SerpApi.Org
D4vd told police officers he was unaware that 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whom he’s accused of murdering, was a minor.
D4vd, né David Burke, faces first-degree murder charges following the death of Rivas, 14. The singer, 21, is alleged to have fatally stabbed the teenager, whom he met online when she was only 11 years old. He’s also facing charges of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under 14 and mutilation of a body. In bodycam footage obtained by a Los Angeles court, D4vd told an officer, “She told me she was 18. Everybody's telling me she was 13." He also said that the two only met once in person.
These claims come after Rivas’ family were told to “put their heads down” when evidence was presented at D4vd’s trial.
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In September 2025, Rivas’ mutilated body was found in the front trunk of his impounded car after the vehicle began to emit an odor. The singer was arrested in April 2026 on suspicion of murder. D4vd was on his “Withered” world tour, but canceled the remaining dates after Rivas’ body was found in his car. Rivas’ family had reported her as missing in 2024.
It’s alleged that D4vd killed Rivas because she was threatening to go public with their “relationship.” Further investigation revealed that he possessed a “significant amount of child pornography” on his iCloud account.
D4vd's legal team denied the charges against the singer, who pleaded not guilty. "Let us be clear – 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,” wrote Defense attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter.
The singer’s preliminary hearing was pushed from May 1 to July 21. During the court appearance, video footage from police as well as photos of Rivas’ dismembered body were shown. D4vd is alleged to have fatally stabbed the teen with a sharp object.
D4vd ordered chainsaws, a shovel, a body bag, and an inflatable pool online following Rivas’ death. He allegedly mutilated her body with the chainsaw, making her “unrecognizable.” Jarring images shown in court revealed that her torso and limbs had been dismembered.
D4vd and Rivas reportedly had matching tattoos, including the word "Shh…” inked on both their index fingers. He allegedly had “Celeste” tattooed in red ink on his finger. The singer reportedly removed Rivas' fingers when dismembering her corpse.
Los Angeles County prosecutors said that D4vd "took horrifying measures to destroy and discard the victim's body." They allege that after putting Celeste's body in an inflatable pool "to prevent her blood from spilling onto his garage floor," the singer used "a chainsaw and perhaps other tools to cut off her limbs.”
