Musician D4vd charged with murder in killing of 14-year-old
by Joe Fisher · UPIApril 20 (UPI) -- Singer D4vd was charged with first-degree murder Monday in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez last year.
Celeste's body was found dismembered in the trunk of a Tesla that was registered to the 21-year-old singer in September. David Anthony Burke, also known as D4vd, is charged with first-degree murder with special circumstances, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 years old and mutilating human remains.
D4vd faces life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty if convicted under the charges brought against him.
"These changes include the most serious charges that a D.A.'s office can bring -- that is first degree-murder with special circumstances," Nathan Hochman, Los Angeles County district attorney, said in a press conference on Monday.
Hochman said the special circumstances of the first-degree murder charge include D4vd allegedly killing Celeste for financial gain to "maintain his very lucrative musical career that Celeste was threatening."
Celeste was a witness to "lewd and lascivious sexual acts committed by Burke," Hochman said. Murdering a witness in an investigation is also a special circumstance under the first-degree murder charge.
D4vd was arrested on Thursday. His attorneys say he maintains his innocence.
"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," Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter, attorneys for D4vd, said in a statement. "We will vigorously defend David's innocence.