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WARNING: This story contains details of torture and descriptions of human remains. It may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone who has.
Prosecutors said Wednesday that singer D4vd killed 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez by stabbing her multiple times.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office shared what it says will be evidence in a document filed Wednesday that provided preliminary allegations detailing efforts to dismember Rivas Hernandez’s body and destroy evidence.
The court said D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, met Rivas Hernandez when he was 11 years old, began sexually abusing him when he was 13 years old and then when he was 18 years old, and killed her when he threatened to expose their inappropriate relationship.
“Knowing that he had to silence the victim before he ruined his music career as he threatened, shortly after he arrived at his home, the defendant stabbed the victim several times until he died and stood by while he was bleeding.”
His body was found decomposing in a Tesla that was being towed in the Hollywood Hills in September last year.
Text messages received
Prosecutors found text messages between Riva Hernandez and D4vd from April 22, 2025, the night before the phone calls went silent and they believe she was killed. They also found pictures of him sexually abusing children on his phone.
“These messages reveal the victim’s jealousy of the defendant’s relationship with other women, as the defendant made her believe that they have a future together. She became very angry and threatened to reveal damaging information about her relationship with the defendant in order to end her career and destroy her life,” said the document.
The document says Burke bought two chainsaws online which he used to cut his body into an inflatable pool. They said the girl’s DNA was found in her garage, which is where they suspect she was amputated.
“The defendant took shocking steps to destroy and dispose of the deceased’s body,” prosecutors said in the book.
His body had deteriorated to such an extent that the inspectors could not even see the color of his eyes. He had braces at the time of his death, and a tattoo that read “Shhh….” on the inside of his finger along with his name, according to the report. Two fingers were missing – along with parts of his arms and legs.
Prosecutors have never explained how they believe Rivas Hernandez was killed or provided details about their relationship. The autopsy report said he died of internal injuries.
Prosecutors said Rivas Hernandez’s parents reported her missing from her home in Lake Elsinore, about 130 miles outside of Los Angeles, in February 2024. After the February report, Rivas County Sheriff’s detectives contacted Burke, but she told them she had only met her once and did not know she was a minor.
After returning home that February, his parents took away his cell phone, but Burke drove to his hometown and paid Rivas Hernandez’s friend $1,000 to give him a phone so they could communicate.
She was reported missing again in April 2024. The document said that year, she spent a lot of time at Burke’s home in the Hollywood Hills and traveled with him to Las Vegas, London and Texas to meet her family.
Burke has pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges. His lawyers say he is innocent and did not cause the death of Rivas Hernandez.
Attorneys for the defendants asked Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo at a hearing Wednesday to unseal the document, but she refused. They have no comment outside the court.
If you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911. If you are affected by family or intimate partner violence, you can seek help crisis lines and local support services. .
