Singer David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The 14-year-old girl was reported missing from Lake Elsinore over a year ago and prosecutors allege that her remains were found dismembered in his Tesla on September 8, 2025.
Key Takeaways
Singer David Anthony Burke, known as D4vd, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose dismembered body was found in his Tesla on September 8, 2025. Prosecutors allege a pattern of abuse and financial motive.
- Singer D4vd (David Anthony Burke) charged with first-degree murder
- Victim's remains found in trunk of his Tesla on September 8, 2025
- Prosecutors allege continuous sexual abuse from age 13 to 14
- Autopsy reveals stab wounds and drug presence in victim's system
- Defense maintains client's innocence
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the charges on Monday morning. Burke faces first-degree murder with special circumstances including lying in wait, committing the crime for financial gain, and murdering a witness. Additional charges include continuous sexual acts against a minor under 14 years old and mutilating human remains.
The victim's remains were discovered after police responded to reports of a foul smell at the Hollywood Tow yard. Her body was found 'severely decomposed' and 'dismembered' in the trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke. Authorities found a decomposed head and torso in a cadaver bag inside the car, with dismembered body parts in another bag.
According to multiple reports, prosecutors allege that Burke engaged in continuous abuse of the victim beginning when she was 13 years old, spanning at least a year from September 2023 to September 2024. She later ran away from her home in Lake Elsinore, about 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles, at 14 years old.
Burke was arrested last week after becoming the target of an LA County grand jury investigation into Hernandez's death. He had been on tour when the identity of Hernandez was released and canceled several concerts following her identification. During Burke’s arraignment Monday afternoon, his defense team entered not guilty pleas on his behalf to all counts, arguing that evidence shows Burke did not kill the girl.
District Attorney Hochman described the case as 'a parent's nightmare,' noting that Celeste went to Burke's house on April 23, 2025, and was never heard from again. The investigation faced delays due to the condition of the remains and the need to gather comprehensive evidence. Based on the charges, Burke faces death or life in state prison without the possibility of parole.
Burke has been transferred to Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles as he awaits trial. According to Daily Mail, this facility houses other high-profile inmates including Nick Reiner, accused of murdering his parents Michele and Rob Reiner. Burke's transfer comes after the Los Angeles coroner released findings that Rivas Hernandez was stabbed to death and then dismembered.
The autopsy report reveals that Rivas Hernandez sustained knife wounds to her liver and chest, with her ring and pinky finger also mutilated. Her remains were discovered in Burke's apparently abandoned vehicle on September 8. By the time investigators found her, the teenager's head was partially skeletonized and missing an eye. Coroners detected Benzodiazepines and Methamphetamine in her liver.
According to BBC, prosecutors allege that US singer D4vd (real name David Anthony Burke) possessed a significant amount of images depicting child sex abuse on his phone and iCloud account at the time of his arrest. The discovery was made through search warrants executed by police as they investigated how Celeste Rivas Hernandez died and ended up in D4vd's Tesla car.
According to The Guardian, a Los Angeles prosecutor stated that singer D4vd (legal name David Anthony Burke) was in possession of a significant amount of child pornography. Police allegedly found the images on D4vd's iCloud account during their investigation into the killing of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose dismembered and decomposed remains were discovered in September 2025.
According to CBS News, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined that Celeste Rivas Hernandez died from multiple penetrating injuries caused by object(s). Her death has been officially ruled as a homicide. Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey Ukpo expressed gratitude that the information could be released after several months, acknowledging the grieving family's wait to learn what happened to their daughter.
The autopsy was conducted on September 10, 2025, two days after Hernandez's body was discovered in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to D4vd (real name David Burke). According to Fox News, singer D4vd (real name David Burke) pleaded not guilty on Monday to the murder case involving a 14-year-old girl whose remains were reportedly found dismembered and badly decomposed in the trunk of his allegedly abandoned Tesla last September.
According to The Guardian, police armed with rifles arrested David Anthony Burke, a.k.a. D4vd, on Thursday afternoon at a residence in Hollywood. Burke is being held without bail.
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