Full Breakdown
Singer D4vd Charged with Murder and Dismemberment of Teen Celeste Rivas Hernandez
4/30/2026, 5:09:45 AM
Alleged Murder and Dismemberment
Prosecutors allege that David Anthony Burke, known as D4vd, stabbed 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez multiple times on April 23 2025, allowed her to bleed out, and then dismembered her body with chainsaws in his Hollywood Hills garage. The dismembered remains were placed in a blue inflatable pool, transferred to a cadaver bag, and stored in the front trunk of Burke’s Tesla, where they were discovered in September 2025.
Background & Context
Burke met Rivas Hernandez when she was 11 years old; a sexual relationship allegedly began in November 2023 when she was 13 and he was 18. After she threatened to expose the relationship, prosecutors say Burke acted to prevent damage to his music career. Rivas Hernandez was reported missing from her Lake Elsinore home in February 2024 and again in April 2024. Riverside County Sheriff’s detectives contacted Burke after the February report; he claimed limited contact and ignorance of her minor status.
Timeline of Key Events
- January 2022: First meeting (age 11).
- November 2023: Alleged sexual relationship begins.
- February 17 2024: Riverside County Sheriff’s Office contacts Burke.
- April 5 2024: Second missing-person report.
- April 22 2025: Text messages show argument; victim threatens disclosure.
- April 23 2025: Alleged stabbing and dismemberment.
- April 24 2025: Burke gives radio interview promoting album *Withered*.
- July 29 2025: Last known drive of Tesla before it is towed.
- September 8 2025: Decomposed remains found in Tesla trunk.
- April 16 2026: Burke arrested; pleads not guilty.
- May 26 2026: Preliminary hearing scheduled.
Data & Statistics
- Victim: Celeste Rivas Hernandez, 14 years old.
- Charges: First-degree murder (special circumstances), lewd acts with a child under 14, mutilating a dead body.
- Evidence volume: Approximately 40 terabytes of digital material, including child sexual-abuse images.
- Purchases: Two chainsaws, a body bag, heavy-duty laundry bags, and a blue inflatable pool ordered via Amazon under a pseudonym.
- Body condition: Two fingers missing; extensive tissue loss prevented determination of eye color.
Why It Matters
The case links criminal law, large-scale digital evidence, and the public profile of a rising music artist. It raises questions about the influence of social-media fame on legal proceedings and the capacity of law enforcement to process massive electronic data sets.
Official Statements & Responses
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman described the alleged motive as financial gain tied to Burke’s career and labeled the victim a key witness. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell emphasized the seriousness of the investigation and the department’s commitment to preserving evidence. Rivas Hernandez’s parents thanked law-enforcement agencies and called for justice. Burke’s attorneys, including Blair Berk, asserted that the evidence will exonerate their client and sought to seal the filing; the request was denied.
Criticism & Opposition
Defense counsel argued that the prosecution’s narrative is unsubstantiated, requested sealing of the court document, and maintained that Burke did not cause the victim’s death. Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo denied the sealing request.
On-the-Ground Reports
Investigators found DNA matching Rivas Hernandez in Burke’s garage, fragments of the inflatable pool embedded in the remains, and the victim’s passport card near Lake Cachuma. The medical examiner’s report listed multiple penetrating injuries as the cause of death.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The preliminary hearing was initially set for May 1 2026 but was later rescheduled to May 26 2026. Prosecutors referenced a “significant amount” of child-sexual-abuse material, later quantified as 40 terabytes, without a public breakdown. The autopsy report remained sealed for months, limiting public insight into forensic findings.
Verbatim Quotes
- “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.” — Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office
- “Defendant took horrifying measures to destroy and discard the victim’s body,” — Prosecutors (WPBF)
- “Sadly, some treated this as if it was entertainment. It's not entertainment. It's a tragic life taken in a very brutal way. A lot of people involved, a lot of care and concern, as well, expressed over the case. But, we've taken it very seriously, and our goal is to be able to preserve evidence until it gets to trial,” — Jim McDonnell, Los Angeles Police Chief
- “As the evidence will show, the financial gain was for Mr. Burke to maintain a lucrative musical career that Celeste was threatening that night,” — Nathan Hochman, District Attorney
- “The actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death,” — Blair Berk, defense attorney
What’s Next
A preliminary evidentiary hearing on May 26 2026 will determine probable cause. If the case proceeds, prosecutors may seek the death penalty under special-circumstance statutes. The defense plans to challenge the admissibility of digital evidence and the alleged motive.
