D4vd Murder Case: A Timeline of the Investigation & Charges Over Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s Death
Billboard is tracking developments in the singer's criminal case for allegedly killing the 14-year-old and dismembering her body.
On April 23, 2025, the body of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was discovered in an impounded Tesla registered to D4vd, a 21-year-old pop singer. The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office has charged D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, with first-degree murder.
According to prosecutors, D4vd was accused of having an illegal sexual relationship with Celeste and allegedly murdered her after she threatened to expose his criminal conduct, which could have severely damaged his musical career. The murder allegedly took place just two days before the release of D4vd's debut album, Withered, which debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard 200.
D4vd has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and his legal team has vowed to vigorously defend him in court. They assert that evidence will prove he did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and was not responsible for her death.
The case has already had significant repercussions for D4vd's career. His headlining Withered tour was abruptly halted, and a deluxe version of the album was shelved. Following the discovery of Celeste's body, D4vd was dropped by Darkroom/Interscope Records, Sony Music Publishing, and The·Team (formerly Wasserman).
Billboard has compiled a timeline of D4vd's legal proceedings, which will be updated with any new developments as the case progresses.
Written by urgent.news from Billboard's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
