David Anthony Burke, the 21-year-old music artist known as D4vd, showed no visible emotion during his preliminary hearing as an LAPD detective described finding the decomposing, dismembered body of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez in the trunk of Burke's Tesla.
The hearing, held in a Los Angeles courtroom, laid bare some of the most disturbing allegations to surface in a celebrity murder case in years. Prosecutors allege Burke stabbed the teenager to death, then used chainsaws to cut apart her body in his garage before stuffing her remains into his car. The killing allegedly took place two days before his debut album dropped.
The timeline prosecutors have assembled paints a chilling picture. Burke allegedly first met Rivas Hernandez when she was just 11 years old and began sexually abusing her at 13. He faces charges of first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, lewd and lascivious acts with a person under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains, AP News reported.
On April 23, 2025, prosecutors allege Burke ordered an Uber to bring Rivas Hernandez to his Hollywood Hills home. A court filing stated that Burke, "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 alleged motive centers on the teenager's threat to expose their relationship and destroy his rising career. Burke had built a growing fan base with viral hits and was on the cusp of a major album launch when prosecutors say he decided the girl had to be silenced.
One of the most unsettling details to emerge involves Burke's alleged conduct in the hours following the killing. Fox News reported that the morning after the alleged murder, Burke gave a radio interview in which he discussed "losing relationships" and a song called "Romantic Homicide."
During that interview, when asked if he was "manifesting" tragic relationship endings, Burke responded:
"I really hope I'm not because it feels that way."
Prosecutors have not publicly stated whether they believe that interview constitutes evidence of consciousness of guilt, but the timing alone drew audible reactions in the courtroom.
The case echoes a broader pattern of entertainment figures facing grave criminal charges. CLN previously covered Burke's earlier court appearance, where prosecutors revealed child sexual abuse images found on his phone.
Prosecutors allege Burke purchased a shovel, two chainsaws, a body bag, heavy-duty laundry bags, and an inflatable pool to dismember and dispose of Rivas Hernandez's body in his garage. Records of the online chainsaw purchases are among the evidence the state plans to present. DNA evidence recovered from the garage also ties the location to the victim, prosecutors say.
Roughly four months after the alleged murder, the victim's decomposing remains were discovered in a Tesla registered to Burke. The vehicle had been towed from the Hollywood Hills area. LAPD Detective Joshua Byers, who responded to the scene, testified about what he found inside the trunk:
"There were maggots. There were flies. I don't know how to describe the other liquid matter."
Burke sat motionless as Byers spoke, the Daily Mail reported. Gruesome images of the crime scene were displayed for the court. Burke's expression did not change.
The preliminary hearing has already hit a procedural snag. The New York Post reported that the hearing was delayed until June 29 because of the sheer volume of new evidence prosecutors submitted. That evidence includes lab reports, police reports, photographs, videos, and additional forensic materials. The judge must determine whether sufficient evidence exists to send Burke to trial.
The LA County District Attorney's office has not ruled out seeking the death penalty. That decision, if it comes, would add another layer of gravity to a case already defined by its extreme allegations.
Celebrity defendants facing murder charges are not unprecedented, but the combination of alleged child sexual abuse, premeditated killing, and post-mortem mutilation sets this case apart. An actor from a hit television series was recently found guilty of attempted murder for stabbing a former girlfriend, and the entertainment industry continues to produce cases that test the public's capacity for shock.
The Rivas Hernandez family described their daughter in a statement as "a beautiful, strong girl who loved to sing and dance." That description stands in brutal contrast to the courtroom testimony about how her life ended.
Family attorney Patrick Steinfeld issued a statement after learning the full scope of the prosecution's allegations:
"Last night I had the heartbreaking responsibility of informing the Rivas Hernandez family of the horrifying allegations submitted in court yesterday that David Anthony Burke allegedly stabbed Celeste, 'stood by while she bled' to death, used a chainsaw to cut off her limbs, and bought a 'burn cage' with the plan to 'incinerate the evidence.'"
The reference to a "burn cage" suggests prosecutors believe Burke intended to destroy the physical evidence entirely. Investigators will need to determine whether any additional efforts at disposal were made beyond what has been recovered.
Burke's lead defense attorney, Blair Berk, has pushed back firmly against the charges. "We believe the actual evidence will show David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez," Berk stated. The defense has not yet laid out an alternative theory of the case in public proceedings.
The case also raises questions about how a 14-year-old was able to be transported via rideshare to the home of a 21-year-old without triggering any safeguards. Authorities have not publicly addressed whether the Uber driver has been interviewed or whether the rideshare company has cooperated with the investigation.
Breitbart reported that the prosecution's evidence includes not only the physical forensics but also a substantial digital trail: text messages between Burke and the victim, child sexual abuse images found on Burke's phone, DNA evidence, and surveillance footage. The breadth of this evidence contributed to the hearing delay, as defense counsel required additional time to review the materials.
Prosecutors have built a case that spans years of alleged abuse leading up to a single act of alleged lethal violence. The continuous sexual abuse charge covers conduct that allegedly began when the victim was 13, meaning the state believes the abuse was sustained and repeated over a significant period.
The music industry has seen its share of criminal cases involving artists, from a rapper recently sentenced to 20 years for rape to a murder-for-hire plot targeting a boy band singer. But the allegations against Burke combine predatory grooming, premeditated murder, and methodical body disposal in a way that few cases have matched.
The rescheduled preliminary hearing on June 29 will determine whether a judge finds probable cause to bind Burke over for trial. If the case proceeds, the question of whether the DA's office will pursue the death penalty will loom over every subsequent proceeding.
Burke remains in custody. No bail has been set. The charges he faces carry the possibility of life in prison even without a capital enhancement.
Investigators have not publicly confirmed whether additional suspects or persons of interest are involved. The scope of the digital evidence on Burke's devices may also reveal whether other victims exist, though authorities have made no such allegation to date.
A 14-year-old girl is dead, allegedly at the hands of someone she trusted. The system that failed to protect her now carries the full weight of holding her accused killer accountable. That is the only thing left it can do.
