The case of a missing teenager from Lake Elsinore, California, has taken a devastating turn. Singer d4vd, who rose to fame among Gen-Z listeners with a string of viral hits, has been formally charged with murder, sexually abusing a child, and mutilating a body in connection with the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose remains were found inside a car registered to him seven months ago.
Who is d4vd
D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, is a 21-year-old musician who built a substantial following after his song Romantic Homicide went viral on TikTok in 2022. The track peaked at No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot Rock and Alternative Songs chart and helped establish him as a rising voice in indie rock, R&B, and lo-fi pop.
He later signed with Darkroom and Interscope Records, releasing 2 EPs titled Petals to Thorns and The Lost Petals before dropping his debut full-length album, Withered, in 2025. When the investigation into Celeste’s death intensified, the final 2 North American shows on his tour were canceled, as was a planned performance at Los Angeles’ Grammy Museum and a subsequent European leg of the tour.
How Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found
Celeste was just 13 years old when she was first reported missing from her home in Lake Elsinore, southeast of Los Angeles, in February 2024. She would be reported missing a total of 3 times over the months that followed. On September 8, 2025, one day after what would have been her 15th birthday, her remains were discovered inside a cadaver bag in the front trunk of a Tesla that had been towed from a Hollywood Hills street. The vehicle was registered to d4vd. The medical examiner has ruled her death a homicide, though the specific cause has not been publicly released.
There is now a case number associated with the booking of D4vd, or David Anthony Burke, meaning the case is currently with the District Attorney’s Office. pic.twitter.com/WMLOEqpUhg…