The family of a 14-year-old girl who was allegedly killed by singer D4vd has expressed overwhelming grief after disturbing details about her death emerged. Prosecutors alleged in court documents that the singer, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, used chainsaws to dismember Celeste Rivas Hernandez last year and purchased a burn cage to destroy evidence.
The LA County District Attorney's Office also claims Burke, 21, knew Rivas Hernandez was underage as he pursued a sexual relationship with her. Burke is now charged with first-degree murder for killing the teenager, whose body was found in the trunk of his Tesla.
Following the revelations, an attorney for the Rivas Hernandez family said he had the difficult task of informing them about the allegations. 'This was the most difficult thing I've had to do in 37 years as a lawyer,' Patrick Steinfeld stated. 'In light of the gruesome details emerging almost daily, the family has decided not to make any statements now or in the future.' He added, 'There are no words to express the indescribable pain the family is experiencing right now. They still have bills to pay and jobs they go to every day. All they want is time to grieve and heal.'
Prosecution Details
In a nine-page preliminary trial brief filed on Wednesday, prosecutors allege that Rivas Hernandez became jealous over Burke's relationship with other women after they broke up last April. She then threatened to disclose damaging information about their relationship to end his career and destroy his life. At that time, Burke was set to release his first solo album and had a multi-million dollar career at stake.
According to the documents, Burke sent an Uber to pick up Rivas Hernandez from her home in Lake Elsinore, California, at around 8:40 p.m. on April 23 last year. She was dropped off at his rented home in Hollywood Hills at approximately 10:10 p.m. 'Knowing he has to silence the victim before she ruined his music career as she had threatened, very soon after her arrival at his home, defendant stabbed the victim to death multiple times and stood by while she bled out,' the brief alleged. 'At no time did he call law enforcement... to take her to the emergency room to attempt to save her life.'
Instead, Burke allegedly tried to cover his tracks by sending a text message to Rivas Hernandez asking where she was. Following the murder, he drove about an hour north to Santa Barbara to dispose of some evidence. He returned home the next morning and went to a show interview. That same day, he ordered a shovel from Home Depot, and two days later, he stopped texting the teenager.
Evidence Disposal
By May 1, prosecutors said Burke ordered two chainsaws, and on May 5, Amazon delivered a body bag, heavy-duty laundry bags, and a blue inflatable pool to his rented home. He made these purchases under the name Victoria Mendez. He returned to Santa Barbara on May 8 and May 31, where Celeste's identification was found in January in an isolated area off Highway 154. On July 7, Burke ordered a burn cage from Amazon under the same fake name as part of his plan to incinerate evidence.
Prosecutors claim Burke 'took horrifying measures to destroy and discard the victim's body. After placing her body in the blue inflatable pool to prevent her blood from spilling onto his garage floor, defendant used a chainsaw and perhaps other tools to cut off her limbs.' Small blue plastic fragments found in the victim's remains were matched to the inflatable pool. In an effort to distance himself from the victim, he amputated her left ring and pinky fingers because her ring finger contained a tattoo of his name. Those fingers have never been recovered.
Once done mutilating the body, Burke put Rivas Hernandez's head and torso in the cadaver bag and her limbs in a garbage bag, placing both in the front trunk of his Tesla. He lied to friends and business associates about the strong smell of decay around the house. Before leaving for his tour at the end of July, he parked the Tesla on the street around the corner from the rented house.
Relationship Background
The court filing details how Burke first met Rivas Hernandez in January 2021, when she was just 11 years old. They allegedly began a sexual relationship in November 2023 when she was 13 and he was 18. The teenager's mother, who reported her missing three times in 2023, said her daughter was dating a guy named David whom she had never met. Burke denied knowing Rivas Hernandez was a minor, showing investigators a picture from her yearbook on his cell phone.
After Rivas Hernandez was discovered safe, authorities found a phone number listed in her phone belonging to the singer. Her family took the phone away, but prosecutors say Burke continued to pursue her, even paying a junior high school student $1,000 to get a phone for her. Throughout 2024, the victim spent significant time with Burke, including summer weekends at his Hollywood Hills home and traveling with him to Las Vegas, London, and Texas. Text exchanges between them contained references to sex, pregnancy, abortion, and Plan B emergency contraceptive. They broke up in November 2024 but continued to communicate.
Charges and Legal Proceedings
Burke was formally charged with first-degree murder with special circumstances, continuous lewd acts with an individual under 14, and mutilating human remains. The special circumstances include lying in wait, committing the crime for financial gain, or murdering a witness in an investigation. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life without parole and the death penalty. Burke's defense lawyer entered not guilty pleas to all counts during his first court appearance on Monday.
D4vd, pronounced David, gained popularity among Gen Z fans for his blend of indie rock, R&B, and lo-fi pop. He went viral on TikTok in 2022 and landed a record deal, leading to collaborations with stars such as SZA and Kali Uchis. When the teenager's body was discovered, Burke had been on tour in support of his first full-length album, which was later canceled.
