A California court has released disturbing new details in the case against rapper D4vd, real name David Anthony Burke, who is accused of murdering 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The 21-year-old allegedly used chainsaws to dismember the teenager and employed a 'burn cage' to destroy evidence, prosecutors said.
Background of the Case
Police charged Burke last week with the murder of Hernandez, whose remains were discovered in the trunk of a car registered to him in September 2025. Prosecutors allege that Burke had a sexual relationship with the teenager before her death. He faces charges of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under 14 and mutilating a body.
After pleading not guilty in his initial court appearance, Burke appeared again during a 40-minute hearing on Wednesday, where prosecutors presented a nine-page preliminary trial brief outlining the alleged events.
The Alleged Motive
According to the documents, Hernandez threatened to disclose damaging information about their relationship after they broke up in April 2025. At the time, Burke was preparing to release his first solo album, and prosecutors claim his career was at risk if the relationship became public. '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 stated.
The Night of the Murder
On April 23, 2025, Burke allegedly sent an Uber to pick up Hernandez from her home in Lake Elsinore, California, around 8:40 p.m. She was dropped off at his rented home in Hollywood Hills at approximately 10:10 p.m. Prosecutors said Burke made no attempt to call emergency services or save her life.
Attempts to Conceal the Crime
In the days following the murder, Burke allegedly texted Hernandez's phone multiple times, asking where she was, to cover his tracks. He also ordered a shovel, two chainsaws, a body bag, heavy-duty laundry bags, and a blue inflatable pool under a fake name. Additionally, he ordered a 'burn cage' to incinerate evidence.
'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,' the document continued. He allegedly amputated her left ring and pinky fingers because one contained a tattoo of his name. Those fingers have never been recovered.
Disposal of the Body
After mutilating Hernandez's body, Burke allegedly placed her head and torso in a cadaver bag and her limbs in a garbage bag, then stored both in the front trunk of his Tesla. The remains were later found by police.
Burke remains in custody. The case continues to unfold as the legal process moves forward.
