- Byname of:
- David Anthony Burke
- Born:
- March 28, 2005, Queens, New York, U.S. (age 21)
- Notable Works:
- “Withered”
d4vd
Who is d4vd?
What happened to d4vd?
Has d4vd been charged?
Is d4vd in jail?
News •
d4vd (born March 28, 2005, Queens, New York, U.S.) is an American singer and songwriter who fused R&B and indie pop in such hit singles as “Romantic Homicide” (2022) and “Locked & Loaded” (2025), the official anthem of the electronic game Fortnite. His rising music career was derailed in 2025, however, when the decomposed and dismembered remains of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez were discovered in the front trunk of his abandoned Tesla. In April 2026 he was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, sexual abuse of a person under 14, and mutilation of a body. He pleaded not guilty.
Latest News: On September 10, 2026, Hernandez’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Burke. His mother and several others were also named as defendants. In the 20-page document, the singer was accused of having “engaged in extreme and outrageous conduct exceeding all bounds of decency tolerated in a civilized community.”
Early life
D4vd (pronounced “David”) was born David Anthony Burke, the son of Dawud and Colleen Burke. His family relocated from Queens to Houston when David Burke was a teenager. Beginning in about the eighth grade, he was homeschooled, and he spent much of his free time playing online video games, especially Fortnite. To showcase his gaming skills, he created montages of his gameplay set to music and uploaded them to YouTube. However, many of his videos were flagged for copyright infringement. As a result—and at his mother’s suggestion—Burke started writing and recording his own music for the montages.
Music career
In 2021 Burke posted his first song online, “Run Away,” and adopted the stage name d4vd. The following year “Romantic Homicide” became a viral hit, and in September 2022 Burke, who was 17 years old and still in high school, signed with Darkroom/Interscope Records. He released two extended plays in 2023: The Lost Petals and Petals to Thorns. His debut album, Withered, appeared on April 25, 2025, and it peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez
Discovery of Hernandez’s body
In February 2024 Celeste Rivas Hernandez, then 13 years old, was reported missing by her parents. The police questioned Burke after examining her phone records and discovering his number. He claimed not to know her whereabouts, and several days later Hernandez returned to her home in Lake Elsinore, California. However, she went missing again in April 2024.
On September 5, 2025, a Tesla in the Hollywood Hills was reported abandoned to police and towed. Three days later tow workers noticed a foul smell emanating from the car and reported it to the police, who determined that the vehicle was registered to Burke. Responding officers inspected the Tesla and found a cadaver bag in the front trunk. Inside was a decomposed head and torso. Another bag contained severed limbs and other dismembered remains.
Investigation and theory of the murder
On September 16, 2025, the remains were identified as those of Hernandez. The next day a search warrant was executed at Burke’s home. In the garage investigators found a blue inflatable pool with linear cuts as well as blood that later was matched to Hernandez. Burke was subsequently tied to online purchases that were made under a false name in May 2025. These items included an inflatable pool, two chainsaws, and a body bag.
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Authorities believed that the murder was motivated by Burke’s need to conceal his relationship with Hernandez and protect his career. Their sexual relationship reportedly began in November 2023. At the time Burke was 18, and Hernandez was 13. She spent much of her time with Burke throughout 2024, staying at his home in the Hollywood Hills and traveling with him on several occasions, notably meeting his family in Texas.
According to court documents, in November 2024 the two broke up. However, text messages showed that they remained in contact and possibly continued their sexual relationship. In one message Hernandez wrote, “All we do is have sex and just hang out man I want more than that for myself.” A lengthy, heated text exchange between the two occurred on April 22, 2025. The messages detailed Hernandez’s jealousy over Burke’s involvement with other women and included threats to publicly reveal details about their relationship.
On April 23, 2025, at about 10:10 pm, Hernandez was dropped off at Burke’s home by an Uber driver. That was the last time she was seen alive. Shortly thereafter Burke allegedly stabbed her to death. According to the medical examiner, Hernandez died from “multiple penetrating injuries.” Burke subsequently phoned and texted Hernandez several times, which prosecutors claimed was an attempt to cover up his involvement in the crime. Later that night he drove to a remote location, where police eventually found Hernandez’s identification.
In the ensuing weeks Burke purchased the items needed to dismember Hernandez. When her body was discovered, several fingers were missing, including her left ring finger, which allegedly had Burke’s name tattooed on it. On July 29, 2025, he reportedly parked his Tesla, which contained Hernandez’s remains, near his house. In August Burke began a world tour, which was canceled soon after her body was discovered.
Arrest
Burke was arrested on April 16, 2026, and four days later he was formally charged with first-degree murder, sexual abuse of a person under 14, and mutilation of a body. The murder charge also had special circumstance allegations that included lying in wait, murder of a witness, and murder for financial gain. Burke pleaded not guilty to all charges.
On July 21, 2026, a preliminary hearing began to determine whether there was enough evidence for the case to go to trial. During the multi-day hearing, the prosecutor presented graphic images of Hernandez’s decomposing body, records of Burke’s online purchases after her death, and cellphone reports. On July 27 the judge ruled that there was sufficient evidence for the case to move forward.