On Monday, April 20, 2026, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced first-degree murder charges against David Burke, known professionally as the alt-pop singer D4vd, in connection with the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Prosecutors allege that Burke sexually abused, murdered, and mutilated the teenager, whose dismembered and decomposed body was found in September 2024 inside a Tesla that had been towed from the Hollywood Hills. The case has drawn significant attention due to the singer’s rising profile in the music industry, including a performance at the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival just days before his arrest.
The victim was reported missing by her family in Lake Elsinore, California, in 2024 when she was 13 years old. Authorities confirmed she was 14 at the time of her death. Her remains were discovered inside the vehicle on September 8, 2024 — just one day after what would have been her 15th birthday. The Tesla had been abandoned and towed prior to the discovery, prompting a homicide investigation that eventually led to Burke’s arrest at a Hollywood residence on April 17, 2026.
According to charging documents reviewed by multiple news outlets, prosecutors have alleged that Burke committed the crime with special circumstances, including lying in wait, committing the act for financial gain, and killing a witness in an ongoing investigation. Each of these allegations, if proven, could potentially craft him eligible for the death penalty under California law, though the District Attorney’s Office has not yet announced whether it will pursue capital punishment in this case.
The financial gain motive referenced in the charges appears to stem from allegations that Burke sought to prevent Hernandez from reporting prior sexual abuse, which prosecutors claim he committed against her when she was under 14. Court filings indicate that investigators believe the singer may have feared legal and professional consequences if the abuse became public, particularly as his music career was gaining traction in 2024 and 2025. These claims remain part of the prosecution’s case and have not been adjudicated in court.
Burke’s legal team has maintained his innocence since his arrest. In a statement issued following his detainment, his attorneys said, “We want to be absolutely clear—the evidence in this case will demonstrate that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and was not responsible for her death.” They have urged the public to await the outcome of legal proceedings before forming conclusions about his guilt or innocence.
The case has proceeded through preliminary hearings, with a mugshot of Burke displayed publicly during a Los Angeles press conference on April 20, 2026, alongside a photograph of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The image of the teenager was shared by authorities to aid public awareness but has been used with sensitivity given her age and the nature of the allegations.
As of the date of this report, no trial date has been officially set. The next confirmed judicial proceeding is a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 15, 2026, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, where a judge will determine whether there is sufficient evidence for the case to advance to trial. This date was confirmed through the court’s public docket and referenced in recent reporting by The Associated Press and other news agencies covering the case.
Individuals seeking updates on the case are encouraged to consult the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office website or the official portal of the Los Angeles County Superior Court for filings, hearing schedules, and public statements. These sources provide the most reliable and timely information as the legal process unfolds.
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