D4vd on Trial: A Girl's Remains, His Address
A Los Angeles judge ruled that R&B singer D4vd — whose real name is David Burke — must stand trial for the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 14-year-old girl whose remains were discovered in a Tesla registered to his address, per The Guardian and NBC News.
D4vd on Trial: A Girl's Remains, His Address
A Los Angeles judge ruled that R&B singer D4vd — whose real name is David Burke — must stand trial for the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 14-year-old girl whose remains were discovered in a Tesla registered to his address, per The Guardian and NBC News.
Prosecutors allege Burke killed Rivas Hernandez after she threatened to expose their relationship and destroy his music career. The ruling follows a preliminary hearing in which the judge found sufficient evidence to proceed to a full criminal trial in Los Angeles, California.
Burke, 21, rose to prominence in 2022 with the viral hit *Here With Me* — a bedroom-pop song that accumulated hundreds of millions of streams and positioned him as one of the most promising young voices in American R&B. That trajectory has now collapsed entirely.
The case carries uncomfortable weight beyond the courtroom. Rivas Hernandez was a minor. The alleged motive — that she posed a threat to his public image — suggests a calculation that prosecutors will almost certainly press hard before a jury. The vehicle link provided investigators with the critical physical evidence that anchored the case.
No trial date has been set. Burke's legal team has not issued a public statement since the ruling. The music industry, which moved quickly to amplify his early work, has been largely silent.
The case will be heard in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
