The 21-year-old "Romantic Homocide" singer D4vd has been charged with, among other things, the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
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Earlier today, LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman and LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell gave a press conference about the "brutal and horrific murder." In it, McDonnell said that he has spoken with Celeste's family, and stated, "Their grief is uncalculable as to what happened to their daughter. What they have demanded, what we have assured them...[is to] bring their killer to justice. That killer, who we have now charged, is [D4vd's real name] David Anthony Burke."
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Here are the main takeaways from the charges and the press conference:
What allegedly happened?
McDonnell described Celeste as a "reported runaway from Riverside County." He continued, "During the course of our investigation, detectives learned that she had been involved in a sexual relationship with Mr. Burke when she was a minor, and he was an adult."
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"On April 23 2025, as has been alleged by the complaint, Celeste, a 14-year-old at that time, went to Mr. Burke's house in the Hollywood Hills," Hochman alleged. "She was never heard from again."
"On September 8, 2025, as alleged in the complaint, Miss Celeste's dismembered and decomposed remains were found in two bags inside of a front trunk of a car registered to Mr. Burke. Thereafter began an investigation," he continued, noting elsewhere that the coroner's report would be released soon.
As per AP News and documents available online, a criminal complaint further claimed that D4vd sexually abused Celeste from September 2023 to September 2024. Prosecutors alleged that he killed her using a sharp object and then mutilated her body about two weeks later.
What are the charges?
D4vd has been charged with first degree murder with special circumstances.
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The first of the special circumstances is lying in wait, which is essentially the allegation that Celeste attended D4vd's house "at his invitation," where he waited to attack her. The second one is "that this murder was committed for financial gain," as Hochman claimed D4vd wanted to "maintain his very lucrative musical career, that Celeste was threatening on that particular night."
Finally, Hochman claimed that D4vd had murdered "a witness to an investigation," as Celeste was allegedly a victim of his sexual abuse. Additionally, D4vd was been charged with "continuous...lewd and lascivious acts with an individual under 14 years old" and "mutilating human remains."
As per Hochman, the charges carry a "maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parol, or the death penalty."
What is the evidence?
Hochman said that there is physical, forensic, and digital evidence of the crimes, and that their details would be revealed in court.
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Why did it take so long?
LAPD Chief McDonnell acknowledged that the department had faced "criticism" over the handling of their case, especially as details were withheld from the public. "My duty is not to fuel speculation, but to deliver justice. That requires patience and discipline on everybody's part," he retorted. "We had to be certain that nothing we did or said would ever jeopardize this case."
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Calling the case "extraordinary, difficult, and complex," he further said, "The condition of her remains delayed the medical examiner's ability to be able to determine cause of death."
"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," he added.
Hochman later echoed McDonnell's words and said, "In a situation where you don't have an eyewitness account, or we can't point to a video that shows the killer killing someone, you have to go through the very rigorous and thorough investigation to look at all the digital and forensic evidence. You have to speak with witnesses, often who are cooperative, and some who are not cooperative, in order to obtain all the information necessary."
How has D4vd responded?
David Burke’s attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter issued the following statement to BuzzFeed: "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. We will vigorously defend David’s innocence."