Singer D4vd to be charged with murder in death of teen girl found in trunk of his car

Singer D4vd will be formally charged Monday in the death of a 14-year-old girl whose remains were found in the trunk of his Tesla in Los Angeles in September, more than a year after she was reported missing.

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D4vd, the 21-year-old singer whose real name is David Anthony Burke, was arrested and held last week in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

Burke will be charged with first-degree murder, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman told reporters at a Monday press conference.

“I am a parent of three children, and a parent’s nightmare is a situation where your daughter goes out one night and never comes back, as we will show in a court of law,” Hochman said.

Hochman noted that there are additional special enhancements which will have Burke facing a potential death penalty. That determination will be made at another date, the district attorney said.

Burke is also accused by prosecutors of lewd and lascivious sexual acts with an individual under 14 years of age and mutilating human remains.

Charges have not yet been filed, but Burke is expected to be arraigned on Monday afternoon.

Police found Celeste on Sept. 8 in the trunk of Burke’s abandoned Tesla, which was impounded at Hollywood Tow. Officers were called to the impound lot over concerns about a foul odor emanating from the vehicle.

Detectives learned that Celeste, a runaway from Riverside, was involved in a sexual relationship with Burke, according to Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell. Celeste was last known to be alive on April 23, 2025, when she arrived at Burke’s Hollywood Hills home, before being found in September, the chief said.

“The substantial amount of time that passed between her death and the discovery meant that crucial evidence had degraded or disappeared, and as detectives worked to uncover the truth, they also had to sift through and debunk a great deal of false information circulating publicly,” McDonnell added.

Celeste’s cause of death was not made public. Last year, the medical examiner’s office said it couldn’t release details about the cause and manner of her death because of a security hold sought by police.

Celeste was reported missing in 2024 from Lake Elsinore, southeast of Los Angeles, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.

Law enforcement sources told NBC News that when she was found, her remains weren’t intact. Officials said it appeared she had been dead for an extended period before she was found given the state of her remains.

Burke was on tour at the time Celeste’s remains were discovered and canceled the rest of his performances after news about her death broke.

A court filing in February showed that Burke was the target of a grand jury investigation, saying Celeste “may have been the victim of foul play.” Both his parents, Colleen and Dawud Burke, were ordered to appear Feb. 11 before a Los Angeles County grand jury, according to court documents.

David Burke’s attorneys, Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter, said they were prepared to “vigorously defend David’s innocence.”

“Let us be clear — the actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death,” statement said.