D4vd Officially Responds to Murder Charges

Singer David Anthony Burke, who performs under the name D4vd, has been officially charged with first-degree murder after the body of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found in his Tesla back in September of 2025.

The artist is currently in custody without bail, and prosecutors are seeking the maximum sentence, death or life in prison without parole. However, it sounds like D4vd is willing to fight the charges.

What We Know So Far

• A decomposing body was found inside a Tesla belonging to musician D4vd at an impound lot in Hollywood on Sept. 8, 2025.
• The car was brought to the impound lot after "someone reported it abandoned" in Hollywood Hills, and police were called after workers "reported a strong odor" coming from the Tesla.
• The Tesla was never reported as stolen.
• The body was discovered inside a bag in the Tesla's front trunk. The remains were not intact and had badly decomposed.
• The remains were so decomposed that it took authorities more than a week to identify the body.
• The remains were eventually identified as 14-year-old Celeste Rivas.
• D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, has a matching tattoo with Rivas, and her mother said she has been missing for over a year and that her daughter's boyfriend was named David.
• D4vd initially decided to continue his world tour while cooperating with the investigation, but he cancelled the remainder of his tour on Wednesday.
• An unreleased love song written by D4vd references someone by the name of "Celeste" in the unfinished title and twice in the lyrics.
• Police raided a home connected to D4vd as they continue the investigation.
• D4vd moved out of the home that the police raided.
• Authorities did not officially deem the death a homicide since medical examiners have been unable to determine an official cause of death, but a detective has referred to the case as "an investigation into murder" in a filing.
• A private investigator made a "disturbing" discovery inside the house, finding items he believes could be used to "get rid of a person."
• LAPD believes a second suspect may have been involved.
• D4vd's friend, Neo Langston, was arrested in late January after failing to appear in court.
• Neo reportedly testified in front of a grand jury earlier this month.
• D4vd was not considered a suspect for the first two months of the investigation, but he was eventually named a suspect in the girl's death. He was eventually arrested on April 16 and charged with first-degree murder on April 20.
• Prosecutors say that D4vd killed the 14-year-old girl "to maintain his very lucrative music career."

D4vd Charged With First-Degree Murder

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced charges against D4vd on Monday, four days after the singer's arrest in connection with the killing of a 14-year-old girl.

D4vd faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of Rivas, along with additional charges for having sex with a minor and mutilating a body.

The murder charge carries a "special circumstances" enhancement, meaning the potential penalties include either death or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Prosecutors claim that D4vd, who was 20 years old at the time, committed "lewd and lascivious sexual acts" with her before she turned 14, and that the singer murdered her "to maintain his very lucrative music career that Celeste was threatening on that particular night."

D4vd Responds to the Charges

During Monday's arraignment hearing, D4vd officially responded to the charges through his legal team as his attorneys entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf, indicating that the singer planned to fight the charges.

"We believe the actual evidence will show David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez, nor was he the cause of her death," defense attorney Blair Berk said during the arraignment in Los Angeles Superior Court, via Reuters.

D4vd's attorneys also requested an open preliminary hearing, saying they have received little to no discovery ahead of the arraignment on Monday. The prosecution said that there is more than 40 terabytes of discovery for the district attorney's office to work through.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Apr 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 9:26 PM.