoenaed to testify. His attorneys maintain his innocence, stating the evidence will show he did not murder Hernandez and was not the cause of her death. D4vd, pronounced "David," gained significant popularity among Gen Z listeners after going viral on TikTok in 2022 with the hit "Romantic Homicide," which peaked at number four on Billboard's Hot Rock and Alternative Songs chart. He subsequently signed with Darkroom and Interscope Records and released multiple EPs. At the time Hernandez's identity was released, Burke was on his "Withered 2025 World Tour" and immediately canceled a Seattle concert, followed by the remaining tour dates. No cause of death has been publicly revealed as a judge ordered details from the autopsy sealed.