The case of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez has once again drawn national attention after singer David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, was charged in connection with her death. Authorities say Celeste’s remains were found Sept. 8, 2025, in the front trunk of a Tesla owned by the alt-singer.
The car, which was towed to a police impound lot (a secure storage space for vehicles confiscated by law enforcement), was reported by an employee who noticed a foul smell diffusing from the trunk.
The teen girl had been reported missing from her hometown of Lake Elsinore in Riverside County multiple times since early 2024.
According to an autopsy report released by the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office, Rivas displayed wounds on her chest and abdomen that could possibly resemble sharp force injuries. Two fingers had been removed from Rivas’ left hand. Examiners found alcohol in the child’s system, but claimed it’s unclear if it’s due to the decomposition.The report was signed in December but sealed for months per request of law enforcement
Dr. Priya Banerjee, a board-ceritfied forensic pathologist who reviewed the report but is not involved with the case, explained that the case is very difficult “because of the decomposition.” “It looks like it was likely a knife made (the wounds) but I can see why they use the wording they did, given the condition of the body.”
Burke, 21, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and related charges. Prosecutors have also charged him with continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains. The L.A. The County District Attorney’s Office said the charges are allegations and that Burke is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Multiple pieces of evidence point to Burke’s involvement in the case. One of the most prevalent is a tattoo–reading “Shhh…”–found on Rivas’ right index finger, similar to a tattoo d4vd has on his finger. She and d4vid appeared side by side in a Twitch livestream in January 2024. The singer was also pictured exiting a black Tesla near the seventh grader’s house.
In addition, Rivas was photographed backstage at one of his Los Angeles shows in June 2024, and going to d4vd’s home in April 2025.
L.A. County Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman said evidence against d4vd included a “signifcant amount of child pornography” on his iPhone. Various law enforcement agencies sieved up to 40 terabytes of data possessed by the singer. These findings have only propelled the case further into national attention.
Prosecutors allege Burke took her life after she threatened to expose what they describe as criminal conduct involving her while she was a minor. The criminal complaint includes special circumstance allegations of murder of a witness, murder for financial gain and lying wait.
If convicted as charged, Burke could face life in prison without parole or the death penalty, though prosecutors have not announced whether they will seek the death penalty.
The case has raised questions not only about the criminal investigation, but also about how the public discusses violence involving minors. Since the discovery of Celeste’s remains, social media attention has spread quikcly, with many users connecting the case to Burke’s fame and online following. With such a vast audience following a quickly developing case in the age of the internet, there are conflicting perspectives on both the singer and the alleged young victim. Many young users have taken to the internet to denounce the singer, while others continue to support his music.
As the case continues, Celeste’s family has asked for privacy and patience. The next step in court will determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence for the case to proceed toward trial.