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.

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.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman stated that Rivas Hernandez went to Burke's house on April 23, 2025, and was subsequently reported missing. Her dismembered and decomposed remains were discovered on September 8 in a bag in Burke's vehicle.

Hochman accused Burke of killing her to protect his career, which he claimed was threatened that night. He faced additional charges for alleged witness tampering as Rivas Hernandez was believed to have witnessed that night’s events.

The District Attorney's office is considering seeking the death penalty based on the nature of the case. Police had delayed revealing details about the investigation due to concerns over jeopardizing the case.

Burke had gained popularity as a musician, managing to accumulate 22 million monthly listeners on Spotify and nearly four million followers on TikTok, but he has since retreated from public life since his arrest.