Platinum-selling singer D4vd, born David Anthony Burke, is facing a series of harrowing allegations after Los Angeles prosecutors released a detailed nine-page brief outlining the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
The document, made public on Wednesday despite vigorous objections from the singer’s defense team, paints a chilling picture of a premeditated killing followed by a gruesome attempt to dispose of the victim’s remains using tools purchased through major online retailers.
According to the prosecution’s narrative, the 21-year-old singer stabbed Rivas to death at his Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025. Prosecutors allege that Burke later used a chainsaw—purchased on Amazon under a pseudonym—to dismember the teenager’s body inside an inflatable kiddie pool in his garage to contain the blood.
Her remains were allegedly stowed in the trunk of his Tesla for months, where they were left to decompose while Burke reportedly lied to associates about the “strong smell of decay” emanating from his property. The victim’s body was eventually discovered by investigators in September 2025 after the vehicle had been impounded.
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The legal filing suggests a predatory history, claiming Burke first met Rivas when she was just 11 years old and later began an illegal sexual relationship with her. Despite being warned of her age by law enforcement in early 2024, Burke allegedly continued to pursue the girl, even paying a middle school student $1,000 to deliver a secret burner phone to her.
Text messages recovered from the singer’s iCloud account reportedly show a relationship fraught with conflict, with Rivas threatening to expose their involvement and “destroy his life” shortly before her disappearance. Prosecutors contend that Burke lured her to his home via Uber specifically to silence her and protect his music career.
Evidence against the singer appears extensive, including surveillance footage, GPS data from his Tesla, and DNA found in his garage that matches Rivas’s genetic profile.
Forensic analysts also linked blue plastic fragments found in the victim’s remains to the inflatable pool Burke allegedly ordered online. Further chilling details in the report suggest Burke amputated the victim’s ring finger to remove a tattoo of his name. Burke has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child, and unlawful mutilation of remains.
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During Wednesday’s court appearance, Burke appeared in an orange jail uniform as his lawyers argued that the release of such “one-sided” evidence would irreparably taint a potential jury.
While the judge denied the request to seal the documents, the preliminary hearing was postponed to May 26 to allow the defense more time to review the vast amount of evidence, which includes wiretap material and data from three separate grand juries.
If convicted on the special circumstance allegations, including lying in wait and murder of a witness, Burke faces life in prison without parole or the death penalty.
