Los Angeles police said on Thursday they have arrested David Burke, a 21-year-old musician known professionally as D4vd, on suspicion of murdering 14-year-old Celeste Rivas, whose remains were found last year in the front trunk of a car registered to him.
Rivas, who was from a suburb about 70 miles (110km) southeast of Los Angeles, had been missing for nearly a year and a half when her decomposed remains were discovered in September 2025. The vehicle had been parked for weeks in a Hollywood Hills neighbourhood before being towed to an impound lot, where workers reported a foul odor, police have said.
D4vd gained fame in 2022 after songs he recorded on his phone for his Fortnite gaming videos went viral on TikTok, with the hit Romantic Homicide helping him sign a deal with Darkroom/Interscope Records, a label associated with Billie Eilish.
The case drew attention following media reports that linked Burke to the vehicle shortly after the girl's body was found. Police said at the time they were conducting an extensive investigation but declined to announce charges until now.
"Detectives from Los Angeles Police Department, Robbery-Homicide Division have arrested David Burke, a 21-year-old resident of Los Angeles, for the murder of Celeste Rivas,” Los Angeles police said in a statement on X.
Burke was being held without bail and his case will be presented to prosecutors on Monday, the statement said.
Blair Berk, the attorney representing David Burke, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Berk has largely declined public comment. Prior to Burke’s arrest, Berk said there was no publicly disclosed evidence linking her client to a crime and emphasized his rights during an active investigation. – Reuters
