D4vd #

Introduction #

David Anthony Burke (born March 28, 2005), known professionally as D4vd, is an American singer-songwriter who rose to fame in 2022 with the viral hit “Romantic Homicide.” In April 2026, the 21-year-old was charged with first-degree murder in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose dismembered remains were found the previous September in an impounded Tesla registered to him. District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the charges, calling the death “brutal and horrific.” Burke pleaded not guilty at his arraignment and remains held without bail; he has not been convicted and is presumed innocent.

Background Information #

Burke was born in Queens, New York City, and raised in Houston, Texas, where he was homeschooled from seventh grade. He began making music in 2021 to score his Fortnite gaming montages, writing original songs that blended lo-fi pop, R&B, and indie rock. He chose the stage name “d4vd” partly for search-engine visibility.

After TikTok snippets of “Romantic Homicide” went viral, the single was released in July 2022 and reached No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100, prompting Darkroom and Interscope Records to sign him that September. His follow-up “Here with Me” also charted, and both singles earned multiple platinum certifications. He released the EPs Petals to Thorns and The Lost Petals in 2023 and his debut studio album, Withered, in April 2025; it opened at No. 13 on the Billboard 200.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation #

On September 8, 2025, Los Angeles police responded to reports of a foul odor at a Hollywood tow lot and, opening the front trunk of an impounded Tesla registered to Burke, found black bags containing human remains. Days later the remains were identified through dental records as Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 14-year-old from Lake Elsinore who had been reported missing.

Prosecutors allege Burke, who was 18, began a sexual relationship with Hernandez in November 2023, when she was 13. Court documents state that after the two argued by text on April 22, 2025 — during which Hernandez threatened to expose the relationship and damage his career — her cellphone activity stopped the next day, the date prosecutors allege Burke killed her with a “sharp instrument,” two days before Withered’s release. Prosecutors allege that in the following weeks he ordered a shovel, two chainsaws, a body bag, heavy-duty laundry bags, and a blue inflatable pool, and that he used the chainsaws to dismember her body in his garage before driving with her remains in his Tesla for weeks or possibly months.

In November 2025 it was reported that the district attorney had empaneled an investigative grand jury, and court filings from February 2026 — after Burke’s parents and brother petitioned a Texas judge to avoid testifying — showed he was the target of the murder investigation. Burke was arrested on April 16, 2026, and on April 20 the district attorney’s office charged him with first-degree murder, along with special-circumstances allegations that he continuously committed “lewd and lascivious sexual acts” with the teenager while she was under 14 and killed her for financial gain “to maintain his very lucrative musical career that Celeste was threatening” to expose, as well as a charge of unlawfully mutilating human remains. Prosecutors have also cited special circumstances including lying in wait and murder of a witness, and have indicated they may seek the death penalty. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf at arraignment; his attorney said she believes the evidence will show he did not murder Hernandez.

Public Reaction and Consequences #

The discovery triggered swift industry fallout. Days after the remains were identified, Burke’s headlining Withered tour was canceled, a planned deluxe reissue of the album was shelved, and his label Darkroom/Interscope Records, publisher Sony Music Publishing, and management company The·Team (formerly Wasserman) dropped him. Brands including Crocs and Hollister removed him from promotional campaigns, and the Lake Elsinore community held a vigil for Hernandez.

Collaborators distanced themselves at scale: Kali Uchis pulled their duet “Crashing” from streaming services, Laufey removed “This Is How It Feels,” Riot Games delisted Burke’s Arcane track “Remember Me,” and EA Sports dropped “What Are You Waiting For” from the Madden NFL 26 soundtrack. Epic Games refunded Fortnite purchases tied to his music, YouTube demonetized his channel in April 2026, and Universal Music Group helped artists remove his collaborations from streaming services.

The case drew intense press scrutiny. Hernandez’s parents, Jesus Rivas and Mercedes Martinez, thanked investigators and said, “All we want is Justice for Celeste.” In court proceedings, prosecutors revealed more than 40 terabytes of digital evidence, and an Interscope staffer testified Burke made more than $7 million from his record deal before being dropped — figures prosecutors cited in arguing a financial motive.

Current Status #

Burke remains in custody without bail and maintains his innocence. After several delays, his preliminary hearing ran from July 21 to July 27, 2026, and on July 27 Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo ruled that prosecutors had met the probable-cause standard, ordering him to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and mutilation of a body. The charges carry up to life in prison without parole, or death. He is scheduled to return to court on August 31, 2026; a trial date has not been set. His attorneys have said: “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.”

Impact on Their Career/Life #

The case effectively ended the career of one of pop’s fastest-rising young artists. Within days of the body’s discovery, his tour was cut short and his label, publisher, and management dropped him; within months, his music was pulled from streaming platforms, soundtracks, and video games, and collaborations were re-recorded without him. Public interest was enormous — Burke became Google’s top-searched musician and overall person of 2025 — but that attention brought no professional reprieve.

Now facing charges that carry the possibility of life in prison or the death penalty, Burke’s future rests entirely on the criminal proceedings against him. He is accused — not convicted — and continues to deny the allegations through his lawyers; until a verdict, he remains presumed innocent.