Singer-songwriter D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, faces first-degree murder charges with special circumstances in the killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, according to prosecutors’ filings in late April 2026.
Burke, who rose to prominence with viral hits and was positioning a debut album release, has pleaded not guilty. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Prosecutors allege that Burke engaged in continuous sexual abuse of Hernandez beginning in September 2023, when she was 13 and he was 18, and that the relationship continued into 2024. Court documents cite a significant amount of alleged child sexual abuse material recovered from his devices, along with explicit communications. Authorities claim the pair first met in 2022 when Hernandez was 11.
The motive, according to prosecutors, was to silence Hernandez and protect Burke’s rapidly ascending music career. After an argument the night before her death, she allegedly threatened to expose the relationship, which could have derailed upcoming releases and deals amid an active investigation into the alleged abuse.
On April 23, 2025, prosecutors say Burke arranged an Uber to bring Hernandez from her Lake Elsinore home to his Hollywood Hills residence, where she arrived around 10:10 p.m. after exchanging texts with him during the ride.
Very soon after her arrival, he allegedly stabbed her multiple times, inflicting penetrating wounds to the chest and right abdomen, including a liver injury. Prosecutors claim he stood by without calling 911 or rendering aid as she bled out. Around 10:30 p.m., he reportedly texted her asking where she was — a message authorities describe as part of a premeditated cover-up. Her phone went inactive that night.
Later that evening, around 11:30 p.m., Burke allegedly drove to an isolated area off CA-154 near Lake Cachuma to dispose of evidence and returned to the site on subsequent dates.
Prosecutors further allege that Burke purchased items under a false name, including two chainsaws, body bags, an inflatable pool, heavy-duty laundry bags and a burn cage. He is accused of dismembering Hernandez’s body in the garage using the inflatable pool. Her DNA and blood were reportedly found at the scene, with plastic fragments from the pool matching pieces recovered with her remains.
Authorities claim he specifically removed her left ring and pinky fingers because one bore a tattoo of his name. Those fingers were never recovered.
Hernandez’s badly decomposed and dismembered remains, contained in bags, were discovered on Sept. 8, 2025, in the front trunk of Burke’s impounded Tesla in a Hollywood tow yard. The autopsy ruled her death a homicide caused by multiple penetrating injuries, with post-mortem dismemberment.
Burke faces charges including first-degree murder with special circumstances (lying in wait, murder of a witness and financial gain), continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under 14, unlawful mutilation of human remains and a deadly weapon allegation.
The case has drawn widespread attention in the music industry and beyond, as Burke had been viewed as one of alternative music’s promising new voices prior to the allegations. Hernandez had prior reports of running away or being listed as missing.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled in the ongoing case. Burke’s legal team has previously stated that evidence will show he did not commit the murder.
