D4vd murder charge: Prosecutors reveal alleged motive in case of 14-year-old found in Tesla
The 21-year-old singer has been charged over a teen’s death, with prosecutors revealing disturbing new claims, including the alleged motive.
Singer D4vd has pleaded not guilty after being charged with the murder of a 14-year-old girl whose body was discovered in the trunk of his Tesla.
The 21-year-old artist, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, was arrested on April 16 over the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. On Monday, prosecutors formally charged him with first-degree murder, outlining disturbing new allegations about the case.
According to the complaint, Burke is accused of killing the teenager for financial gain and using a “sharp instrument” in the attack. Her body was later found inside a Tesla linked to him.
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Authorities claim Rivas was also a witness to a separate crime and “was intentionally killed because of that fact,” according to court documents.
Because of the severity of the charges, Burke is eligible for the death penalty if convicted. He is currently being held without bail.
During his first court appearance on Monday, Burke appeared emotionless, dressed in a black sweatshirt and grey sweatpants. He avoided eye contact, including with the victim’s family, as his lawyer entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
His defence attorney pushed for preliminary hearings to begin this week.
“We believe actual evident will show that Mr Burke did not murder Celeste nor was the cause of her death. We would like to have the evidence see the light of day,” Blair Berk said, according to the Daily Mail.
Rivas’s remains were found in September last year inside the front trunk of a Tesla that had been impounded at a Hollywood tow yard. Police said the vehicle was registered to an address linked to Burke in Texas.
Prosecutors have also charged Burke with continuous lewd acts with a child under 14 and mutilation of human remains.
Officials say the special circumstances attached to the murder charge include “lying in wait, committing this crime for financial gain or murdering a witness in an investigation.”
If convicted, Burke could face life in prison without parole or the death penalty.
His next court date is set for April 23.
Prosecutors allege the teen visited Burke’s home on April 23, 2025 “at his invitation” and was never seen again.
Speaking at a press conference, Mr Hochman said a final decision on pursuing capital punishment will be made later.
“This murder was committed for financial gain. As the evidence will show in court, the financial gain was for Mr Burke to maintain his very lucrative music career, on that particular night,” Mr Hochman said.
“In this particular case, as the evidence will come out in court, the witness to the investigation was Celeste, and the investigation was into the lewd and lascivious sexual acts committed by Mr Burke... with Celeste when she was under [sic] 14 years old.”
At the same briefing, Rivas’s family said their grief was “incalculable”.
Burke’s family has stood by him, with spokesperson Kent Schaffer saying: “The Burkes are not surprised but are terribly disappointed that the District Attorney chose to charge David. Nevertheless, they support and stand by him 100 percent.”
