The amended death certificate for Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the 14-year-old whose dismembered remains were found in a Tesla registered to rising singer D4vd, now lists her pregnancy status in the year prior to her death as “unknown.”
The change, reflected in an amendment dated April 22, 2026, and made public in recent days, has drawn fresh attention online to the ongoing murder case against the artist, whose real name is David Anthony Burke. However, authorities have emphasized that the “U” designation does not confirm pregnancy; the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner cited the advanced state of decomposition and dismemberment of the remains as the reason the status could not be definitively determined.
Burke, 21, best known for the 2022 viral hit “Romantic Homicide,” faces charges including first-degree murder with special circumstances, continuous sexual abuse of a child, lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14, use of a deadly weapon, and mutilation of human remains. He was arrested in April 2026 and has pleaded not guilty. He remains held without bail.
According to prosecutors, Burke allegedly began a sexual relationship with Celeste when she was 13 and he was 18. Court filings describe text messages between the two that allegedly discussed sex, pregnancy, abortion, Plan B and birth control. Prosecutors claim the motive was to silence the teenager and protect his burgeoning music career after she threatened to expose their relationship.
Celeste, from the Lake Elsinore area in California’s Inland Empire, was reported missing around April 5, 2025. Prosecutors allege Burke lured her to his Hollywood Hills home around April 22–23, 2025, where he stabbed her multiple times in the torso, watched her bleed out, then dismembered her body in the garage using chainsaws purchased under a false name. The remains were allegedly placed in bags and stored in the front trunk of his Tesla, where they were discovered on September 8, 2025 — one day after what would have been her 15th birthday — in an impounded vehicle.
The medical examiner ruled the cause of death as multiple penetrating injuries consistent with sharp force trauma and the manner of death as homicide. Toxicology reports noted the presence of benzodiazepines, meth/MDMA-related substances and possibly ethanol. Due to the condition of the body, many specifics regarding the timing and exact location of death remain unknown.
An earlier version of the death certificate had listed Celeste as “not pregnant.” The recent amendment also formalized the cause and manner of death, which had previously been listed as deferred or pending.
Burke’s legal team has maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings. “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,” his attorneys have previously stated.
Additional evidence cited by prosecutors includes a significant amount of child sexual abuse material allegedly found on one of Burke’s phones. The case remains ongoing, with a preliminary hearing expected in the coming months. Burke could face life without parole or the death penalty if convicted, though prosecutors have not yet decided whether to seek capital punishment.
The tragic case has drawn significant media and public attention, particularly given Burke’s rising profile in the indie/pop scene following the success of tracks like “Here With Me” and his Coachella performance in 2025. As with all criminal defendants, Burke is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Details continue to emerge from court filings, and further developments are anticipated as the legal process moves forward.
