Singer d4vd Expected To Be Charged With Murder In Killing Of Celeste Rivas
Singer d4vd (David Burke) was arrested and is expected to be charged with murder in the killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. He was taken into custody last week and is being held without bail as the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Major Crimes Division reviews the case and is expected to file murder charges on Monday. Celeste Rivas Hernandez was reported missing at 13 from Lake Elsinore in 2024 and investigators say her dismembered remains were found Sept. 8, 2025, a day after what would have been her 15th birthday.
Police say a 2023 Tesla Model Y linked to Burke was towed from a Hollywood Hills neighborhood and searched at a tow yard. Court papers and law enforcement accounts describe a cadaver bag in the front compartment and a second bag with severed arms and legs, though investigators have not publicly released a cause of death. A Los Angeles County grand jury had secretly investigated Burke, and subpoenas were issued to relatives in Texas, identifying him as a target before the arrest. Burke's lawyers say he did not murder Celeste and vow to vigorously defend his innocence, and his representatives have not publicly answered multiple requests for comment.
Early reports described the arrest as a suspicion and noted prosecutors would review the case before filing charges. News outlets including Fox News and NPR emphasized that the Los Angeles Police Department presented the matter to the district attorney and that formal charges had not yet been filed. Subsequent coverage by PBS, CBS and the New York Times shifted the narrative toward an expected or already filed murder charge, saying prosecutors were preparing to file or had filed charges. That shift underlines evolving reporting as prosecutors complete their review and as court filings and grand jury documents became public or leaked.
Public reaction on social media has been intense, with some users calling for harsh punishment and others urging patience for proper evidence and due process. Comments also noted the eerie link between Burke's music and the case, while his defense and legal filings remain central to how the story will proceed in court.
📌 Key Facts
- David Burke, known professionally as d4vd, was arrested by the LAPD in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez and is being held without bail on suspicion of murder.
- Victim: Celeste Rivas Hernandez was reported missing from Lake Elsinore at age 13 in 2024; authorities say she was 14 when killed and her remains were found Sept. 8, 2025 — one day after what would have been her 15th birthday.
- Remains discovery: investigators found dismembered, decomposed human remains in Burke’s 2023 Tesla Model Y (towed from a Hollywood Hills neighborhood), including a cadaver bag in the front storage compartment and a second bag containing severed arms and legs; court documents describe heavy insect activity and a strong odor of decay.
- Grand jury probe: Los Angeles County prosecutors had been secretly investigating Burke; court filings show a grand jury named him as a target and subpoenas were issued to his parents and brother in Texas.
- Prosecutorial status: multiple outlets report the LAPD will present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Major Crimes Division on Monday for filing consideration and that prosecutors are expected to file a murder charge — while at least one report indicated prosecutors had already formally charged him.
- Autopsy and evidence secrecy: officials have not publicly released a cause of death or full autopsy findings, and police previously blocked public release of autopsy material.
- Defense response: Burke’s legal team issued a public statement asserting he did not murder Celeste and saying they will vigorously defend his innocence.
- Context: the discovery of the body led to cancellations of Burke’s tour dates and produced substantial media and legal scrutiny as the investigation moved from towing and evidence collection to grand jury review and potential prosecution.
📰 Source Timeline (8)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office is expected to file a murder charge against d4vd on Monday.
- CBS pegs the expected charge to seven months after Celeste Rivas' body was found in a car he owned.
- CBS reiterates that the 21-year-old musician was arrested last week, framing this as a prelude to formal charging.
- CBS segment reiterates that David Burke, known as d4vd, is in custody on suspicion of murder after discovery of a 14-year-old girl's body in his Tesla.
- It restates that the remains were found in September 2025 and that he is currently behind bars while prosecutors review the case.
- Clarifies that David Burke has been arrested on suspicion of murder but has not yet been charged; the DA's Major Crimes Division is reviewing the case.
- Notes prosecutors are expected to receive the case Monday and will then decide whether to file charges.
- Details a defense statement from three named attorneys explicitly asserting Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and vowing to "vigorously" defend his innocence.
- Provides additional narrative on Celeste Rivas Hernandez's disappearance from Lake Elsinore at age 13 and confirms authorities list her age as 14 at the time she was killed.
- Reiterates and elaborates on autopsy-related secrecy, including police blocking public release of the autopsy findings in November.
- Adds more career context on Burke's tour and cancellations tied to the discovery of the body.
- Confirms LAPD has arrested David Burke (d4vd) on suspicion of murder in the killing of Celeste Rivas Hernandez and is holding him without bail.
- Clarifies that the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Major Crimes Division will review the case Monday to decide whether to file charges; no indictment or complaint has yet been filed.
- Details the condition and discovery of Celeste's body: dismembered remains in cadaver bags inside Burke's apparently abandoned 2023 Tesla Model Y towed from a Hollywood Hills neighborhood.
- Documents that Burke has been a formal target of an LA County grand jury investigation, revealed when his parents and brother moved in Texas court to quash subpoenas.
- Provides first public statement from Burke's defense team, explicitly asserting he did not murder Celeste and vowing to vigorously defend his innocence.
- Reiterates Celeste's disappearance history: reported missing at age 13 from Lake Elsinore in 2024, body found Sept. 8, 2025, the day after what would have been her 15th birthday.
- Confirms LAPD statement that David Burke (d4vd) was arrested on suspicion of murder and is being held without bail in the killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
- Details that LAPD plans to present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office on Monday and that the DA's Major Crimes Division will review whether to file charges.
- Adds specific narrative about how the body was discovered: Tesla towed from an upscale Hollywood Hills neighborhood after sitting apparently abandoned, then searched at a tow yard.
- Provides graphic forensic details from court documents: cadaver bag covered with insects and strong odor of decay, decomposed head and torso observed, arms and legs severed and found in a second bag.
- Clarifies victim timeline: Celeste was reported missing at 13 in 2024 from Lake Elsinore, was 14 when killed, and her body was found Sept. 8, 2025, one day after what would have been her 15th birthday.
- Reiterates that a Los Angeles County grand jury had already been secretly investigating Burke and that his parents and brother were subpoenaed in Texas, revealing him as the grand jury’s target.
- Notes that no cause of death has been publicly released and that Burke’s representatives have not responded to multiple AP requests for comment.
- LAPD publicly states that David Burke (d4vd) is being held without bail following his arrest.
- LAPD says the case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on Monday for filing consideration, indicating charges are not yet formally filed.
- Fox reproduces grand jury subpoena language specifying that the Tesla was a 2023 Model Y, that a cadaver bag containing a decomposed, dismembered body was found in the front storage compartment, and that a second bag contained severed arms and legs.
- The article reconfirms, via AP-cited documents, that Burke was the grand jury’s named target for one count of murder and that three relatives received subpoenas for testimony.
- Timeline detail that Hernandez was reported missing as a 13‑year‑old in 2024 and was 14 when killed; her body was found Sept. 8, 2025, one day after what would have been her 15th birthday.
- Confirms that Los Angeles prosecutors have formally charged d4vd in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, not just arrested him on suspicion.
- Provides the victim’s full name, Celeste Rivas Hernandez, and clarifies her age and status as a teenager (if specified in the NYT piece).
- Adds details about the circumstances of the incident involving a Tesla (as implied by the URL), including where and how the body was discovered and any new timeline specifics.
- Includes new quotes or statements from law enforcement, prosecutors or defense counsel regarding the nature of the charges and next court dates.