21-year-old singer D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Burke was arrested Thursday and appeared in court on Monday.
The victim was reported missing by her family in 2024 when she was 13 years old. Authorities say she was 14 when she died. Her dismembered and decomposing body was discovered in an abandoned Tesla that had been towed from the Hollywood Hills while the artist was on tour.
Prosecutors have also charged Burke with continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14, including lewd and lascivious acts, and the unlawful mutilation of human remains. The singer is accused of committing unlawful sexual acts against Hernandez and killing her because she was a witness in an investigation.
Burke pleaded not guilty to the charges on Monday. Due to the nature of the case, he faces a potential sentence of life in prison without parole or the death penalty.