David Anthony Burke, twenty-one, professionally known as D4VD, has been charged by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office with first-degree murder with three special circumstances — lying in wait, commission of a crime for financial gain, and killing a witness to a crime — as well as continuous sexual abuse of a child under fourteen years of age, lewd and lascivious acts with an individual under fourteen, and mutilation of human remains. Burke has entered a plea of not guilty. The combined special circumstances render Burke eligible for life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. Prosecutors have not yet announced whether they will seek the death penalty.

The prosecution's theory as articulated by District Attorney Nathan Hochman is that Burke killed Celeste Rivas Hernandez, fourteen, when she threatened to expose his criminal conduct and end his music career. Prosecutors place Celeste at Burke's Hollywood Hills residence on April 23, 2025 — the last date she was known alive. Her dismembered remains were discovered approximately five months later in the front trunk of an impounded Tesla registered to Burke. Head and torso were reportedly recovered in one bag, limbs in another.

The financial gain special circumstance alleges Burke acted to protect a lucrative recording career. The witness-killing circumstance is linked to the sexual abuse charges — prosecutors contend the relationship with a minor created the motive for permanent silencing. The lying-in-wait allegation has not been detailed publicly.

Criminal defense attorney Bob Motta provides analysis of the prosecution's charging strategy. He examines how the layered special circumstances interact, the evidentiary challenge created by five months of decomposition — which LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell acknowledged publicly — and the strength required of a circumstantial case to sustain charges of this magnitude. Motta also addresses the digital evidence trail: Twitch livestream communications, Discord messages reportedly dating to 2022, photographs, and concert access patterns documented over the course of Celeste's involvement with Burke. Burke's attorneys have stated they will vigorously defend his innocence and have requested an expedited public preliminary hearing.

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