[Guns N' Coffee]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...c03_story.html

Singer D4vd has been arrested on suspicion of killing a 14-year-old girl whose decomposed body was found seven months ago in his apparently abandoned Tesla, authorities said Thursday. D4vd’s lawyers declared his innocence.

Los Angeles police said in a brief statement that homicide detectives arrested the 21-year-old Houston-born alt-pop singer, whose legal name is David Burke, on suspicion of murder in the investigation of the killing of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

Defense attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter responded in an email: “Let us be clear — 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.”

Police said investigators would present a case to prosecutors at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on Monday. The office said in its own statement that it is aware of the arrest and its Major Crimes Division will review the case to determine whether there is enough evidence to file charges.

“There has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed. David has only been detained under suspicion. We will vigorously defend David’s innocence,” the defense lawyers added.

It was their first public statement on the case. Authorities did not publicly name Burke as a suspect until his arrest. He was being held in jail without bail.

The singer had been under investigation by an LA County grand jury looking into the death of Rivas Hernandez. The probe was officially secret, but its existence — and the designation of D4vd as its target — was revealed on Feb. 25 when his mother, father and brother filed an objection in a Texas court to subpoenas demanding they testify.

The long-dead body of Rivas Hernandez was found in a Tesla towed from the Hollywood Hills on Sept. 8, a day after she would have turned 15. She was a 13-year-old seventh grader when her family reported her missing in 2024 from her hometown of Lake Elsinore, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles. Authorities give her age as 14 when she was killed in court documents.

The 2023 Tesla Model Y was registered in the singer’s name at the Texas address of his subpoenaed family members, according to court filings from prosecutors. It had been towed from an upscale neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills where it had been sitting, seemingly abandoned.

Police investigators searching the Tesla in a tow yard found a cadaver bag “covered with insects and a strong odor of decay,” court documents said, and “detectives partially unzipped the bag and observed a decomposed head and torso.”

Investigators from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office removed the bag and “discovered the arms and legs had been severed from the body,” according to court documents. A second black bag was found under the first, and dismembered body parts were inside it. No cause of death has been publicly revealed.

D4vd, pronounced “David,” gained popularity among Generation Z fans for his blend of indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop. He went viral on TikTok in 2022 with the hit “Romantic Homicide,” which peaked at No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. He then signed with Darkroom and Interscope Records and released his debut EP “Petals to Thorns” and a follow-up, “The Lost Petals,” in 2023.

When the body was discovered, D4vd had been on tour in support of his first full-length album, “Withered.” Later, the last two North American shows, in San Francisco and Los Angeles, along with a scheduled performance at LA’s Grammy Museum, were canceled, as was the European tour that was to have begun in Norway.

[Pyramid_Head]

About fucking time, I was just thinking about this the other day and how they hadn't arrested his ass yet.

[kellyhound]

Celeste had been missing from Lake Elsinore since April 2024. She was 13 years old and in the seventh grade at that time. Her family claims she was in a relationship with Burke. Notably, both individuals shared an identical "Shhh..." tattoo in red ink on their index fingers.

The "Shhh..." tattoos are common in black ink, the use of red ink makes it a much more specific and rare identifier.

Investigators found that both Celeste and Burke had the tattoo in the exact same location (right index finger) using the same colored pigment, which helps establish a personal, matching connection between the two.

Investigators are looking into whether the choice of red ink was a deliberate symbol of their secret relationship, especially given the age difference (Burke was 19-21 during the timeline, while Celeste was 13-14).

The car was parked on Bluebird Avenue in the Hollywood Hills. It was found near a home that David had been renting at the time.

Late July 2025: Neighbors first noticed the Tesla parked and seemingly abandoned.

September 3, 2025: The car received a parking citation.

September 5, 2025: The vehicle was towed to a storage lot in Hollywood.

September 8, 2025: Employees at the tow yard noticed a foul odor and a swarm of flies, leading them to call the police, who then discovered the body.

His legal team has not yet explained how the vehicle ended up abandoned in the Hollywood Hills or why the body was inside, though they maintain his innocence.

The LAPD is currently analyzing GPS data and Sentry Mode footage from the Tesla to track its movements in the weeks leading up to the discovery. Investigators are particularly focused on a trip Burke reportedly took to Santa Barbara County in the spring of 2025, which may coincide with when Celeste died.

[Spiffyfable]

More Drama and news to me... If guilty, I hope they throw the book at him

[Mr.NoCredit]

We’re a great species for self destruction.

[Pyramid_Head]

Not only a murderer but a pedo on top of it. Fuck this parasite, lock his ass up forever.

[Photoframework]

UPDATE: The feds found his Amazon order history.... he is guilty as hell. ordered shovels (didn't use them?), a body bag, a kiddie pool to cleanly dismember, and 2 chainsaws. funny that his romantic homicide song came out 3 years before the murder. like he knew he wanted to kill someday, and he found a naive 14 year old girl to take advantage of. but I guess they started hooking up when she was 11, so even worse. apparently right before the murder she had been threatening to go public with their relationship if he didn't post her online. he knew it was wrong, and then he stabbed her to death. what a sick freak. I hope he rots in jail

[ajs11961]

Not so sure how him being five foot five will help him in
prison....but he's into that. Now he can sing (badly without
a fancy sound board) to all the fellas and be a super star midget.
Oh, and her lousy parents will most likely get rewarded for
their negligent behavior quite well. That's blood money you
awful so-called parents.