Mary Gilmore, Staff Writer
The d4vd murder case has become one of the most disturbing and closely followed criminal investigations in recent years. The case involves David Anthony Burke, a 21‑year‑old singer known professionally as d4vd, who rose to fame on TikTok before becoming the prime suspect in the killing of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. She was a 14‑year‑old girl from Lake Elsinore, California.
The investigation began after Celeste Rivas Hernandez was reported missing multiple times in 2024. Her disappearance escalated into a homicide inquiry when her dismembered remains were discovered on September 8, 2025. The remains were inside the front trunk of an abandoned Tesla registered to Burke. The vehicle had been impounded after neighbors in the Hollywood Hills reported it sitting unattended for over a month.
Authorities later confirmed that the body had been placed in two bags, with the head and torso in one and the limbs in another. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined that Celeste died from multiple penetrating injuries, including trauma to the torso and liver. The report also noted the presence of benzodiazepines and meth/MDMA in her system, though the exact circumstances of the injuries remain under investigation.
According to prosecutors, Burke first met Celeste when she was 11 years old, and their relationship became sexual by the time she was 13. Text messages and phone records suggest ongoing contact even after Celeste was reported missing in early 2024.
Prosecutors allege that on April 23, 2025, Celeste visited Burke’s Hollywood Hills home. During a heated argument over text, she allegedly threatened to expose their relationship and his sexual abuse of a minor. This is what prosecutors say could have jeopardized his rising music career.
Burke was arrested in April 2026 following a months‑long investigation. He has been charged with first‑degree murder with special circumstances, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, lewd and lascivious acts with a minor, and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
Court documents reveal that devices belonging to Burke contained a “significant amount” of child pornography, further supporting the prosecution’s claims of ongoing sexual abuse.
A preliminary hearing originally scheduled for April 2026 has been postponed, with prosecutors continuing to build a case that includes forensic, digital, and physical evidence. Burke’s defense team has pushed for an expedited hearing, arguing that public scrutiny has tainted the process.
ABC News has stated that prosecutors confirmed that David Burke faces a maximum sentence of life without parole or the death penalty, given the murder charges filed against him. The district attorney said his office will decide later whether to pursue capital punishment, but the charges make him legally eligible for it under California law.
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