Rapper D4vd Charged in Grisly Murder of 14-Year-Old Girl Found in His Tesla

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced on April 20, 2026, that David Anthony Burke, the 21-year-old singer known as D4vd (born March 28, 2005), was charged with first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains in the death of Celeste R.[1][2] The charges, filed in case 26CJCF02399, include special circumstances of lying in wait, murder for financial gain, and killing a witness, plus an allegation that Burke used a sharp instrument as a deadly weapon.[1][2] If convicted, he faces life without parole or the death penalty, with a decision on capital punishment pending.[1][2] Celeste R., a reported runaway from Riverside County, was 13 when her family reported her missing in 2024; she was last heard from on April 23, 2025, after visiting Burke's Hollywood Hills home.[2] Her decomposed and dismembered remains were found on September 8, 2025 — one day after her 15th birthday — in the front trunk of Burke's impounded Tesla, which had been reported abandoned.[1][2][3] Authorities allege Burke engaged in repeated lewd acts with the seventh-grader, then murdered and dismembered her when she threatened to expose the abuse and ruin his music career; her body reportedly sat decomposing for over four months.[1][2] Hochman described the killing as "brutal and horrific," emphasizing physical, forensic, and digital evidence gathered by the Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Division to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.[1][2] The case is prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman of the Major Crimes Division.[1] Burke pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center on April 20, 2026.[3] His attorney entered the plea amid reports that prosecutors believe he acted to protect his rising alt-pop career.[3] The investigation continues, with LAPD citing the totality of evidence as key to the charges.[2] Burke is presumed innocent until proven guilty.[1]