D4vd pleaded not guilty in a Los Angeles court on Monday to the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
D4vd walked into a Los Angeles courtroom on Monday to enter a not guilty plea to first-degree murder in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
The 21-year-old singer, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, appeared in court with his attorney, Blair Berk.
D4vd also pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual abuse of a child under 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office added special circumstances charges including murder of a witness, murder for financial gain and ambush.
Rivas was reported missing by her family in 2024, and prosecutors revealed that she was a witness in a separate investigation into D4vd’s lewd and lascivious sexual conduct with minors.
D4vd’s dismembered and decomposed body was found in the trunk of his Tesla in September, seven months before he was formally charged.
Burke made a bold statement during the hearing, telling the court that “the actual evidence in this case will prove that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez.”
She requested a preliminary evidentiary hearing be held as soon as possible, and lead prosecutor Beth Silverman welcomed the opportunity to present evidence.
The judge ordered D4vd detained without bail, meaning he will remain in custody throughout the proceedings.
If convicted on all charges, D4vd faces life in prison without the possibility of parole, and the death penalty remains in place while prosecutors continue to evaluate whether to impose the death penalty.
Internet sleuths connected the dots during the investigation, including photos of D4vd in Lake Elsinore, California, near where Rivas lived before his disappearance, as well as matching “Shhh…” tattoos that both D4vd and Rivas appear to have.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman will make a final decision on the death penalty at a later date.
