Rising alt-pop artist d4vd has been charged with murder following a months-long investigation into the death of Celeste Rivas, who was 15 when her body was discovered in the back of a Tesla registered under d4vd’s name.
The 21-year-old artist, born David Anthony Burke, was taken into custody by the Los Angeles Police Department on April 16, 2026. He is currently being held without bail as prosecutors review the case and determine whether to file formal charges.
The investigation traces back to April 2024, when 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was reported missing from Lake Elsinore, California. More than a year later, on September 8, 2025, her remains were discovered inside an impounded Tesla registered to Burke at a Los Angeles tow yard after workers reported a strong odor. Authorities later classified her death as a homicide.
Following the discovery, the case moved steadily through the legal system. A grand jury investigation began in late 2025, with Burke identified as a target by early 2026 before his eventual arrest.
Details surrounding the alleged romantic relationship between Burke and the victim remain unclear. Family members have said the teen intended to meet the singer prior to her disappearance. She was reportedly last seen alive going into the singer’s Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025 before being discovered five months later.
The case is now being handled by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, specifically its Major Crimes Division, which will decide whether to pursue charges. Burke’s legal team has denied any wrongdoing.
d4vd came to prominence in 2022 with the viral success of his self-written songs “Here With Me” and “Romantic Homicide” — which, in hindsight, bears eerie coincidence to the predicament he’s currently in.