Singer D4vd is facing murder charges in the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez after prosecutors said in a new court filing that he stabbed the 14-year-old to death and used a chainsaw, along with other tools, to dismember her body before placing her remains in his Tesla.
The filing is the latest development in a case that has drawn national attention and is now headed toward a preliminary hearing on May 26.
Prosecutors said the evidence will show that David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, killed Rivas Hernandez in April 2025 and then took steps to destroy evidence in a garage where investigators say the dismemberment occurred, according to People.
They alleged he used an inflatable pool to contain blood, ordered chainsaws and a body bag under a false name, and later moved the remains into the front trunk of his Tesla.
Rivas Hernandez's remains were found on Sept. 8, 2025, in the Tesla after the vehicle was reported abandoned and later impounded, according to reporting cited in the court record. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner later ruled the death a homicide and said she died from multiple penetrating injuries caused by object(s).
The case moved forward in April after prosecutors made their most detailed public allegations yet in court. A judge denied a defense request to keep the filing sealed and reset the preliminary hearing for May 26, with a status hearing set for May 12, MyNewsLA reported.
Burke has pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child, and mutilation of human remains. Prosecutors have also said they believe he killed the girl to stop her from revealing abuse, while the defense has denied that he caused her death.
The medical examiner's office said it examined Rivas Hernandez on Sept. 10, 2025, and completed the cause-and-manner determination on Dec. 9, 2025, but a court-ordered security hold delayed public release until April 2026.
The autopsy report added that the body was too decomposed for some findings, but it confirmed a violent death and supported the homicide ruling.
Investigators have also pointed to digital evidence as part of the broader case, including allegations that child sexual abuse material was found on Burke's devices. The prosecution has not yet presented its full case in open court, and the defense says the allegations will be tested at the upcoming hearing, as per the Los Angeles Times.
