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Singer D4vd has been charged with murder.
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Getty
The US singer D4vd has been charged with first-degree murder following the death of a missing teenage girl whose dismembered remains were found in his Tesla last year.
The musician, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, is accused of murdering 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
Her remains were found in the boot of his abandoned car in the Hollywood Hills area last September in what prosecutors have described as a “brutal and horrific murder”.
Celeste had been the subject of a long-term missing person appeal and was last seen alive in April 2024 when she was aged just 13.
Shortly after Hernandez’s body was found, the singer cancelled his world tour and retreated from the spotlight.
Burke was arrested last week and held without bail, seven months after her remains were discovered.
Read more: Who is d4vd and why has US singer been arrested?
Police held a press conference in Los Angeles today where the charges against the 21-year-old were laid out.
Charges also include numerous lewd sexual acts with an individual younger than 14 years old, DA Nathan Hochman told the press conference.
The DA’s office could eventually seek the death penalty in the case, Hochman also said.
Hochman added on April 23 2025, Celeste, who was aged 14 at the time, went to Burke’s house in the Hollywood Hills and “she was never heard from again”.
A mugshot of David Anthony Burke, whose stage name is D4vd.
Picture:
Alamy
In a statement to US media last week following his arrest, Burke’s lawyers said: “Let us be clear – 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.”
Notes, candles and flowers at a memorial for Celeste in Lake Elsinore, California.
Picture:
Getty
Who was Celeste Rivas Hernandez?
The daughter of immigrant parents from El Salvador, Celeste Abigail Rivas Hernandez grew up in Lake Elsinore, California, about 75 miles from where her body was discovered.
She was 13 years old when she went missing and was last seen leaving her home in Lake Elsinore in April 2024.
Neighbours recognised the teen as someone who would visit the corner store almost daily to buy candy and soda, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Earlier, TMZ reported her mother told authorities she had a boyfriend called David.
She also said the police description – which included a tattoo on her finger with the letters “Shhh…” – matched her daughter’s.
Photos of Burke show that he also has a tattoo on his right index finger that reads “shhh.”
Her decomposed remains were found in a cadaver bag in the front trunk of D4vd’s Tesla.
The vehicle was registered to D4vd’s address in Texas, where he is from – but was not reported as stolen.
A fundraiser set up by her family to cover funeral expenses described her as a “beloved daughter, sister, cousin, and friend”.
Who is D4vd?
D4vd, real name David Anthony Burke, rose to stardom following the release of breakout single “Romantic Homicide”.
The 20-year-old US singer was born in Queens, New York but later moved to Houston, Texas.
He is best known for indie-pop hits like Here With Me and Romantic Homicide.
He released his debut album in April 2025, accumulating 22 million monthly listeners on Spotify and almost four million followers on TikTok.