Singer D4vd was charged Monday, April 20, with the murder and dismemberment of his young teenage girlfriend, whose decomposing corpse was found in a Tesla that had been abandoned in the Hollywood Hills. The 21-year-old, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, faces a possible death penalty over the horrifying death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose body was discovered in September, within days of what would have been her 15th birthday.
“Celeste was just a child, under 14 years old, when David Burke allegedly engaged in repeated lewd and lascivious sexual relations with her,” Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. “When she threatened to expose his criminal conduct and devastate his musical career, Burke allegedly murdered her, cut up her body and stuffed her body in two bags that were placed in the front trunk of his car.”
Hochman said Celeste’s mutilated corpse sat rotting for four months until it was discovered. “This horrific and gruesome murder committed by the charged sexual predator is shocking and appalling. To Celeste’s loved ones: We will get the justice you seek and deserve,” he added.
Burke shot to internet fame in 2022 when his song “Romantic Homicide” became a breakout hit on TikTok. He was on a national tour when detectives were called to a Hollywood tow yard after neighbors complained of a terrible smell coming from an impounded vehicle.
The Tesla, which was registered to Burke in Texas, had been parked on the street in the upscale Hollywood Hills for around a month before it was towed. But investigators believe Celeste’s remains may have been in the front trunk for much longer.
“The condition of her remains delayed the medical examiner’s ability to be able to determine cause of death,” Los Angeles police chief Jim McDonnell told the press conference. “The substantial amount of time that passed between her death and the discovery meant that crucial evidence had degraded or disappeared.”
Burke faces one count each of murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
A lawyer entered not-guilty pleas on his behalf during a brief court appearance in Los Angeles on Monday. Burke was ordered to appear in court again on Thursday. He remains in custody. The artist’s lawyers last week denied their client had killed the teen.
“Let us be clear, the 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,” a statement from lawyers Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter said. “We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”
Celeste, who lived in Lake Elsinore, east of Los Angeles, had been reported missing by her mother in 2024, at the age of 13. Her mother told reporters that her daughter had a boyfriend named David. Videos show Burke has a tattoo on one of his fingers matching the one reading “Shhh” that the Los Angeles County medical examiner previously revealed was on Celeste’s index finger. The pair were also seen on streaming websites together.
