Musician D4vd faces homicide charges following discovery of deceased individual in vehicle

A haunting image of singer D4vd was on display during a press briefing in Los Angeles on April 20, 2026, regarding the case against him.

n

On April 16, police announced that rising star D4vd, whose real name is David Burke, had been arrested in connection with the murder of a teenage girl whose dismembered body was found in the trunk of a car registered in his name.

n

Singer D4vd was charged on Monday with the murder and dismemberment of his young teenage girlfriend, whose decomposing corpse was discovered in a Tesla abandoned in the Hollywood Hills.

n

The 21-year-old, also known as David Anthony Burke, was expected to appear in court on Monday to face multiple charges related to the horrifying death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose body was found in September, just days before what would have been her 15th birthday.

n

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman stated that Celeste was just a child, under 14 years old, when David Burke allegedly engaged in repeated lewd and lascivious sexual relations with her.

n

According to Hochman, when Celeste threatened to expose Burke's alleged criminal conduct and potentially devastate his musical career, he allegedly murdered her, cut up her body, and stuffed her remains into two bags placed in the front trunk of his car.

n

Hochman revealed that Celeste's mutilated corpse remained rotting for four months until its discovery, and described the murder as "horrific and gruesome" and "shocking and appalling".

n

Hochman assured Celeste's loved ones that they would seek and deserve justice, and if convicted, Burke could face a death sentence or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

n

D4vd initially gained internet fame in 2022 when his song "Romantic Homicide" became a breakout hit on TikTok, and he was on a national tour when detectives were called to a Hollywood tow yard.

n

Neighbors had complained of a terrible smell coming from an impounded vehicle, which was a Tesla registered to Burke in Texas, and had been parked on the street in the upscale Hollywood Hills for around a month before being towed.

n

However, investigators believe that Celeste's remains may have been in the front trunk for much longer, according to Los Angeles police chief Jim McDonnell.

n

McDonnell explained that the condition of Celeste's remains delayed the medical examiner's ability to determine the cause of death, and the substantial amount of time between her death and discovery meant that crucial evidence had degraded or disappeared.

n

Burke faces one count each of murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains.

n

Last week, Burke's lawyers, Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter, denied that their client had killed the youngster, stating that the actual evidence in the case would show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

n

Celeste, who lived in Lake Elsinore, east of Los Angeles, had been reported missing by her mother in 2024 at the age of 13, and her mother told reporters that her daughter had a boyfriend named David.

n

Videos show that 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, and the pair were also seen together on streaming websites.