One of music’s most talked-about young voices now faces the most serious charges American law allows. D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, entered a not guilty plea on Monday in a brief but charged appearance before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Theresa McGonigle at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center. The 21-year-old “Romantic Homicide” singer sat behind a glass barrier as he faced first-degree murder and continuous sexual abuse charges in connection with the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a teenager whom prosecutors allege he sexually abused and later murdered to protect his rising music career. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, standing alongside LAPD Chief Jim McConnell, described the charges as “the most serious charges that a DA’s office can bring” and called the killing “brutal and horrific.”
The D4vd murder charges carry special circumstances that open the door to the death penalty—an extraordinarily rare outcome in California. Prosecutors allege Burke killed Hernandez through “lying in wait, murder for financial gain, and killing a witness in a criminal investigation.” The DA’s office additionally lodged a special allegation that a “deadly and dangerous weapon, a sharp instrument,” was used to commit the crime. Officials confirmed that Burke is also under investigation for “lewd and lascivious sexual acts” with a minor under 14 years of age. Hernandez’s parents were present in the courtroom during Monday’s arraignment proceedings, bearing witness to the formal beginning of a case that has gripped Los Angeles since September 2025, when the teen’s decomposed and mutilated remains were discovered in the trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke.
A Timeline of a Disturbing Case
D4vd’s case opens with a not guilty plea in murder charges as evidence mounts. Mugshot released. More info: https://t.co/l66RsVGdss pic.twitter.com/hUP2Gn87Kp
— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) April 20, 2026
Celeste Rivas Hernandez was last seen alive in April 2025, the day she reportedly went to D4vd’s rented Hollywood Hills home. She had been reported missing by her family as early as 2024, adding layers of heartbreak to an already devastating investigation. Her remains were discovered on September 8, 2025, inside the trunk of a Tesla parked near Burke’s Hollywood Hills residence for weeks before the vehicle was towed to a Los Angeles lot. The state of her body, described in court documents as decomposed and mutilated, became public knowledge earlier this year when Burke’s Texas-based parents filed to quash grand jury subpoenas they had received.
At the time of the body’s discovery, D4vd was on tour and out of Los Angeles. Through representatives, he expressed willingness to cooperate with the LAPD and other law enforcement agencies. Despite that cooperation, a swarm of police officers arrested Burke at his Hollywood Hills home on April 16, 2026, following almost eight months of investigation that the LAPD’s McConnell said yielded “a substantial amount of digital and forensic evidence.” Burke has been held without bail since his arrest. The DA pointedly stated that his office believes Burke murdered Hernandez specifically “to maintain his very lucrative musical career that Celeste was threatening.”
Defense Fights for Transparency
D4vd’s defense team, led by high-profile attorney Blair Berk alongside Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter, wasted no time establishing their position. In court Monday, Berk entered a not guilty plea and immediately requested a fast-tracked preliminary evidentiary hearing, making clear her client wants the evidence before a judge as quickly as possible. “We believe the actual evidence will show David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez,” Berk told the judge. “We would like to have the evidence come into the light of day, at the earliest opportunity.”
Berk expressed frustration with the pace of discovery, noting “there have been four months of secret grand jury proceedings” while her team has received limited materials. She urged the prosecution to proceed with “conscientious earnestness” in sharing evidence. Deputy DA Beth Silverman pushed back, describing the evidence against Burke as “voluminous” and noting her office would be “very happy to put on the evidence we’ve collected.” The DA’s office had already hosted a detailed press conference on the case earlier Monday morning, a point Berk highlighted before the judge. Burke is scheduled to return to court on Thursday, with the autopsy report for Hernandez expected to be released imminently following Judge McGonigle’s order to the LA County medical examiner’s office.
What Happens Next
D4vd has plead not guilty to all charges, including murdering & sexually abusing 14-year-old Celeste Rivas.
The prosecution will have trouble proving it was him without any reasonable doubt. pic.twitter.com/pPG3ML38IQ
— EM (@EXECUTIVEXMEDIA) April 20, 2026
The road ahead remains procedurally complex on both sides. While the defense seeks to accelerate the timeline toward an evidentiary hearing, the prosecution must organize what it describes as a significant volume of forensic and digital evidence for disclosure. The DA’s office has not yet publicly confirmed whether it will formally pursue the death penalty or opt for life without parole—a decision that carries enormous legal and symbolic weight. This ambiguity mirrors the approach taken in another high-profile Los Angeles case involving Nick Reiner, who faces first-degree murder charges for the stabbing deaths of his parents, Rob and Michelle Reiner, with Judge McGonigle presiding over both cases.
For the Hernandez family, seated quietly in the courtroom during Monday’s proceedings, these legal mechanisms represent a path toward justice for a daughter who never came home. DA Hochman captured the weight of their loss plainly: “A parent’s nightmare is a situation where your daughter goes out one night and never comes back.” As court dates accumulate and evidence comes to light, the case against D4vd promises to be one of the most closely watched criminal proceedings in Los Angeles in recent memory.
Featured image: Getty Images
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