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The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has formally charged David Burke, also known by his stage name D4vd, with several grave offenses, including first-degree murder, lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under 14, and mutilation of a body. These charges stem from the tragic death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
The accusations carry additional weight due to special circumstances, such as lying in wait, financial motives, and murdering a witness involved in an investigation. These factors elevate the severity of the charges, potentially leading to a death penalty sentence, although prosecutors have yet to decide if they will pursue this option.
Following his arrest in Hollywood last Thursday, Burke, a Houston-born alternative pop musician, has maintained his innocence. In a statement, his legal team emphasized, “The 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 body of Celeste Rivas Hernandez was discovered in a Tesla that had been towed from the Hollywood Hills on September 8, marking a grim conclusion just a day after what would have been her 15th birthday. Her family, residing in Lake Elsinore, approximately 110 kilometers southeast of Los Angeles, had previously reported her missing.
The long-dead body of Rivas Hernandez was found inside a Tesla that was towed from the Hollywood Hills on September 8, one day after she would have turned 15. Her family had reported her missing from her hometown of Lake Elsinore, about 110 kilometres south-east of Los Angeles.
The singer had been under investigation by an LA County grand jury looking into the death. The probe was officially secret, but its existence — and his designation as its target — was revealed in February when his mother, father and brother objected in a Texas court to subpoenas demanding they testify.
The 2023 Tesla Model Y was registered in the singer’s name at the Texas address of his subpoenaed family members, according to court filings from prosecutors. It had been towed from an upscale Hollywood Hills neighbourhood where it had been sitting as though it was abandoned.
Police investigators searching the Tesla in a tow yard found a cadaver bag “covered with insects and a strong odour of decay”, court documents said. Detectives partially unzipped a bag and found a head and torso.
Investigators from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office removed the bag and “discovered the arms and legs had been severed from the body”, according to court documents.
A second black bag was found under the first, and dismembered body parts were inside it. No cause of death has been publicly revealed, and police got a judge to block the release details of the autopsy.
On Friday, the medical examiner told The Associated Press the court order remained in place after Burke’s arrest, and suggested to ask the police whether they would ask to lift it.
The family of Rivas Hernandez has remained private and has not made any public statements on her death or the case.
D4vd, pronounced “David”, gained popularity among Gen Z for his blend of indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop. He went viral on TikTok in 2022 with the hit Romantic Homicide, which peaked at No.4 four on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.
He then signed with Darkroom and Interscope Records and released his debut EP Petals to Thorns and a follow-up, The Lost Petals, in 2023.
When the body was discovered, the singer continued his North American tour, but when reports of his possible involvement spread widely, he cancelled the final two shows and a European tour that was to follow.
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