D4vd's lawyers claim he 'was not the cause' of Celeste Rivas's death after homicide ruling and arrest
By SHARON MAI, ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER
Published: 00:39 BST, 18 April 2026 \| Updated: 00:41 BST, 18 April 2026
D4vd's lawyers claim he is innocent following his arrest and the official determination of the cause of Celeste Rivas Hernandez's death.
The 21-year-old singer–songwriter (real name: David Anthony Burke) was arrested earlier this week in connection with the high-profile case.
This comes after the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled that her manner of death was a homicide, per TMZ.
The outlet reported that the medical examiner had difficulties determining the manner of death due to the late stage of decomposition her body was in when authorities discovered it in September.
The lawyers D4vd hired said in a statement to the Daily Mail that he 'was not the cause' of Hernandez's death, and they noted that no charges nor indictments have been filed against him as of Friday.
Burke was booked on Thursday and is currently being held without bail.
D4vd's lawyers claimed he 'was not the cause of' Celeste Rivas Hernandez's death after he was arrested in suspicion to the case; pictured in August 2024
Hernandez died at age 14, and her body was discovered in his impounded Tesla seven months ago. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled that her manner of death was a homicide
He has not yet been charged by prosecutors overseeing the case, and he has only been arrested on suspicion of murder.
His attorneys — Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter — defended their client in a statement to the Daily Mail on Friday.
'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,' they said.
'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 attorney's concluded.
Back in September 2025, the body of 14-year-old Hernandez was found in Los Angeles.
Her dismembered remains were discovered in the front trunk of an impounded Tesla, which was later revealed to be Burke's, after people reported a foul odor coming from the vehicle.
The vehicle was parked at an impound lot in Hollywood and appeared to have been abandoned, as Burke was on tour at the time.
It is believed that the singer was previously in a relationship with the teenager
His attorneys — Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter — shared a statement following his arrest. They noted that he has not yet been charged as of Friday; pictured in March 2025
His tour across North America was subsequently canceled after the impounded vehicle was discovered.
Since last November, D4vd has been the subject of the grand jury investigation into the murder case.
His arrest came around seven months after the vehicle was discovered.
The LAPD later released photos from the scene of D4vd's arrest, in which armed officers from the Robbery-Homicide and Gang and Narcotics divisions raided his home.
The LAPD previously asked a judge in November to seal the autopsy findings, citing an 'ongoing investigation of murder.'