D4vd charged with murdering 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, faces possible death penalty

by

Singer and songwriter D4vd is now facing a first-degree murder charge with special circumstances. If convicted, he could receive either a life sentence or the death penalty.

David Anthony Burke, known as ‘D4vd,’ was arrested in April 2026. This came seven months after the body of 14-year-old Celese Rivas Hernandez was discovered in September 2025 inside the trunk of a Tesla registered to him, which had been impounded.

On April 20, 2026, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced that the 21-year-old musician would be charged with first-degree murder during a press conference.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman explained that the murder charge included aggravating factors, specifically that the crime involved lying in wait, was motivated by financial gain, or targeted someone who was involved in an investigation.

According to Hochman, the most severe punishment for these offenses is either life in prison without the chance of release, or the death penalty. The District Attorney’s office will announce at a future time if they intend to seek the death penalty.

The prosecutor stated that Burke is also charged with sexually abusing a child under the age of 14 and damaging the victim’s body after death. They described the crime as a shockingly violent murder and a devastating tragedy for the victim’s family.

District Attorney David Hochman stated that D4vd was being investigated due to his relationship with Celeste, who was underage. He indicated that she had allegedly threatened to disrupt his promising music career.

LAPD Chief explains why authorities took 7 months to charge D4vd

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell also shared the reasons for the delay in officially charging Burke after Celeste’s body was found last September.

Because her body was badly decomposed, the medical examiner couldn’t immediately determine how she died. The long delay between her death and when she was found meant important clues had been lost or destroyed.

While investigating, detectives encountered a lot of inaccurate information being shared with the public. Overcoming these hurdles demanded careful attention to detail, patience, and a firm dedication to the truth.

D4vd’s legal team promised to “vigorously defend” their client’s innocence in a public statement.

To be clear, the evidence will demonstrate that David Burke didn’t kill Celeste Rivas Hernandez and wasn’t responsible for her death. He hasn’t been formally accused of any crime – no grand jury has indicted him, and no criminal complaint has been filed. He is currently being held only as a suspect.

D4vd has received international media coverage since Celeste’s body was found in September. After his Tesla was abandoned in Los Angeles and taken to an impound lot, police investigated due to a strange smell coming from the car.

Police discovered Celeste’s remains, badly decomposed and dismembered, in the front trunk of a car. After this, D4vd cancelled his tour, and popular games such as Madden and Fortnite removed their association with the former streamer.

Read More

2026-04-20 21:50