LOS ANGELES (Court TV) — Attorneys for a singer accused of murdering a missing teenager argued that there’s no evidence tying him to the killing in a bid to have charges dismissed.
David ‘d4vd’ Burke sits in court as messages with the victim are read into evidence. (Sketch by Mona Edwards)
David Burke, 21, is known professionally as the singer-songwriter “d4vd” and has pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree murder, continued lewd and lascivious acts with an individual under 14 years old and mutilating a human body in the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez; the victim’s decaying body was found, dismembered, in the front trunk of Burke’s Tesla on what would have been her 15th birthday.
Prosecutors said Burke and Celeste exchanged their first messages online when she was just 11 years old; the two met for the first time in person in November 2023, when Celeste was 12. LAPD Detective Corey Farell testified about thousands of messages the two exchanged over the course of their relationship.
Those messages included images and videos showing Celeste nude; because of her age, that is classified as child sex abuse material and was not shown publicly in the courtroom. However, prosecutor Beth Silverman described the images, which showed the defendant and Celeste engaged in sexual intercourse and oral sex.
The messages themselves referenced oral sex, anal sex, the recording of intimate sessions and repeated concerns about pregnancy. When Celeste was 13, she allegedly sent a text to Burke saying, “If I’m pregnant, I’m not having it.” The defendant was 18 at the time, and allegedly advised Celeste to “take it sober,” referring to Plan B. In one message, Burke appeared to write, “lets let this abortion be the last one til we have the real one if u actually preg.” In another message, Celeste said she wants a Balenciaga purse as an “abortion gift.”
Prosecutors said they believe that Celeste was killed on April 23, 2025. The night before, Celeste sent several messages to Burke in a jealous rage. “Oh my f— God, I swear to GOD I will kill u if she was in my dam seat I will strangle u to f— death bro I will tell my dad so many f— lies about you dead a— I will end your career and your life I will damage anything.”
Silverman said that after allegedly killing Celeste, Burke tried to hide the crime by continuing to text her, asking where she was and why she was refusing to respond to him. The last message he sent to her was dated April 26 — the day after his album, “Withered,” was released.
Burke’s attorney, Blair Berk, tried to undercut the prosecution’s evidence by having Farell confirm that Celeste claimed to be 18 multiple times. Berk also said that Celeste’s family knew about her relationship with the singer, and even signed a consent form in September 2024 that gave the teen permission to travel alone with Burke.
Silverman argued that the evidence against Burke is “astounding” and accused Burke’s defense of trying to “dirty up the victim.”
The prosecution presented evidence over the weeklong preliminary hearing that Celeste was stabbed to death and then dismembered before Burke allegedly placed her body in bags and left them in his Tesla. On Monday, Silverman suggested that Burke may have planned to use a “burn cage” he purchased online to incinerate her remains, but found that she wouldn’t fit. Analysts testified that blood found in Burke’s garage was a genetic match to Celeste’s profile.
