Prosecutors reveal alleged motive in D4vd murder case with chilling new details
Topics: Los Angeles, Crime, US News
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: Swan Gallet/WWD via Getty Images
Topics: Los Angeles, Crime, US News
Prosecutors have been speaking about an alleged motive in the D4vd murder case, with the singer charged with first-degree murder earlier this year.
In September last year, police made the discovery of a decomposing body in the trunk of a car, which was registered to D4vd, real name David Anthony Burke.
Authorities soon identified identified the body as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas-Hernandez, who was last seen and reported missing in April 2024 when she was 13 years old.
An investigation commenced, with Burke later being formally charged with first-degree murder, as well as special circumstances — lying in wait, committing a crime for financial gain and murdering the witness in an investigation.
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Burke has long maintained his innocence, with his lawyers, attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter telling LADbible Group: "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.
"There has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed. David has only been detained under suspicion. We will vigorously defend David’s innocence."
Ahead of a multi-day hearing on July 21 to determine whether there is enough evidence to see Burke stand trial, ABC News has been exploring the case.
Los Angeles Police Department Capt. Scot Williams told the outlet Burke first met Celeste online in a chat forum, where they began a 'online communication relationship'.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman then claimed Burke and Celeste began having a sexual relationship when she 13.
"That continued all the way through her 14th birthday," Hochman explained.
"There was some indication that Celeste was unhappy with the status of their relationship. She had potentially threatened David that she might out the fact that he was involved in a sexual relationship with a minor."
Prosecutors allege that the teenager threatened to 'end his career and destroy his life' by outing the alleged abuse.
Celeste was last seen alive on April 23, 2025, when Burke ordered an Uber to pick the teenager up from her home to the singer's Hollywood residence.
Court filings accuse Burke of killing Celeste a short time after.
Prosecutors further allege that Burke used a chainsaw to dismember her, and then sent a number of text messages to her phone when she was deceased, in order to cover his tracks.
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