Los Angeles, United States. Musician David Burke, known professionally as D4vd, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez after her dismembered remains were found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to him, authorities said.
Charges and court proceedings
Los Angeles authorities said on Monday that Burke, 21, was scheduled to be arraigned Monday afternoon. He was charged with murder with special circumstances of lying in wait, committing a crime for financial gain, and murdering a witness in an investigation.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Burke faces a maximum prison sentence without parole and that prosecutors would decide later whether to seek the death penalty.
Discovery of remains and investigation
Hochman said Celeste’s decomposed and dismembered remains were found in September 2025 in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke, according to Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell. She had been missing for nearly a year and a half when the remains were discovered, and the remains were separated into two bags, Hochman said.
Authorities said the vehicle had been parked for weeks in a Hollywood Hills neighborhood before being towed to an impound lot, where workers reported a foul odor.
Hochman said authorities believed Celeste went to Burke’s Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025, and “was never heard from again.”
Additional allegations
Hochman said the investigation found Burke was involved in a sexual relationship with Celeste when he was an adult and she was a minor. In addition to murder, he was charged with continuous sexual acts, lewd and lascivious sexual acts with an individual under 14 years old, and mutilating human remains.
Hochman described the case as a “brutal and horrific” crime, but said he would wait until a coroner’s report was made public before disclosing the cause of death.
Background and legal response
Burke gained fame in 2022 after songs he recorded on his phone for his Fortnite gaming videos went viral on TikTok, including “Romantic Homicide,” which helped him sign a deal with Interscope Records.
Blair Berk, the attorney representing Burke, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Prior to Burke’s arrest, Berk said there was no publicly disclosed evidence linking her client to a crime and emphasized his rights during an active investigation.
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