Breaking: Singer D4vd officially charged with First-degree murder

David Burke, a 21‑year‑old musician known professionally as D4vd, has been ‌charged with the murder of 14‑year‑old Celeste Rivas, Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said on Monday.

Hochman said the remains of Rivas were found last year in the front trunk of a car registered to D4vd. She had been missing for nearly a year-and-a-half when her decomposed remains were discovered in September 2025.

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.

D4vd gained fame in 2022 after songs he recorded on his phone for his Fortnite gaming videos went viral on TikTok, with the hit "Romantic Homicide" helping him sign a deal with Interscope Records. He was scheduled to be arraigned on Monday afternoon.

The story behind the death of Rivas Hernandez has gripped Los Angeles for more than half a year. Investigators had appeared to be homing in on D4vd as a primary suspect for months, and his arrest last week marked a major development in the case.

Rivas Hernandez’s remains were found inside a Tesla that was towed from the Hollywood Hills on 8 September, a day after she would have turned 15. Her family had reported her missing from her home town of Lake Elsinore, about 120 km south-east of Los Angeles.

Authorities did not publicly name Burke as a suspect until his arrest. And his lawyers’ statement last week, in which said they “will vigorously defend David’s innocence”, was the first time they weighed in publicly.

Celeste Rivas Hernandez went to the singer’s home and wasn’t seen alive again, the Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman says in a press conference on 20 April 2026

The singer had been under investigation by an LA county grand jury looking into the death. The investigation was officially secret, but its existence – and his designation as its target – was revealed in February when his mother, father and brother objected in a Texas court to subpoenas demanding they testify.

Seven months after her body is found, D4vid was arrested on suspicion of murder.

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office announces they will file three charges against D4vid, including first-degree murder.

Charges also include numerous lewd sexual acts with an individual younger than 14 years old, says DA Nathan Hochman.

Notably, if D4vd found guilty, he could face life without parole or the death penalty.