U.S. rising star singer d4vd (David Anthony Burk, 21) has been charged with murdering a 14-year-old girl and desecrating the body; in court he pleaded not guilty and his bail application was denied.
On the 20th (local time), according to foreign media including People, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office formally charged d4vd at an arraignment with murdering 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
The case came to light last September when a severely decomposed girl's body was found in the trunk of a Tesla owned by d4vd that was at a tow yard in Hollywood. At the time of discovery, the body was reported to have been brutally mutilated, shocking the public.
Prosecutors say d4vd repeatedly sexually abused the victim and killed her to silence her in order to maintain his successful music career. Prosecutors said, "The victim was last seen at the defendant's home in April 2025 and has been out of contact since then," and "The defendant used a sharp weapon to commit the crime, and the mutilated body was left in a car trunk for about four months."
Considering the seriousness of the matter, the court denied d4vd's bail application. If convicted, d4vd could face life imprisonment or the death penalty.
Meanwhile, d4vd's legal team denies all charges. The defense said, "The actual evidence will show that David Burk did not kill the girl and is unrelated to her cause of death."
d4vd rose to fame with a song featured in the popular game Fortnite and was an up-and-coming singer who collaborated with well-known artists such as Kali Uchis and 21 Savage. He canceled all scheduled nationwide tour performances immediately after becoming embroiled in this case.
The victim's father responded to news of d4vd's arrest, saying, "Thank God... I hope justice is served for Celeste."
Meanwhile, d4vd appeared on M! Countdown several years ago, and once the news broke that video was made private.
[Photo] video capture
[OSEN]