D4VD Murder Charges: What Prosecutors Just Told the World

First-degree murder with special circumstances. Lying in wait. Financial gain. Killing a witness. Continuous sexual abuse of a child under fourteen. Mutilation of human remains. Those are the charges filed against David Anthony Burke — the artist known as D4VD — in the death of fourteen-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. He has pleaded not guilty. His defense team says the evidence will show he did not cause her death. The death penalty is on the table.

This is not a standard murder charge. This is the most serious set of charges a California DA's office can bring. Prosecutors say Celeste walked into Burke's Hollywood Hills home on April 23 of last year and was never heard from again. Months later, her dismembered remains were found in the trunk of his Tesla — head and torso in one bag, limbs in another. The car had been sitting abandoned on a residential street before it was towed and impounded.

The financial gain allegation is specific: prosecutors allege Burke killed Celeste because she was threatening his music career. A fourteen-year-old girl, according to the DA, was treated as a liability to a brand and allegedly eliminated. The "killing a witness" special circumstance ties directly to the abuse charges — the prosecution's theory is that the relationship with a child created the motive to silence her permanently.

But the evidence trail was hiding in plain sight for years. A Twitch livestream where he allegedly told a thirteen-year-old to "delete everything." Discord messages dating back to 2022. Photos near her home. Backstage at his concerts. Matching tattoos. Twelve days before prosecutors say Celeste entered that home for the last time, Burke was performing at Coachella.

Criminal defense attorney Bob Motta joins Tony Brueski and Robin Dreeke to break down how layering these charges strengthens the prosecution's case, where the seams might be, and what happens when five months of decomposition have degraded crucial evidence. The LAPD chief acknowledged that challenge. The DA says they have physical, forensic, and digital evidence. Motta analyzes whether a circumstantial case can carry charges this heavy.

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This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

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