The murder case against singer D4vd has taken another grim turn after prosecutors released new details describing the final hours of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s life. Court filings outline an alleged chain of events that began with a heated confrontation and ended in a crime prosecutors describe as carefully planned. The allegations remain unproven, and d4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Prosecutors allege relationship breakdown led to Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s death
According to prosecutors, tensions between d4vd and Celeste reached a breaking point on April 22, 2025. Investigators say text messages recovered during the investigation suggest the teenager had become increasingly upset over the nature of their relationship and believed the singer had led her to expect a future together.The prosecution alleges that during their final argument, Celeste threatened to reveal information about their relationship that could damage the artist’s rapidly growing career. At the time, d4vd was preparing to release his debut studio album Withered and had secured major endorsement deals while his popularity continued to rise.Court documents claim the following night, the singer arranged for an Uber to bring Celeste from her home in Lake Elsinore to his Hollywood Hills residence.The prosecution alleges:“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.”These allegations have not been proven in court, and the defense continues to deny that Burke was responsible for Celeste’s death.
d4vd murder investigation details evidence presented by prosecutors
Investigators claim the days following the alleged killing involved a series of purchases intended to conceal the crime. According to court filings, prosecutors allege d4vd ordered two chainsaws, a body bag, heavy-duty garbage bags, and a blue inflatable pool through Amazon.The filing further claims the inflatable pool was used during the alleged dismemberment to prevent blood from spilling onto the garage floor. Prosecutors also state that forensic experts matched blue plastic fragments found with Celeste’s remains to the inflatable pool recovered during the investigation.Authorities further allege that Celeste’s remains were placed inside the front trunk of d4vd’s Tesla, where they remained for months. Prosecutors claim the singer later parked the vehicle near his home before leaving on an international concert tour.The remains were discovered on September 8, 2025, one day after what would have been Celeste’s 15th birthday. Medical officials reported that her body was in an advanced state of decomposition when it was recovered.Investigators also allege the singer repeatedly offered explanations for a strong odor noticed by people around his home and vehicle while the remains were still inside the car.Burke was arrested in April 2026 and has pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree murder with special circumstances, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and mutilating human remains. His attorney has maintained that the evidence will ultimately show he neither murdered Celeste nor caused her death.Meanwhile, Celeste’s family continues to mourn the loss of the teenager. Their attorney described the emotional toll the case has taken, saying:“There are no words to express the indescribable pain the family is experiencing right now. They still have bills to pay and jobs they go to every day. All they want is time to grieve and heal.”The criminal proceedings remain ongoing, and the allegations outlined by prosecutors have yet to be tested before a jury.