D4vd Faces Death Penalty Eligibility in 14-Year-Old Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s Murder

D4vd was arrested on suspicion of murder on April 16, 2026, months after the body of Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found in the trunk of his car. A team of LAPD and US Marshals stormed their way into his Hollywood Hills home to make the arrest. The LA County DA Nathan Hochman announced on Monday, April 20, that D4vd was being charged with first-degree murder.

If convicted of the first-degree murder charge, D4vd will face 25 years to life in prison. However, Hochman shared with NewsNation that this life sentence came with the possibility of parole. He shared that the singer was charged with special circumstances, explaining:

The singer pleaded not guilty to the murder charge, and his defense team shared that the “actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez.” They added, “He was not the cause of her death. We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.” Hochman has urged the public to reach out to the LAPD or the DA’s office if they have any information about the case.

What Are the Charges Against D4vd?

Nathan Hochman claimed during the press conference that D4vd, real name David Anthony Burke, invited Celeste Rivas Hernandez to his home on April 23, 2025. He alleged that the singer “was lying in wait to murder her.” He further announced the three special circumstances filed against the singer (via BBC).

• First-degree murder with special circumstances of “lying in wait”
• Additional special circumstances of alleged murder for “financial gain”
• Murdering a witness (Rivas) to his lewd s*xual acts with a minor

He also shared that the charges included his s*xual acts with the underage Rivas and the mutilation of her body. Hochman believed that these circumstances were enough for the DA to seek the death penalty.

As for the delay in arresting D4vd, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell explained that the condition of Rivas’s body made it difficult for the medical examiner to determine the cause of death. He shared that key evidence was degraded because of the condition of the body. He added that the widespread public misinformation also made their jobs harder.

What Led Up to the Arrest of D4vd?

D4vd in a still from Romantic Homicide music video | Credits: Darkroom/Interscope

D4vd found himself in the middle of a murder investigation last September, when the Los Angeles police discovered human remains inside a Tesla belonging to the singer. At the time, the car was at an impound lot in Los Angeles. The body was dismembered into several pieces and was heavily decomposed. It was wrapped inside a plastic bag in the front trunk of the car.

The LAPD made the discovery after they received a complaint about a “foul odour coming from a vehicle” at a tow yard (via BBC). The police also found out that the Tesla, with a Texas license plate, was towed from the Hollywood Hills area after it was abandoned five days earlier.

Initial examination by the LA Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that the remains belonged to a woman, describing her as a 5ft 2in female, weighing 70 pounds (via LA Times). The body reportedly had wavy black hair, and the woman was wearing a tube top and black leggings. The body also had a tattoo on her right index finger, which read, “Shhh…”

He was on tour at the time the body was found. A spokesman for the singer told NBC at the time that he was aware of the body in the car. They shared, “He is fully co-operating with the authorities.”

Soon, the investigation revealed that the body belonged to 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Evidence began to emerge against the singer, with many social media posts allegedly establishing links between D4vd and Rivas. According to CNN, she was seen in a Twitch livestream video with the singer in January 2024.

Rivas was reported missing in February 2024, as per 911 call records. CNN verified an email sent by a person who wished to remain anonymous, asking the singer to take her home after the missing persons report. She returned home days after the email, only to be reported missing a second time in March and for the third and final time in April 2024. These reports were handled by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.

While it remains unclear when she was killed, she was still alive until early 2025. According to Steve Fischer, a private investigator who searched through the singer’s rented home, a digital camera containing photos of D4vd and Rivas between December 2024 and January 2025 was uncovered.

In February 2026, it was reported that a grand jury investigation was launched into Rivas’s death, with D4vd being considered a suspect, as per court documents. It was this investigation that led to his arrest on Thursday, April 16, 2026.

D4vd began making music on YouTube in 2022 and released the singles, Here With Me and Romantic Homicide. The songs became instant hits on TikTok and resulted in the singer getting a deal with Darkroom and Interscope Records. He had a string of releases in 2023 and 2024. In 2025, he came out with his debut album, Withered.

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