District Attorney Talks Murder Motive in D4vd Press Conference

D4vd’s arrest on murder charges didn’t come as much of a surprise. The charges, officially filed on April 20, had been in the works for seven months. While online sleuths pegged D4vd as the main suspect in the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez from the moment her body was found inside his trunk, his motive remained a bit of a mystery. Now, the Los Angeles County District Attorney has revealed what investigators believe was the motive behind the slaying. D.A. Nathan Hochman believes D4vd killed the 14-year-old for financial gain, as she threatened his rising music career.

What is D4vd charged with?

Seven months after Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s body was discovered in the trunk of D4vd’s Tesla, the singer has been charged with her death. The charges are sweeping, serious, and could land him behind bars for the rest of his life if he is convicted. So, what exactly is he charged with?

On April 20, D4vd was charged with first-degree murder with special circumstances. He was also charged with lewd and lascivious acts with an individual under 14 years old. Finally, he was charged with mutilating a body. All the charges are felonies. The first-degree murder charge carries the possibility of the death penalty. It is unclear if they will seek the death penalty in the case, but the option is there. The charges also lay out what prosecutors believe motivated the 21-year-old singer to murder the teenager he had groomed years earlier.

After he was officially charged, D4vd was remanded to the Twin Towers Correctional Facility. He will be held at the facility without bail until his trial. A trial date has not been set, but he’ll be back in court next month.

The district attorney has theories on D4vd’s motive

While it’s uncommon to learn the alleged motive of a murderer before a criminal trial has been completed, District Attorney Nathan Hochman was happy to share what prosecutors believe motivated D4vd to allegedly murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez on April 23, 2025.

During a press conference held on April 20, 2026, Hochman revealed the “special circumstances” attached to the first-degree murder charge that had been filed against D4vd. Hochman said investigators believed that D4vd, fearing that Celeste was a threat to his music career because of their illicit relationship, invited the teen to his house with the intent to silence her for good.

They theorize that he planned her murder in advance. Allegedly, he then lured her to his home with the express intent of taking her life. The goal, they theorize, was to keep his illegal behavior secret. Hochman suggested D4vd was motivated by the financial gain of a continued music career. He did not go into detail about how prosecutors and investigators came to that conclusion, though.