Music star D4vd charged with murder of teenage girl who went missing last year

Her remains were found in his Tesla

David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, was the target of a grand jury investigation into the apparent murder of teenager Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

The remains of 14-year-old Rivas were discovered on 8 September in a Hollywood tow yard, after authorities received reports of a foul odour coming from a Tesla vehicle.

As per court documents, investigators found her decomposed head and torso in a cadaver bag in the front boot of the car registered to D4vd's address in Texas.

The news was announced in a Los Angeles Police Department Press Conference during which the charges were confirmed.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the charges of first-degree murder and described it as a "brutal and horrific murder".

Hochman said that the DA's office could eventually seek the death penalty in the case.

He said that there are three sets of charges and accused Burke of murdering the 14-year-old to maintain his lucrative musical career "that Celeste was threatening on that particular night".

One of the charges is murdering a witness as Hochman said that evidence to be presented in court shows that Rivas was a witness into an investigation of sexual acts committed by Burke while she was under 14-years-old.

Burke, who gained popularity on TikTok, has been virtually silent on the case but his representatives previously said he was cooperating with authorities.

The body was “severely decomposed”, the county's medical examiner said, and pending the death investigation deferred on making a ruling on how she died.

Officials said that the teen might have been dead “for several weeks” before her body was discovered, while no cause of death in her case has been announced

An online following has been ignited as a result of the lack of information in the macabre death which has fuelled intrigue, while many are hypothesising about the girl's connection to the singer.

In December, a grand jury began hearing evidence in the case, but D4vd's arrest on Thursday marks the first significant development in the case in months.

Burke's attorneys maintained the singer's innocence in a statement shared with outlets including NBC News and People.

"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," his lawyers said.