US singer D4vd charged with murder stemming from death of missing teenage girl24 minutes agoNardine SaadandRegan Morris,Los AngelesUS musician D4vd has been charged with first-degree murder stemming from the death of a teenage girl who vanished last year, officials say.The star, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, is accused of murdering 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose decomposing remains were found in September in a Tesla registered to his Texas address.Burke, 21, also was charged in the Rivas Hernandez case with murder for “financial gain” and with murder of a witness to an investigation, the district attorney said.In a statement after his arrest last week, his lawyers said “actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death”.The Los Angeles County DA’s office confirmed that D4vd is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in downtown Los Angeles, and “cannot comment on grand jury investigations”.During a press conference on Monday, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said that on 23 April 2025, Rivas Hernandez went to Burke’s house in the Hollywood Hills and “she was never heard from again”.Her dismembered and decomposed remains were found on 8 September 2025 – when the investigation first began – in the trunk of a car registered to Burke. Hochman said that it is a parent’s worst nightmare to have their daughter go out one night, never return. He announced three charges against the singer. The first is first-degree homicide with special circumstances “lying in waiting”. The second charge is a special circumstance of alleged murder to “gain financial gain”. Hochman accused Burke to murder the 14-year old to maintain his lucrative music career “that Celeste threatened on that night”. The third charge is murdering an investigator. He said that evidence showed Rivas Hernandez to be a witness of Burke’s sexual acts. Hochman added that charges include numerous sexual acts and mutilation of a corpse. The DA’s Office could seek the death sentence in this case, he added. Los Angeles Police Department chief Jim McDonnell responded in response to criticisms of the way police handled the case, and their decision to not provide details since the body had been discovered seven months ago. Rivas Hernandez’s parents have not yet spoken out publicly about the case. My duty is to not fuel speculation. McDonnell said that justice is the goal, and this requires patience and discipline from everyone. “This investigation was driven solely by the desire to bring justice to Celeste Rivas, and those who loved her. We had to make sure that nothing we said or did would jeopardize this case. “He said that the condition of the teen’s remains delayed determining cause of death. He said that evidence had been degraded or destroyed due to the “substantial time” that had passed between the death of the teen and its discovery. Hochman explained to the BBC that it was difficult to interview multiple people, including some who were “cooperative”, and others who weren’t. He also said that the evidence needed to be examined. “It is the type of case where you go to get maximum information,” Hochman said, asking anyone who has information to come forward. Burke remains in custody after his arrest on Friday. The BBC has contacted the singer’s attorneys for comments. The singer is from Houston, Texas and is best known for moody indie-pop songs like Here With Me, and Romantic Homicide. He first gained fame as a teenager by posting videos of him playing the video game Fortnite. After learning music production, he produced his debut EP Petals to Thorns in 2023. He was named to Variety’s Young Hollywood List in the same year and opened for SZA during her SOS Tour. In April 2025 he released his debut, accumulating 22 millions monthly listeners on Spotify, and almost 4 million followers on TikTok. On 8 September 2025 investigators discovered the decomposed body and head of the 14-year old girl in a cadaver-bag in the front boot a Tesla registered at his Texas address. The singer canceled his world tour shortly after. In court documents published in February, the grand jury named him as the “target”. It is unclear how the grand jury investigation will proceed.Singer D4vd arrested on suspicion of murdering teenage girlQuestions surround US singer D4vd weeks after teen’s body found in his TeslaLos AngelesUnited StatesCaliforniaMusic
