Los Angeles County prosecutors have filed first-degree murder charges against 21-year-old musician D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, in connection with the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office made the announcement on Monday, April 20, during a press conference led by District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman.
In addition to the murder charge, Burke faces two additional counts: 1) continuous lewd acts with an individual under the age of 14, and 2) mutilating human remains. The first-degree murder charge carries special circumstances, which prosecutors say include lying in wait, committing the crime for financial gain, and murdering a witness in an ongoing investigation.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, and potentially the death penalty. Prosecutors indicated that a decision on whether to pursue capital punishment will be made at a later stage in the proceedings.
How Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found
Rivas Hernandez was just 13 years old when she was reported missing in February 2024, after Riverside County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call at her family’s Lake Elsinore, California home following a report that she had run away. She was entered into the missing persons database and her whereabouts remained unknown for more than a year.
On September 8, 2025 the day after what would have been her 15th birthday her remains were discovered inside the trunk of a vehicle registered to Burke, after Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to a report of a foul odor coming from the car. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner later determined that her body had been severely decomposed and appeared to have been inside the vehicle for an extended period of time before being found.
A breakthrough in the case came on September 17, when the LAPD notified the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office that the body had been positively identified as Rivas Hernandez.
Burke’s arrest and legal team’s response
Burke was arrested in Los Angeles on the afternoon of Thursday, April 16, and has been held without bail since. His attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter have firmly denied any wrongdoing on his part, stating that the evidence will ultimately show Burke did not kill Rivas Hernandez and was not responsible for her death. They have pledged to vigorously defend him against all charges.
Victim’s family responds to the charges
The Rivas Hernandez family has been vocal about their pursuit of justice since Celeste’s remains were identified. Their attorney, Patrick Steinfeld, released a statement reaffirming the family’s commitment to ensuring that Celeste’s voice is heard and her memory is honored throughout the legal process. Celeste’s father, Jesus Rivas, expressed relief and gratitude upon learning of the charges, according to reporting by The New York Times.
Burke had been under scrutiny for months before his arrest. The lengthy gap between the discovery of Rivas Hernandez’s remains in September 2025 and his arrest in April 2026 reflected the complexity of the investigation, which prosecutors say was focused on definitively establishing who was responsible for her death.
Source: USA TODAY
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