Celeste Rivas Hernandez messaged singer David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, that she would end his career and ruin his life roughly twenty-four hours before authorities allege he killed her. The 14-year-old sent the message on April 22, 2025, stating in part:
“Oh my f god I swear to GOD I will kill u she was in my dam seat i will strangle u to f ing death bro. I will tell my dad so many f lies about u dead ass I will end ur career and ur life I will damage anything.”
This specific exchange and surrounding messages entered the public record through sworn testimony during a five-day preliminary hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court that concluded on July 27, 2026, as further detailed in ABC7 New York’s coverage of the detective’s testimony.
Detective Corey Farrell of the Los Angeles Police Department read the texts aloud in open court after they were recovered via search warrants on Burke’s iPhone and iCloud accounts. The hearing took place before Judge Charlaine Olmedo in downtown Los Angeles as prosecutors sought to establish probable cause for trial. Farrell detailed the April 22 argument that referenced another woman and the subsequent stream of messages. Court records show Celeste’s phone activity continued into the following day until a final text indicating she was approaching the Hollywood Hills address after transportation had been arranged for her. Activity then stopped permanently, according to the digital timeline presented.
The information surfaced as part of the prosecution’s case summary on the final day of the hearing. Prosecutors argued the career-related threat formed a key element of motive, given Burke’s rising profile with streaming success and an album release that followed closely after the April 2025 events. The judge ruled the same day that sufficient evidence existed to hold Burke for trial on charges of first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains. Burke has pleaded not guilty, remains in custody without bail, and faces further proceedings, including an arraignment later scheduled in the case.
Defense counsel during cross-examination pointed to earlier messages from Celeste that contained threats and noted evidence of family awareness of contact between the two, including documented travel consent. Prosecutors maintained the overall body of digital, location, and forensic material supported advancing the charges. The hearing process itself relied heavily on authenticated phone data, vehicle records, and witness accounts rather than speculation. Public access to the quoted texts and the ruling stems directly from the open court proceedings and subsequent official summaries available through California court channels.
The verified sequence underscores how modern prosecutions often turn on recovered electronic communications timed against other records. Readers can review the career background of the accused through D4vd’s artist profile on Apple Music and follow prior developments in the case, from the initial discovery of Celeste’s body in a Tesla registered to Burke to subsequent allegations that Celeste was pregnant before the killing. Official court filings and Los Angeles Police Department statements remain the primary references for ongoing developments. The legal process continues with the full trial still ahead, and all parties are presumed subject to the evidence standards required at that stage.
