Singer David Anthony Burke Charged with Murder of 14‑Year‑Old Celeste Rivas Hernandez
David Anthony Burke, known as the alt‑pop singer D4vd, has been charged in Los Angeles with first‑degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child and unlawful mutilation of human remains. Prosecutors allege he began a sexual relationship with Celeste Rivas Hernandez when she was 13 and he was 18, and that she became pregnant and underwent an abortion in early 2024. Text‑message excerpts recovered from his iPhone and iCloud, presented at a preliminary hearing, discuss the pregnancy, the abortion and his attempts to conceal the relationship.
Celeste, 14, was killed on or about April 23 2025. Her dismembered body was discovered in the front trunk of Burke’s Tesla in September 2025, heavily decomposed. An autopsy testified she died from multiple penetrating stab wounds to the upper body. Burke has pleaded not guilty; the court is deciding whether the case will proceed to trial. The district attorney has not ruled out seeking the death penalty.
The case has drawn extensive media coverage across multiple countries, with prosecutors relying on digital evidence, forensic testimony and the extremely graphic condition of the remains to build their case against the 21‑year‑old musician.
Entities: Celeste Rivas Hernandez · David Anthony Burke · Detective Corey Farrell · Dr. Grant Ho · Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman · Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office · Los Angeles, California · Tesla Model S (registered to Burke)
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 5 SOURCES] An autopsy concluded Celeste died from multiple stabbing wounds to the upper body. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Prosecutors allege the sexual relationship began when Celeste was 13 and Burke was 18. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Celeste’s dismembered remains were found in the trunk of Burke’s Tesla in September 2025. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The murder is alleged to have occurred on or about April 23 2025. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Burke has pleaded not guilty to all charges. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 3 SOURCES] David Anthony Burke (stage name D4vd) is charged with first‑degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child, and unlawful mutilation of human remains. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Text messages introduced at the hearing show Celeste was pregnant and had an abortion in early 2024. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The victim, Celeste Rivas Hernandez, was 14 years old at the time of her death. (supporting_article_ids)