Prosecutors have released a detailed court document alleging that singer David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, fatally stabbed 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez to prevent her from speaking out about their abusive relationship. The document, made public on Monday, claims that Burke killed the teen to protect his music career.
Allegations of Abuse and Murder
According to the prosecution, Burke met Celeste when she was 11 and began a sexual relationship with her when she was 13 and he was 18. The document states that Burke believed he had to silence the victim after she threatened to ruin his career by disclosing damaging information about their relationship. “Knowing he had to silence the victim before she ruined his music career as she had threatened, very soon after her arrival at his home, defendant stabbed the victim to death multiple times and stood by while she bled out,” the document alleges.
Burke’s Legal Team Responds
Burke’s attorneys have maintained his innocence, asserting that he did not kill the teen. They had requested that the judge block the release of the prosecution’s brief, but the request was denied. The defense is expected to review the evidence, with a hearing delayed until late May.
Evidence and Investigation
Prosecutors say investigators recovered messages from April 2025 showing that Celeste was jealous of Burke’s relationships with other women and had threatened to expose their relationship. Authorities believe Burke killed her the following day and purchased two chainsaws to dismember her body in an inflatable pool. Her DNA was found in Burke’s garage, according to the document.
Celeste’s decomposed remains were discovered in September 2025 in the trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke, which had been abandoned in the Hollywood Hills. The Los Angeles County medical examiner determined that Celeste died from penetrating injuries to her torso, but the condition of her remains delayed a definitive cause of death. Two of her fingers were missing, and prosecutors say Celeste had Burke’s name tattooed on them. Additionally, Burke was found in possession of child sex abuse images of the teen.
Background of the Case
Celeste’s remains were found a day after she would have turned 15. Her family had reported her missing from Lake Elsinore, California, in 2024. The seventh-grader had run away in February, returned home, and then left again. After the initial missing person report, police contacted Burke, who claimed he was unaware she was a minor and had only met her once. Her parents had taken her phone away, but Burke allegedly paid a friend $1,000 to provide her with a cellphone to maintain contact. Celeste later ran away again and spent extensive time at Burke’s Hollywood Hills home, traveling with him to Las Vegas, London, and Texas, where she met his family.
The case has drawn significant attention, with a hearing originally scheduled for Friday now delayed to allow the defense time to examine the evidence. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
