D4vd pleads not guilty to murdering teenage girl
The US singer D4vd has pleaded not guilty to murdering a teenage girl during his first court appearance after being arrested for the crime.
The decomposing remains of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez were found in the back of the singer’s car in September last year, and following an extensive investigation, he was finally arrested on suspicion of the murder last week.
Subsequently D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, has been charged with the first degree murder of Rivas Hernandez as well as using her murder for “financial gain” and murder of a witness to an investigation, according to the Los Angeles district attorney.
Per BBC News, on April 20th, during his first court appearance since the charges were brought, Burke did not speak at any point, and his not guilty plea was entered on his behalf by his lawyers.
His defence team claimed during the hearing that “actual evidence will show that David did not kill Celeste”, reflecting similar comments they made following his arrest last week.
Burke’s attorneys, Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter said, “We will vigorously defend David’s innocence” in a statement to the BBC, after court documents obtained by Rolling Stone in February stated that the singer was the “target” of the police probe.
In comments made to CBS News, the family of Rivas Hernandez said it was “committed to ensuring that Celeste’s voice is heard and her memory is honored throughout this process”.
Earlier on April 20th, the Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said that the 14-year-old had gone to Burke’s house in the Hollywood Hills on April 23rd, 2025, and “she was never heard from again”.
Her remains, described as “severely dismembered”, were discovered in a Tesla registered to Burke’s name on September 8th, 2025, with authorities discovering a bag containing severed arms and legs.
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