On April 16, 2026, police arrested 21-year-old singer D4vd — real name David Anthony Burke — in connection with the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 14-year-old girl from Lake Elsinore, California. Her decomposed remains were found seven months earlier inside the front trunk of a Tesla registered in Burke’s name. The arrest came after a secretive grand jury investigation, subpoenas served on Burke’s own family members, and months of public speculation about the rising TikTok-era musician whose breakout hit was, in a detail almost too grim to be real, called “Romantic Homicide.”
Here’s everything we know about the case, the arrest, and what happens next.
Who Is D4vd?
David Anthony Burke was born on March 28, 2005, in Queens, New York. His family later moved to Houston, Texas, where he was homeschooled after seventh grade. He grew up listening to gospel music and singing in a church choir. His path to pop stardom started in the most Gen Z way imaginable: he was making Fortnite montage videos for YouTube, and his mom suggested he create original music to avoid copyright strikes on his gameplay clips.
It worked — absurdly well. Burke uploaded snippets of songs to TikTok, and in the summer of 2022, his track “Romantic Homicide” went viral. It peaked at No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart and hit No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100. By September 2022, he had signed a record deal with Darkroom and Interscope Records. He was 17 years old.
His other major hit, “Here With Me,” racked up over 800 million Spotify streams. He released two EPs in 2023, five singles in 2024, and his debut studio album, Withered, dropped in April 2025. He was touring the world in support of that album when everything fell apart.
The Discovery in September 2025
On September 8, 2025, workers at a Los Angeles impound lot noticed a terrible smell coming from a towed Tesla Model Y. The car had been reported as abandoned in the Hollywood Hills, where neighbors said it had been parked on Bluebird Avenue for more than a month — roughly since late July 2025, around the time Burke began his national tour.
When police arrived, what they found inside the front trunk was horrifying. Court filings later revealed that officers discovered two separate cadaver bags: one covered with insects containing a decomposed head and torso, and a second bag containing additional remains.
Eight days later, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner identified the body as Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 14-year-old girl from Lake Elsinore in Riverside County, about 70 miles southeast of L.A. Her remains were discovered one day after what would have been her 15th birthday. The 2023 Tesla Model Y was registered in D4vd’s name at the Texas address of his family.
Who Was Celeste Rivas Hernandez?
Celeste Abigail Rivas Hernandez was born to parents who immigrated from El Salvador. According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, she was reported missing three times in the final year of her life. She last ran away in April 2024 and last contacted her family in May 2024. Surveillance footage and digital evidence showed she was alive as late as January 2025. Investigators believe she may have died in spring 2025.
She was a 13-year-old seventh grader when her family first reported her missing from Lake Elsinore. Authorities give her age as 14 at the time of her death.
One detail that drew massive attention on social media: Burke and Rivas Hernandez reportedly shared matching “Sshhhh” tattoos on their right index fingers, a fact that fueled intense speculation about the nature of their relationship.
The Investigation That Led to the Arrest
In the weeks and months after the body was found, the case moved slowly — at least from the public’s perspective. A representative for D4vd initially told reporters that the singer was cooperating with authorities. But by November 2025, an LAPD source said Burke had not been cooperative at all.
On September 18, 2025 — ten days after the discovery — LAPD investigators executed a search warrant at a Hollywood Hills property Burke had been renting. They seized electronic materials, including a computer. Burke’s manager then terminated the lease and Burke moved out.
On November 21, 2025, police obtained a court order to seal the Medical Examiner’s case file, preventing the release of any details about the cause and manner of death. Three days later, the LAPD publicly called it an “investigation into murder” for the first time. LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said bluntly: “Accountability is coming.”
In late December, TMZ reported that D4vd was “likely” to be indicted. Investigators were looking into a suspicious “midnight drive” Burke reportedly took to a remote area in Santa Barbara in the spring of 2025.
The Grand Jury, the Subpoenas, and the Arrest
Behind the scenes, an LA County grand jury had been building a case against Burke. The investigation was supposed to be secret, but on February 25, 2026, its existence was blown wide open when Burke’s mother, father, and brother filed an objection in a Texas court to subpoenas demanding they testify. The filings confirmed that D4vd was a named “target” of the grand jury and could face one count of murder.
Burke’s father, Dawud Burke, tried to quash his subpoena. A Texas judge denied the request. And in a strange side plot, a 23-year-old streamer named Neo Langston — described as a close friend of D4vd — was arrested in Montana in late January 2026 for failing to appear as a witness before the grand jury. He was extradited to Los Angeles, where he reportedly gave 40 minutes of testimony.
Then, on April 16, 2026, LAPD officers from the Robbery-Homicide Division — the same unit that handles the city’s most high-profile murders — arrested Burke at a house on Marmont Avenue in the Hollywood Hills just after 4:30 p.m. on a probable cause warrant. There was no incident. He was taken into custody and held without bail.
LAPD Captain Scot Williams told reporters: “We did the best we can to keep tabs on him, but once we developed probable cause to arrest him for murder, then we were on him pretty diligently.”
What His Lawyers Are Saying
Burke’s defense team is led by Blair Berk, a high-profile celebrity attorney in Los Angeles. Alongside co-counsels Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter, Berk released a forceful statement: “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.”
The defense team stressed that no grand jury indictment had been returned and no criminal complaint had been formally filed as of the arrest date. They emphasized the legal distinction between an arrest based on probable cause and the filing of formal charges — a distinction that matters a lot in a case like this. Being arrested on probable cause is a lower bar than being indicted or charged. The DA’s office said its Major Crimes Division would review the evidence and decide whether to move forward.
The Fallout Across the Music Industry
The case sent shockwaves through D4vd’s corner of the music world almost immediately after the body was identified. Singer Kali Uchis pulled the song “Crashing,” a collaboration with D4vd, from streaming services. Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey quietly removed the song “This Is How It Feels.” Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu announced she would change her routine, which had featured his music. EA Sports silently removed Burke’s song “What Are You Waiting For” from the Madden NFL 26 soundtrack. He was also dropped from the Spilt Milk 2025 festival lineup and later withdrew from Lollapalooza Brazil 2026.
His world tour, which was in Minneapolis when the body was discovered, eventually fell apart. The last two North American shows in San Francisco and Los Angeles were canceled, along with a scheduled performance at L.A.’s Grammy Museum and an entire European tour that was supposed to start in Norway.
The Social Media Reaction
On TikTok and X, the reaction has been a messy mix of outrage, grief, and the kind of morbid fascination that these cases always generate. The hashtag #JusticeForCeleste has trended globally. Some users have edited D4vd’s lyrics — many of which deal with dark themes of violence and death — over information about the case, framing it as “artistic interpretation.” Others have pushed back hard against that impulse, calling it a romanticization of alleged violence.
The irony that his biggest song is literally called “Romantic Homicide” has not been lost on anyone.
Activist Aysia Collins publicly stated she is “working in silence” to get justice for the teenager. And the family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez is reportedly considering filing a civil lawsuit — not just against Burke, but against the LAPD itself. Attorney Neama Rahmani suggested the family could use a civil suit to pry loose information that has been withheld, including the still-sealed autopsy report. Private investigator Steve Fischer called the probe a “complete failure” and said that sealed report “would spark public outrage” if released.
What Happens Next
Burke was expected to make his initial court appearance in Los Angeles on Monday, April 21, 2026. The LA County District Attorney’s Office said its Major Crimes Division, led by prosecutor Beth Silverman, would review the case and decide whether to file formal murder charges. Grand jury proceedings were also reportedly questioning executives at Burke’s record label.
Burke remains in custody without bail. His defense team says he’s innocent. The LAPD says they methodically built their case. The autopsy report is sealed. And a family from Lake Elsinore is still waiting for answers about what happened to their 14-year-old daughter.
