Singer D4vd has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the death of a 14-year-old girl whose dismembered and decomposing body was found in the entertainer’s apparently abandoned Tesla nearly a year ago.
The charges reveal key details and are among the first concrete public actions taken in the horrific case, which has been a largely secretive investigation in the seven months since Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found dead.
D4vd, 21, whose legal name is David Burke, was charged Monday with first-degree murder, lewd and lascivious conduct with a child under 14 and dismemberment of a corpse, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said.
A defense attorney entered not guilty pleas to all counts on behalf of Burke, who made his first court appearance Monday. He appeared behind the glass in the holding area, dressed in black. A judge said he will remain jailed without bail.
The girl’s parents attended the hearing. Their heads were bowed as they entered the courtroom and sat in the audience. They did not speak to reporters outside the court.
Authorities say the Houston-born alt-pop singer killed Rivas Hernandez to protect his rising career after she threatened to report their sexual relationship.
His debut album, “Withered,” was released two days after authorities said she was last seen alive.
Her family reported her missing in 2024, when she was 13 years old. At her age, the singer engaged in ongoing sexual abuse for at least a year from September 2023 to September 2024, according to allegations in a criminal complaint. California law has particularly harsh penalties for abuse of children under 14 years of age.
Authorities described Rivas-Hernandez as a “runaway” on Monday and said Rivas-Hernandez, who was 14 at the time, was killed with a sharp object on or about April 23, 2025, at Burke’s Hollywood Hills home.
Prosecutors allege Burke dismembered her body about two weeks later.
Murder charges include special circumstances – lying in wait, committing a crime for financial gain and murdering a witness during an investigation – which could carry the death penalty. Prosecutors have not announced whether they will pursue the matter.
Also read: D4vd Update: Big ‘Death Penalty’ Decision Coming; ‘Financial Gain’ Motive Behind Selste Rivas Murder
The witness Burke is accused of killing was Rivas Hernandez herself, who would have testified on sex crime charges.
“We believe the actual evidence will prove that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez,” lead defense attorney Blair Burke said in court. “We want the evidence to come to light.”
Burke told the judge that after media coverage of months of secret grand jury proceedings, she wanted a public preliminary hearing to be held soon so the judge could decide whether there was enough evidence to proceed with a trial.
Under California law, Burke is entitled to an evidentiary hearing within 10 court days of trial. Almost all defendants waive their right to have things happen as quickly as possible, but he did not. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday to determine what happens next.
“We are pleased to present the evidence we have gathered,” said Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman, the lead prosecutor.
Also read: Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s father speaks out after D4vd arrest in daughter’s gruesome murder
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hodgman said at a news conference Monday announcing the charges that the case was a “parent’s nightmare.”
Rivas Hernandez’s body was discovered on Sept. 8 inside a Tesla towed from the Hollywood Hills while Burke was touring in support of his album. It was the day after her 15th birthday.
Her family reported her missing in her hometown of Lake Elsinore, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles.
The singer is under investigation by a Los Angeles County grand jury investigating the death. The investigation is officially secret, but its existence — and Burke’s designation as a target — were revealed in February, when his mother, father and brother fought in a Texas court against a subpoena requiring them to testify.
Court documents show that the 2023 Tesla Model Y was registered in the singer’s name at his address. Authorities did not publicly acknowledge him as a suspect until his arrest Thursday.
Police investigators searched the Tesla at a towing lot and found a body bag “infested with insects and a strong odor of decay,” court documents said. Detectives partially unzipped the bag and discovered the head and torso.
Investigators with the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office removed the bag and “discovered that the arms and legs had been separated from the body,” according to court documents.
A second black bag containing dismembered bodies was found underneath the first bag. The cause of death has not been made public, and police asked a judge to prevent the release of autopsy details. The court order is expected to be quashed following the charges.
“I had the opportunity to meet with some of Celeste’s family members who were devastated beyond measure by what happened to their daughter,” Hochman said.
D4vd, pronounced “David,” is popular among Gen Z for his blend of indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop. In 2022, he became popular on TikTok with his hit song “Romantic Killing,” which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Rock and Alternative Songs chart. He subsequently signed with Darkroom and Interscope Records and released his debut EP “Petals to Thorns” and follow-up album “The Lost Petals” in 2023.
The Associated Press confirmed that D4vd was abandoned by Interscope last year.
The singer continued his North American tour when the body was discovered, but canceled his final two shows and subsequent European tour when reports spread that he might be involved.
He made his debut at the Coachella music festival on April 11, about two weeks before the killings, and gave an interview to The Associated Press.
“I was a very Internet kid. I think the Internet was really my home,” he said. “My neighbor is Instagram and society is the internet.”
