Singer d4vd may face death penalty for the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez

WorldEntertainment
21 Apr 2026 • 3:52 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Singer d4vd may face death penalty for the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez

  • Months after a teen’s body was found in the trunk of a car registered to singer d4vd, the 21-year-old, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, was arrested Thursday in the Hollywood Hills on suspicion of killing 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, authorities said.
  • On Monday, the singer was officially charged with murder, sexually abusing a child and mutilating a body in the killing of 14-year-old and leaving her “mutilated” body in a Tesla trunk.
  • The murder charges included special circumstances — lying in wait, committing crime for financial gain and murdering the witness in an investigation — that could carry the death penalty.
  • Los Angeles DA Nathan Hochman said d4vd murdered the 14-year-old to maintain his musical career and “that Celeste was threatening on that particular night.”
  • He explained the three sets of charges – one of which is murdering a witness to an investigation. Evidence to be shown in court shows Celeste was a witness into an investigation of sexual acts committed by d4vd.

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