US singer D4vd pleads not guilty to murder in death of missing teen girl
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Prosecutors say the singer, real name David Anthony Burke, could face life in prison due to the nature of the case, if convicted.
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US singer D4vd pleads not guilty to murder in death of missing teen girl 8 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on Google Nardine Saad , Regan Morris , Los Angeles and Shaimaa Khalil , Los Angeles US musician D4vd has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder in the death of a teenage girl who vanished last year. The star, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, is accused of murdering 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose decomposing remains were found in September in a Tesla registered to his Texas address. Burke, 21, also was charged with murder for "financial gain" and with murder of a witness to an investigation, the Los Angeles district attorney said. He did not speak during his arraignment on Monday – his first court appearance since his arrest last week. His lawyers entered his plea on his behalf. In a Los Angeles courtroom on Monday, the musician's defence team said it believed the "actual evidence will show that David did not kill Celeste" and was not the cause of her death - echoing remarks his attorneys made after his arrest last week . "We will vigorously defend David's innocence," attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter said in a statement to BBC. After months of speculation around the case, there was a sense of tension and anticipation in the courtroom ahead of the hearing. It grew quiet when the girl's parents walked in. All eyes were then on the door Burke was meant to enter. He was barely visible to the audience in the courtroom. Burke's team asked for an open hearing after months of grand jury hearings behind closed doors. The court ordered the coroner to share the report on the teen's death, which has been barred from public release in a rare move by authorities. In a statement to the BBC's US media partner CBS News, the Rivas Hernandez family said it is "committed to ensuring that Celeste's voice is heard and her memory is honored throughout this process". Their attorney did not immediately respond on Monday ...
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