D4VD Case Update: New Court Filings and Evidence Emerge

Read previous blog on the case HERE.

Updates in the D4VD case this week as media outlets continue to report developments in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

David Anthony Burke, who performs under the name D4VD, is accused of murdering a 14-year-old girl after she allegedly threatened to expose their relationship and damage his career.

Rivas lived with her family in Lake Elsinore, California, where she attended Lakeland Village School. Her parents are immigrants from El Salvador.

Her body was discovered in a Tesla registered to Burke on September 8, 2025. She is believed to have been killed around April 23, 2025.

According to NBC4 Los Angeles, the victim’s brother, Matthew Rivas, said the family last saw Celeste when she left to meet Burke. She reportedly told them they had plans to see a movie and did not return.

Rivas had previously been reported missing by her family, who had taken her cell phone away. Prosecutors allege that Burke paid a school student $1,000 to deliver a replacement phone to her at school.

It is alleged the pair met in early 2022, when Celeste was around 11 years old. Court filings reported by ABC7 suggest the relationship became sexual when she was 13 and Burke was 18.

Rivas is also reported to have travelled with Burke and met his family. Following the news of her death, some acquaintances of Burke reportedly said they were unaware of the relationship and believed she was 19 years old.

The pair reportedly ended their relationship around November 2024 but remained in contact and continued to meet. According to ABC7, prosecutors state that a text message from Rivas’s phone read: “All we do is have sex and just hang out man I want more than that for myself.”

Newly released documents detail text exchanges between the victim and the defendant, including references to sex, pregnancy, abortion, and the use of Plan B emergency contraception.

The documents also reference sexual images. The Guardian reported that prosecutors alleged that, following a search warrant executed on Burke’s digital devices, police recovered child sexual abuse material. Prosecutors state that approximately forty terabytes of evidence and discovery have been collected.

It is alleged that Rivas and Burke had a lengthy argument before she was killed, which is reportedly documented in text messages and happened around April 22, 2025. During the argument it is believed she threatened to expose their relationship and in turn damage his career. The argument reportedly centered around Burke’s relationships with various women and occurred shortly before the release of his debut album.

On April 23, prosecutors allege Burke sent an Uber to collect Rivas from her family home in Lake Elsinore to take her to his property in the Hollywood Hills. She reportedly arrived around 10:10pm, and prosecutors allege she was killed shortly afterwards.

Burke later sent a text message to Rivas’s phone at around 10:30pm asking where she was. Prosecutors allege these messages were part of an attempt to construct an alibi after her death.

Court documents state Burke was the last known person seen driving the Tesla in which Rivas’s body was later discovered.

New developments in the case report that Burke allegedly purchased two chainsaws online, as well as an inflatable children’s pool. Prosecutors claim the pool was recovered from a garage and contained traces of the victim’s DNA.

According to the BBC, court filings allege Burke used a false identity when purchasing the items online. Prosecutors also claim he bought a burn cage, which they believe may have been intended for the destruction of evidence.

Media outlets have speculated that chainsaws were used to dismember the victim and that the inflatable pool may have been used to contain biological material and blood. These claims have not been independently confirmed; however news outlets speculate it may be the case and CNN reports that small blue plastic fragments consistent with an inflatable pool were recovered during forensic examination.

Autopsy results indicate that Rivas suffered multiple stab wounds, including injuries to the right abdomen, liver, and left chest.

It was also reported that Rivas’s ring finger, allegedly tattooed with the singer’s name, and her pinky finger, which reportedly bore a matching “shhh” tattoo, were removed and have not been recovered.

Rivas’s family released a statement:

“We are heartbroken by the loss of our beloved Celeste. She was a sweet, loving girl who deserved so much more. We love her very much and she always told us that she loved us. We miss her deeply. All we want is justice for Celeste.”

A court hearing has been moved to late May to allow the defence to review evidence.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman stated that Burke faces a maximum sentence of life without parole or the death penalty. He remains in custody without bail.

Burke has pleaded not guilty.