D4vd Pleads Not Guilty To Murder of Teenager Celeste Rivas

Singer D4vd has pleaded not guilty to the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

According to a report from Rolling Stone, the artist, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, also entered not guilty pleas to charges of sexual abuse with a child under 14 and the unlawful mutilation of human remains in an LA court today. Following the hearing, the judge ordered Burke to be held without bail.

Burke’s attorney, Blair Berk, entered the pleas on the singer’s behalf and maintained his client’s innocence. “We believe the actual evidence will show David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez,” she said. “We would like to have the evidence come into the light of day.”

Berk also requested a preliminary evidentiary hearing as soon as possible, a move welcomed by lead prosecutor Beth Silverman, who stated, “We’ll be very happy to put on the evidence that we’ve collected.”

L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman revealed that the criminal complaint includes several special circumstance allegations tied to the murder charge. These include the murder of a witness, murder for financial gain, and lying in wait. Hochman revealed that prior to her death, Rivas was a witness in an investigation into Burke for alleged “lewd and lascivious sexual acts” with a person under 14. If convicted on all charges, Burke could face life in prison without parole, with the DA’s office to decide on seeking the death penalty at a later date.

The charges were filed seven months after Rivas’ dismembered and decomposing body was found in the front trunk of an impounded Tesla belonging to the singer. Rivas had been reported missing by her family in 2024.

Following his arrest last week, Burke’s legal team issued a firm denial of the allegations. “Let us be clear, 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,” lawyers Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter said in a statement. “We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”