Mass incarceration and the criminal justice system continue to dominate headlines as high-profile cases move through the courts. Today, singer D4vd is due back in a Los Angeles courtroom as the mass incarceration system processes the serious charges against him in connection with 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
The singer, whose legal name is David Burke, is scheduled to be arraigned on charges of first-degree murder, sexual abuse of a child, and unlawful mutilation of human remains. He previously pleaded not guilty and has remained jailed without bail. This case raises critical questions about accountability and the protection of vulnerable youth in our communities.
A judge ruled last month that prosecutors presented enough evidence for the case to proceed to trial.
Authorities allege D4vd began a sexual relationship with Rivas Hernandez in 2023, when she was 13 and he was 18. Prosecutors claim he later killed her because he feared she would reveal the relationship and damage his career. The alleged grooming and subsequent violence paint a troubling picture of predatory behavior.
They say the teenager was last seen alive after taking an Uber to the singer’s Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025.
Months later, her decomposed remains were discovered inside two bags in the front trunk of D4vd’s impounded Tesla, prosecutors said. The discovery brought devastating closure to the search for the missing teen.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman accused D4vd of killing the teen because he feared their relationship would derail his career. The prosecution’s narrative centers on self-preservation over human life.
D4vd’s attorneys have vehemently rejected that allegation.
“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 after his arrest. The defense maintains their client’s innocence as the legal process unfolds.
A trial is expected within 90 days of Monday’s arraignment.
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