Singer D4vd pleads not guilty to murder of 14-year-old girl found in his car | Music
Singer D4vd has pleaded not guilty to the murder of teenage girl Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose dismembered and decomposed body was found in the artist’s apparently abandoned Tesla in September.
The 21-year-old, whose legal name is David Burke, appeared in court Monday afternoon after the Los Angeles district attorney’s office announced the charges against him.
Burke is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Celeste, who was reported missing by her family in 2024 when she was 13 years old. Authorities say he was 14 when he died.
LA district attorney Nathan Hochman said at a news conference Monday that Burke had sexual intercourse with Celeste. He is accused of murder under special circumstances, as well as repeatedly engaging in lewd and lascivious sexual acts with a person under the age of 14 and dismembering human remains. Hochman called the killing a “brutal and horrific murder.”
The arrest and charges were the most significant development in the case since the teen’s remains were found in Burke’s vehicle last September.
Lawyers for the Houston-born alt-pop singer said in a statement that he is innocent after homicide detectives arrested him at a Hollywood home on Thursday.
“Let’s be clear; the real evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not kill Celeste Rivas Hernandez and that he was not the cause of her death,” the attorneys said.
The story behind Celeste’s death preoccupied Los Angeles for more than six months. Investigators appeared to be targeting D4vd as a primary suspect for months, and his arrest last week marked a significant development in the case.
Celeste’s remains were found inside a Tesla that was towed from the Hollywood Hills on September 8, one day after Celeste turned 15. His family reported him missing in his hometown of Lake Elsinore, about 70 miles (115 km) southeast of Los Angeles.
Authorities did not publicly release Burke’s suspect name until after his arrest. And his lawyers’ statement last week that they would “strongly defend David’s innocence” weighed in publicly for the first time.
The singer was under investigation into the death by a Los Angeles county grand jury. The investigation was officially secret, but its existence and his identification as a target came to light in February when his mother, father and brother objected to subpoenas demanding they testify in a Texas court.
The 2023 Tesla Model Y was registered in the singer’s name at the Texas address of subpoenaed family members, according to prosecutors’ court filings. It was taken from the upscale Hollywood Hills neighborhood, where it looked as if it had been abandoned.
When police investigators searched the Tesla at the tow truck, they found a cadaver bag that was “covered with insects and had a strong odor of decomposition,” according to court documents. Detectives partially unzipped the bag and found a head and torso.
Investigators from the Los Angeles County coroner’s office removed the bag and “discovered the arms and legs had been severed from the body,” according to court documents. A second black bag was found underneath the first, containing dismembered body parts.
At Monday’s press conference, Hochman said Celeste went to Burke’s home on April 23, 2025, and was never heard from again. Burke faces first-degree murder due to special circumstances, claiming he lied in wait and killed the teenager for financial gain in order to pursue his “lucrative” career. The charge includes an additional specificity of murdering a witness during an investigation, referring to the investigation into allegations of obscene and lascivious sexual acts.
No cause of death has been publicly disclosed, and police have asked a judge to block the release of details of the autopsy, arguing it was necessary to protect the integrity of the investigation.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the condition of the remains delayed the medical examiner’s ability to determine the cause of death and caused important evidence to be corrupted or lost. However, Hochman said the medical examiner was able to determine the cause of death and the court order will be lifted soon.
Celeste’s family has remained private and has not made any public statements regarding her death or her case. A GoFundMe for her family described the teen as “a beloved daughter, sister, cousin and friend.” Celeste’s missing person poster stated that she was last seen wearing Hello Kitty sandals.
The murder left his community upset with the teenager, who was referred to as “quiet” and “sweet”. A family friend told Los Angeles Times He said Celeste was “hard-working, hard-working and intelligent” and “deserves justice.”
D4vd, pronounced “David,” gained popularity among Gen Z with its blend of indie rock, R&B, and lo-fi pop. He went viral on TikTok in 2022 with his hit Romantic Murder, which peaked at number four on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. She later signed with Darkroom and Interscope Records and released her debut EP, Petals to Thorns, and its follow-up, The Lost Petals, in 2023.
When the body was found, the singer continued her North American tour, but when news of her possible involvement spread widely, she canceled the last two shows and a subsequent European tour.
Associated Press contributed reporting
