The Los Angeles prosecutor’s office revealed disturbing details this Wednesday about the alleged murder of teenager Celeste Rivas by singer D4vd.
The artist, whose honest name is David Burke, appeared in court at a hearing, in which prosecutors stated that the singer killed the 14-year-old Hispanic woman, whom He allegedly stabbed her several times before dismembering her body with chainsaws in the yard of her Hollywood Hills home..
According to tax documents, David Burke met Celeste Rivas Hernández in 2022, when the teenager was 11 years old. Allegedly, the singer began sexually abusing the young woman when she was 13 years old and he was 18.
Keep reading: Los Angeles detectives find child porn on D4vd cell phone
Prosecutors argued that D4vd murdered Celeste because The teenager threatened to reveal the inappropriate relationship they had.
The body of Celeste Rivas Hernández was found dismembered in two body bags that were in the trunk of a Tesla car in Burke’s namewhich was in a towed vehicle yard in Hollywood.
Celeste was reported missing in February 2024 in Lake ElsinoreRiverside County, where he lived with his family. The teen’s mother told investigators that her daughter mentioned that she had a boyfriend, named David, when she disappeared.
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Riverside County Sheriff’s Office detectives searched for Burke after they found his phone number in Celeste’s phone records, but The singer assured that he had only seen her once and that he did not know that she was a minor..
The parents took away Celeste’s cell phone, but prosecutors said Burke went to Lake Elsinore and paid one of Celeste’s companions $1,000. to give him a phone he had bought so they could keep in touch.
A few months later, in April 2024, Celeste was reported missing again.and prosecutors said that, during that year, the young woman spent some time traveling with Burke, including trips to Las Vegas, London and Texas, where she met the singer’s family.
Keep reading: Los Angeles Coroner reports on the cause of death of Celeste Rivas Hernández
The prosecution said that the text messages that were exchanged showed their sexual relationshipincluding explicit photos of her that were found on his phone.
Detectives believe Celeste was likely murdered on April 23, 2025, and The text messages they recovered show that she and Burke had a long argument the night before..
“The messages reveal the victim’s jealousy “because of the defendant’s relationships with other women, since he made her believe that they had a future together,” the court document says.
Keep reading: Family of Celeste Rivas demands justice after alleged murder by singer D4vd in Los Angeles
“She became very angry and threatened to reveal compromising information. about her relationship with the accused to end her career and ruin her life,” it is mentioned.
When Celeste threatened Burke, The singer was about to publish his first studio album on April 25, 2025.and the artist had multiple advertising contracts, which were very profitable, according to court documentation.
The complaint says that On April 23, 2025, Burke sent an Uber driver to pick up Celeste at her home in Lake Elsinore.and when she was on her way to meet him in the Hollywood Hills they continued exchanging text messages before the conversation broke down.
Keep reading: Los Angeles Prosecutor reveals alleged motive for the murder of Celeste Rivas
The last message Burke sent him was to ask where he was, but the prosecution alleged that That message was part of the singer’s knowledge to cover up his participation in the murder.
“Knowing that he had to silence the victim before he ruined her music career, as he had threatened, shortly after she arrived home, The accused stabbed her several times to death and watched as she bled to death.“says the complaint.
“At no time did he call the police or 911. nor did he take her to the emergency room to try to save her life.“, the prosecutors added in their complaint.
Keep reading: D4vd is accused of murder in the Celeste Rivas case
Reports say Burke drove to Lake Cachuma, in Santa Barbara County, immediately after the murder, to get rid of Celeste’s belongings and destroy evidence. Later, the victim’s passport was found at that location.
The next morning, Burke returned to Los Angeles to attend a radio interview for the release of his album. He called the victim’s phone and sent her two additional text messages that day in his continued attempt to cover up his involvement in the crime, according to prosecutors.
Court documents mention that Burke He asked for chainsaws, body bags, a shovel and an inflatable children’s pool to be delivered to his home.using a false name to place orders.
Keep reading: D4vd singer arrested on suspicion of murder of 14-year-old Hispanic woman in Los Angeles
Supposedly, Burke placed Celeste’s body in the inflatable pool to prevent blood from spilling into his yard.and used a chainsaw and possibly other tools to amputate his limbs.
Prosecutors say the singer also amputated the ring finger and little finger on his left hand, since, apparently, the ring finger had his name tattooed. Detectives said the fingers have not yet been recovered.
Celeste’s head and torso were placed in a body bagwhile his limbs were placed in a garbage bag. They both got into the trunk of Burke’s Tesla car.
Keep reading: Singer D4vd would be the target of investigation in the case of Celeste Rivas, in Los Angeles
The lawsuit alleges that Burke lied to his friends and business associates, who allegedly asked him about the “strong smell of decomposition” in his home and vehicle.
Before leaving for his concert tour in July, Burke left the vehicle parked on the street around the corner from his home..
The Tesla was reported abandoned and was towed to a warehouse in Hollywoodwhere he was searched by officers on September 8 after a smell of decomposition was reported and bags containing the remains of the Hispanic teenager were found.
Keep reading: Celeste Rivas’s body was not frozen or mutilated, says the Los Angeles police
After the discovery, D4vd canceled the rest of their US and European tourbefore being arrested on April 16, 2026 by the Los Angeles police.
Subsequently, The Los Angeles prosecutor’s office charged Burke of one count of first-degree murder, one count of continuous sexual abuse of a minor under 14 years of age and one count of unlawful mutilation of human remains.
The Los Angeles County coroner ruled, after performing an autopsy, that Celeste Rivas Hernández died from penetrating injuries caused by one or more objects, so it was a homicide.
Keep reading: Court order forces the Los Angeles coroner not to reveal data about Celeste Rivas
During his first court appearance on April 20, David Burke pleaded not guilty to the charges.
This Wednesday, April 29, his preliminary hearing was postponed after his appearance in court, because the defense requested more time to review all the evidenceso it was postponed from May 1 to May 26.
At the preliminary hearing, The judge and lawyers will decide what evidence will be admitted in the murder trial and which, if any, will be prohibited.
Keep reading: Authorities would have a second suspect for the crime of Celeste Rivas in Los Angeles
If Burke is convicted of all charges, he would face a sentence of life sentence in state prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
Keep reading:
· D4vd would be linked as a suspect to the death of a young Hispanic woman in Los Angeles
· Without clear cause, the death of a Hispanic woman found in a singer’s car in Los Angeles
· More details emerge about young Hispanic woman found dead in Los Angeles
