Singer D4vd Pleads Not Guilty to Murder of 14-Year-Old girl

Published: 21 April 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

In a packed Los Angeles courtroom on Monday afternoon, the meteoric rise of indie-pop sensation D4vd faced its most devastating legal hurdle. The 21-year-old singer-songwriter, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, appeared behind glass in a secure custody area to plead not guilty to a series of gruesome charges, including the first-degree murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The hearing, held at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, follows a seven-month investigation that began with the discovery of the teenager’s dismembered remains in a Tesla registered to the artist—a case that has horrified the music industry and the public alike.

Dressed in black and remaining largely stoic, Burke watched as his high-profile defense team, led by Blair Berk, entered pleas of not guilty to all counts on his behalf. The charges laid out by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office are comprehensive and chilling: first-degree murder with special circumstances, continuous lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14, and the mutilation of human remains. District Attorney Nathan Hochman, speaking at a press conference following the arraignment, described the killing as a “brutal and horrific murder” born from a “nightmarish” betrayal of trust.

The prosecution has introduced three “special circumstance” allegations that elevate the case to a potential capital offense. These include lying in wait, murder for financial gain, and the killing of a witness.

According to prosecutors, the motive was as cold as it was calculated: the protection of Burke’s rapidly ascending career. Authorities allege that Burke was involved in a long-term sexual relationship with Celeste, which began when she was just 13 years old. As his debut album, Withered, was poised for release and his global tour was being finalized, prosecutors claim Celeste threatened to report the abuse. To prevent the “destruction of his lucrative brand,” the District Attorney alleges that Burke lured the teen to his Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025, where she was killed to ensure her silence.

Charge	Description	Legal Implications
First-Degree Murder	Intentional killing of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.	Mandatory life; potential death penalty.
Special Circumstances	Lying in wait; killing a witness.	Eliminates possibility of parole.
Mutilation of Remains	Dismemberment and concealment in a vehicle.	Additional felony sentencing.
Lewd Acts with a Minor	Continuous abuse from Sept 2023–Sept 2024.	Statutory child abuse penalties.

The case broke wide open on September 8, 2025—one day after Celeste would have turned 15. Employees at a Los Angeles tow yard reported a “strong odor of decay” emanating from a 2023 Tesla Model Y that had been impounded after sitting abandoned for weeks in an upscale Hollywood Hills neighborhood.

Upon opening the vehicle’s front trunk (or “frunk”), investigators discovered two black cadaver bags. Court documents detail a scene of unimaginable horror: the first bag contained a head and torso, while a second bag underneath held the severed arms and legs. Forensic examinations later confirmed the identity of the remains as Celeste, who had been missing from her home in Lake Elsinore since April 2024. The car, registered to Burke at a Texas address, had been moved multiple times during the summer heat, leading to advanced decomposition that initially hindered the medical examiner’s ability to determine a cause of death.

Despite the mounting forensic evidence and the location of the body, Burke’s legal team has maintained a stance of total innocence. In a statement released to the media, his attorneys argued that the “actual evidence” will show David Burke did not murder the teenager.

“Let us be clear—David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death,” the defense team stated. “We will vigorously defend David’s innocence and challenge the prosecution’s narrative of events.” Sources close to the defense suggest they may point to other individuals with access to the vehicle or the property, challenging the “witness silencing” motive as a leap of logic by the District Attorney’s office.

In the audience of the courtroom, Celeste’s parents sat in stoic silence, looking down as the grisly details of their daughter’s final moments were discussed. Celeste, remembered by her community in Lake Elsinore as a “sweet, quiet child” who loved Hello Kitty, had been reported missing three times in the year leading up to her death.

The investigation has also shed light on the digital life of the 14-year-old, who was allegedly a member of Burke’s official Discord server as early as 2022. Surveillance footage and digital breadcrumbs suggest the two met through the internet, with Celeste’s brother informing investigators that she was last seen being picked up by Burke in his car. In a haunting detail, users on Burke’s Discord server reportedly asked him to “drop the song with the missing girl” months before her body was found—a message to which the singer never replied.

Judge Charlaine Olmedo ordered that Burke continue to be held without bail, citing the “extreme gravity” of the special circumstance allegations. While California currently maintains a moratorium on executions under Governor Gavin Newsom, the prosecution has not yet decided whether they will formally seek the death penalty, which remains on the books.

As the music world grapples with the fall of an artist whose hits like “Romantic Homicide” now carry a dark, unintended irony, the legal process is expected to be lengthy. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for late June, where the prosecution will be required to present enough evidence to move the case to a full trial. For now, the “frunk” of a black Tesla remains the focal point of a tragedy that has left a 14-year-old girl’s family searching for justice in the wake of a “lucrative” career turned into a criminal nightmare.

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