Singer D4vd could be facing the death penalty after being charged Monday with first-degree murder by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office in connection with the killing of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose dismembered body was discovered inside an abandoned Tesla in the Hollywood Hills last year.
L.A. District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced at a press conference Monday that the 21-year-old singer, whose real name is David Burke, faces a first-degree murder charge with special circumstances, including lying in wait; committing the crime for financial gain; and murdering a witness. He was also charged with a second count involving lewd acts with a child, as well as dismemberment of the 15-year-old girl’s body.
“These charges include the most serious charges that a D.A.’s office can bring,” Hochman said.
In September, a severely decomposed body was discovered at a Los Angeles impound lot inside a vehicle registered to Burke in Hempstead, Texas. Police said the remains were placed inside a bag in the Tesla’s front trunk.
The dismembered body was later identified as the missing Inland Empire teen. A decomposed head and torso were found in a cadaver bag inside the Tesla, according to court documents; additional dismembered body parts were discovered in a second bag inside the vehicle.
Rivas had been missing since April 24, 2024 — nearly 18 months before her remains were discovered at Hollywood Tow on Sept. 8. She was identified after the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner noted a tattoo on her right index finger reading “Shhh…,” prompting her mother to contact the office.
Burke was named a suspect by Los Angeles homicide detectives in November. He was arrested in Hollywood on Thursday on a probable cause warrant and is being held without bail. It remains unclear whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty.
“The determination on whether or not the district attorney’s office will seek the death penalty will be made at a later time,” Hochman said.
The Hollywood Reporter was unable to reach Burke’s attorneys at Berk Brettler LLP on Monday. Last week, following his arrest, the singer’s attorneys said they “will vigorously defend David’s innocence,” in a statement.
Burke was in the midst of a string of dates on the d4vd Withered 2025 World Tour when Hernandez’s body was identified in a car registered in his name. A Seattle concert scheduled that day was canceled, and the remaining tour dates were soon scrapped.
As d4vd, Burke broke out on TikTok and SoundCloud in 2022, leading to a rapid rise that included opening for SZA and performing at Coachella ahead of his debut album. He amassed more than 30 million monthly listeners on Spotify and signed with Darkroom/Interscope.
His debut album, Withered, released in April 2025, notably featured vocals largely recorded on an iPhone in his sister’s closet, as he told The Hollywood Reporter last year.
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