Chilling Clues That Led Police to D4vd in 14-Year-Old’s Murder

It began in September 2025, when workers at an impound lot noticed a foul smell coming from a towed Tesla. Months later, singer D4vd was arrested by Los Angeles police in connection with the case of a missing teenage girl whose dismembered body was found inside the vehicle.

On April 16 at around 4:30 p.m., D4vd or David Anthony Burke, 22, was taken into custody by the Robbery-Homicide Division at his Hollywood Hills home.

The pop star is being held without bail, according to The New York Post. The case is expected to be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on April 20, when formal charges may be announced.

When authorities examined the vehicle at the impound lot, the odor was traced to the decomposing body of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas. Scot Williams said investigators spent months piecing together the timeline before making an arrest.

“She had been dead for a long time before that, and so we were behind the eight-ball from the beginning,” Williams said.

“We had to backtrack through the evidence to make a determination as to when she died and then work our way forward from there.”

Burke’s attorneys - Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter - emphasized that he has not yet been formally charged and said they intend to fight 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. There has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed. David has only been detained on suspicion. We will vigorously defend David’s innocence,” they said.

Celeste Rivas was reported missing by her family in April 2025. When her body was discovered, it was wrapped in plastic and in an advanced state of decomposition. Authorities said the medical examiner required additional time to determine whether the death was a homicide.

Investigators were able to trace the Tesla to David Anthony Burke through its registration.

At the time, Burke was performing on a world tour but canceled the remaining shows amid the investigation. Officials said he cooperated with authorities throughout the process.

“There were plenty of ways that we were able to connect her to him fairly early in the investigation,” said Scot Williams. “But the suspicion of foul play is not good enough.”

As investigators continued building their case, additional details emerged.

A private investigator hired by the property owner reported that a “burn cage” incinerator, capable of reaching temperatures of up to 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit, was found at a Hollywood Hills home David Anthony Burke was renting at the time.

Authorities later tracked Burke to Texas while he was visiting family. After establishing probable cause, officers arrested him within days.

Investigators believe he acted alone. More details are expected as the case moves forward.

“There was a lot of outside pressure for [investigators] to act quickly. They were able to put that aside and do the tedious, meticulous work that was needed to ensure we had an airtight case,” said Scot Williams.