In a grim development for the ongoing investigation into the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner officially ruled the case a homicide on Friday, April 17, 2026. The ruling serves as a pivotal piece of evidence just 24 hours after the LAPD arrested 21-year-old singer D4vd (David Anthony Burke) on suspicion of murder.
For months, the cause of death for the teenager remained “deferred” as forensic teams worked through the challenges of her “severely decomposed” remains. This D4vd arrest Celeste Rivas homicide ruling confirms that foul play was definitively involved. While the specific mechanism of death has not been released to the public due to a court order requested by the LAPD to protect the integrity of the investigation, the “homicide” designation allows prosecutors to move forward with formal charges.
The case began on September 8, 2025, when a “foul odor” led workers at a Hollywood impound lot to a 2023 Tesla registered to David Burke. Inside the vehicle’s front trunk, authorities found the dismembered remains of Rivas Hernandez, who had been missing from her Lake Elsinore home since April 2024. Medical examiners noted that she had likely been deceased in the vehicle for “an extended period” before being discovered.
Burke, known for his viral hit “Romantic Homicide,” is currently being held without bail at a Los Angeles detention center. His defense team, led by high-profile attorney Blair Berk, issued a scathing response to the arrest and the Medical Examiner’s ruling:
“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. There has been no indictment returned by any grand jury and no criminal complaint filed. David has only been detained under suspicion.”
The LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division is scheduled to present their full case to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office on Monday, April 20, 2026. Prosecutors will review the Medical Examiner’s findings alongside digital evidence reportedly including surveillance footage and cellular data to determine if there is sufficient evidence to file first-degree murder charges. As of now, the “Romantic Homicide” singer remains in custody as the industry and fans wait for the next phase of this chilling legal battle.
