Singer D4vd Charged with Murder and Dismemberment in Death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez

David Anthony Burke, 21, known as singer-songwriter D4vd, has been charged in Los Angeles with first-degree murder, lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under 14, and mutilating a dead body. Prosecutors say the decomposing body of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found cut into pieces in two bags inside the trunk of a Tesla SUV registered to Burke and parked in the Hollywood Hills near his residence. A preliminary hearing beginning Friday will last about five days, after which a judge will decide whether probable cause exists to move the case to trial.

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Burke was homeschooled in Houston and made music for Fortnite videos before gaining a viral following on TikTok, Instagram, Soundcloud and Spotify. His 2022 single “Romantic Homicide” amassed over a billion streams, and he opened for SZA in 2023. In 2024 he released two EPs and the album “Withered,” two days after authorities estimate Hernandez was killed. Hernandez, a 13-year-old seventh-grader from Lake Elsinore, was reported missing in 2024 and last seen on April 23, 2025, when she visited Burke’s Hollywood Hills house. Police executed more than 50 search warrants, convened three grand juries, and found the body in the Tesla trunk the day after her 15th birthday.

Associated Press

Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman said the evidence includes child-sexual-abuse imagery from Burke’s phone and iCloud accounts. Defense attorney Blair Berk asserted, “We believe the actual evidence will show David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez.” Both will argue at the preliminary hearing, after which Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo will rule on probable cause.

Associated Press

Burke’s counsel has criticized the secrecy of most prosecution evidence, demanding prompt disclosure through an early preliminary hearing. The defense argues the material presented does not meet the legal threshold for murder, urging a judge-only probable-cause review at this stage.

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• “We believe the actual evidence will show David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez.” — Blair Berk, defense attorney

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• “It grew past Fortnite, it grew past YouTube, past everything like that, and it became such a music focused thing and the real artist in me came out.” — David Anthony Burke (D4vd)

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• “a beautiful, strong girl who loved to sing and dance.” — Parents of Celeste Rivas Hernandez

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• “The evidence includes child sexual abuse imagery taken from Burke’s phone and iCloud accounts.” — Beth Silverman, lead prosecutor

Associated Press

The judge will issue a probable-cause ruling after the five-day hearing. If found, the case will move to trial, where both sides will present full evidence and witnesses. The decision will determine whether Burke faces a murder trial or the charges are dismissed.

Associated Press