Prosecutors have released a detailed description of how singer D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, allegedly murdered and dismembered 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The new court document, made public on Monday, accuses the musician of fatally stabbing the teen to prevent her from speaking out about the sexual abuse he allegedly inflicted on her.
According to the prosecution's brief, Burke met Celeste when she was 11 years old and began a "sexual relationship" with her when she was 13, while he was 18. The document states that Burke killed Celeste to protect his music career, as she had threatened to disclose damaging information about their relationship. "Knowing he had 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 document alleges.
Details of the Alleged Crime
Prosecutors say that investigators obtained messages between Burke and Celeste from April 2025, which showed that the teen was jealous of Burke's relationships with other women, as he had led her to believe they had a future together. In these messages, she allegedly threatened to expose the relationship and end his career. Authorities believe Burke killed her the following day and then purchased two chainsaws, which he used to dismember her body in an inflatable pool. DNA evidence from Celeste was found in Burke's garage, according to the court document.
Celeste's decomposed remains were discovered in September 2025 in the trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke, which had been abandoned in the Hollywood Hills. Prosecutors confirmed that Burke was the last person to drive the vehicle. The Los Angeles County medical examiner determined that Celeste died from penetrating injuries, with significant wounds to her torso. The condition of her remains initially delayed the determination of her cause of death. Two of her fingers were missing, and prosecutors say Celeste had Burke's name tattooed on them.
Additional Charges and Evidence
Burke was also found in possession of child sex abuse images of Celeste, according to the prosecution. The teen's remains were found just one day after she would have turned 15. Her family had reported her missing from her hometown of Lake Elsinore, about 70 miles from Los Angeles, in 2024. Celeste, a seventh-grader, had run away from home in February of that year and later returned before leaving again.
According to the prosecution, after Celeste was first reported missing, police contacted Burke, who claimed he was not aware she was a minor and said he had only met her once. Her parents reportedly took away her phone after she returned home the first time, but Burke allegedly paid a friend of the teen $1,000 to provide her with a cellphone, allowing them to stay in contact. She then ran away again and spent extensive time at Burke's home in the Hollywood Hills, traveling with him to Las Vegas, London, and Texas, where she met his family.
Legal Proceedings
Burke's legal team has maintained his innocence, stating that he did not kill the teen. His attorneys had requested that the judge block the release of the prosecution's brief, but the request was denied. A hearing in the case, originally scheduled for Friday, has been delayed until late May to allow the defense more time to review the evidence. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
