David Anthony Burke, the 21-year-old recording artist known as D4VD, is being held without bail at a Los Angeles County facility following his arrest on suspicion of the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The arrest was executed by LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division at a Hollywood Hills residence on Marmont Avenue. No grand jury indictment was returned. No criminal complaint was filed prior to the arrest. Detectives secured an arrest warrant directly from a judge based on probable cause developed over seven months of investigation.
The case originated on September 8, 2025, when Celeste's remains were discovered in the front trunk of an impounded Tesla registered to Burke at a Hollywood tow facility. The vehicle had been parked on a Hollywood street since approximately late July 2025, around the time Burke began a national concert tour. Celeste had been reported missing from Lake Elsinore, California, three separate times — the final report filed in April 2024. She had not been in contact with her family since May 2024.
Investigative records indicate tracking data allegedly places Burke in a remote area of Santa Barbara County during spring 2025, consistent with the estimated window of Celeste's death. Electronics were seized from Burke's rental property shortly after the discovery. A burn cage incinerator was present on that property. Additional evidence was recovered from the Hollywood Hills arrest location.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Major Crimes Division is reviewing the case for filing consideration. Burke's defense attorneys have issued a public statement asserting that Burke "did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and was not the cause of her death," while noting the absence of a grand jury indictment or formal criminal complaint. A court order sealing the medical examiner's autopsy findings, including cause and manner of death, remains in effect.
Retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer provides expert analysis on the investigative strategy, the decision to arrest without a grand jury indictment, and the procedural implications of the sealed autopsy.
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