Harrowing Account of the Alleged Killing (Image Credits: Unsplash)
Los Angeles — Prosecutors disclosed gruesome new allegations Tuesday in the high-profile murder case against pop singer D4vd, accusing him of stabbing 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez to death before dismembering her body with a chainsaw in his Hollywood Hills garage.[1][2] The details emerged in a court filing ahead of a preliminary hearing, painting a picture of grooming, betrayal, and a desperate cover-up. Legal documents obtained by media outlets outlined purchases and evidence linking David Anthony Burke, the artist’s real name, to the crime.[3]
Harrowing Account of the Alleged Killing
Investigators claimed Burke ordered an Uber on April 23, 2025, to bring Rivas Hernandez from her Lake Elsinore family home to his Hollywood Hills residence.[1] The night prior, the pair exchanged heated texts after she grew jealous over his interactions with other women. She threatened to expose their illicit relationship and derail his rising music career, according to the filing.[2]
Prosecutors alleged Burke stabbed the teenager multiple times upon her arrival, then watched as she bled out. Nearly two weeks later, he purportedly placed her body in a blue inflatable pool inside the garage to contain the blood. He then used a chainsaw, along with possible other tools, to sever her limbs and remove her left ring and pinky fingers—the latter bearing a tattoo of his name.[1][3] Plastic fragments embedded in the remains matched the pool, which Burke bought under the alias Victoria Mendez.
Purchases Linked to Cover-Up Efforts
The day after the stabbing, Burke arranged for a shovel delivery from Home Depot via Postmates. About a week later, two chainsaws arrived from Amazon. On May 5, he obtained a body bag, heavy-duty laundry bags, and the inflatable pool—all under the fake name.[1] Prosecutors tied these items directly to the dismemberment scene.
A September 2025 search of the garage revealed linear cuts on the pool and biological samples testing positive for Rivas Hernandez’s DNA. The remains ended up in bags inside the front trunk of Burke’s impounded Tesla, discovered on September 8, 2025, after a foul odor prompted a check at a Hollywood tow yard.[4] The Los Angeles County coroner ruled the death a homicide from multiple sharp-force injuries to the torso.
Timeline of a Troubled Relationship and Investigation
Rivas Hernandez and Burke connected online in January 2022, when she was 11 and he was 17. Their sexual relationship began in November 2023, as she turned 13, prosecutors stated. She went missing repeatedly in 2024, with her family reporting her for the last time on April 5. Burke allegedly paid a classmate $1,000 for a burner phone to maintain contact after her parents confiscated her device.[1]
- February 2024: First missing person report.
- April 5, 2024: Final family missing report.
- April 23, 2025: Alleged murder date.
- May 2025: Key purchases for dismemberment.
- Late July 2025: Tesla abandoned on Bluebird Avenue.
- September 8, 2025: Remains found; identified September 16.
- November 2025: Grand jury convened; case deemed murder.
- April 16, 2026: Burke arrested.
- April 20, 2026: Charged and pleads not guilty.
- April 29, 2026: Graphic details filed publicly.[4]
Charges, Evidence, and Legal Battles
Burke faces first-degree murder with special circumstances—including lying in wait and financial gain to safeguard his career—plus lewd acts with a minor under 14 and corpse mutilation. The charges carry potential life without parole or death penalty, though prosecutors have not confirmed their intent.[2] A search of his iPhone uncovered a significant volume of child sexual abuse material, part of 40 terabytes of evidence that includes wiretaps and 54 warrants.[3]
Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman leads the prosecution. Burke’s team, headed by Blair Berk, has pleaded not guilty and sought delays to review discovery. A procedural hearing occurred Wednesday, with the preliminary hearing now set for May 26. Defense attorneys maintain the evidence will exonerate him.[1]
From Viral Fame to Courtroom Reckoning
Burke, known for TikTok hits like “Romantic Homicide,” released his album Withered just days after the alleged killing. Rivas Hernandez, described by family as a beloved daughter from Salvadoran immigrant parents, had lived intermittently with him and traveled on trips including Las Vegas and London.[4] Her loved ones held a vigil and burial in October 2025.
The case has drawn national scrutiny, blending celebrity downfall with child exploitation horrors. As more evidence surfaces, the proceedings promise to test the strength of the prosecution’s narrative against a once-promising artist’s denials. The May hearing could determine if Burke advances to trial, leaving a community still grappling with the loss of a young life.
