Singer David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, has entered another critical stage in the criminal case surrounding the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
At an August 31 court hearing, Burke told a Los Angeles County judge that he had dropped his private attorneys. He asked the court to appoint lawyers from the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office.
The move came after a five-day preliminary hearing in July. During that hearing, prosecutors presented evidence they say connects Burke to Rivas Hernandez’s death. Judge Charlaine Olmedo later ruled that the evidence justified sending the case to trial.
Burke has pleaded not guilty to every charge.
Investigators discovered Rivas Hernandez’s remains on September 8, 2025. A tow-yard worker contacted the Los Angeles Police Department after noticing a strong odor from an impounded Tesla Model X.
The vehicle belonged to Burke.
Police found Rivas Hernandez’s heavily decomposed remains inside the vehicle’s front trunk. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner later identified her.
The medical examiner classified the death as a homicide. The autopsy identified multiple penetrating injuries caused by an object or objects.
Investigators spent months trying to determine what happened to the teenager.
Their investigation eventually focused on Burke.
Prosecutors allege a secret relationship
Prosecutors say Burke first met Rivas Hernandez in January 2022, when she was 11. They allege that the pair began a sexual relationship in November 2023.
At that time, Burke was 18 and Rivas Hernandez was 13.
Investigators uncovered evidence of a relationship that allegedly continued for more than a year. Prosecutors say Rivas Hernandez spent substantial time with Burke and traveled with him to places including Las Vegas, London and Texas.
The pair also had matching tattoos and tattoos bearing each other’s names, according to prosecutors.
Investigators also recovered text messages that allegedly showed Rivas Hernandez became pregnant and had an abortion in January 2024.
The relationship later deteriorated.
In March 2025, Rivas Hernandez allegedly told Burke that she wanted more from their relationship. Prosecutors say the pair then had a lengthy argument through text messages on April 22.
They allege that Rivas Hernandez threatened to expose their relationship and damage Burke’s career.
The night prosecutors say she died
On April 23, 2025, Burke allegedly arranged an Uber ride for Rivas Hernandez from her Lake Elsinore home to his Hollywood Hills residence.
Prosecutors say she arrived that evening.
They allege that Burke stabbed her multiple times shortly afterward. They also claim he made no attempt to save her.
Investigators found another important detail in the couple’s messages.
At about 10:30 p.m., Burke allegedly sent Rivas Hernandez a message asking where she was. Prosecutors argue that she had already died by then.
Her phone showed no further activity that night.
Investigators also traced Burke’s movements to a remote area near Lake Cachuma in Santa Barbara County. Prosecutors say he visited the area three times in the spring of 2025.
A Caltrans worker later found Rivas Hernandez’s passport card at the site.
Evidence from the garage
Prosecutors also point to purchases that Burke allegedly made after Rivas Hernandez’s death.
Investigators traced purchases of a shovel, chainsaws, heavy-duty bags, a body bag and an inflatable pool to Burke’s residence.
Prosecutors believe Burke used the pool while dismembering Rivas Hernandez’s body.
Investigators later collected blood from the garage. Testing matched that blood to Rivas Hernandez.
They also found blue plastic fragments in her remains. Prosecutors say those fragments matched the inflatable pool.
Investigators never recovered some important evidence, including Rivas Hernandez’s missing fingers. One of those fingers carried a tattoo of Burke’s name.
The private lawyers step away
Burke’s decision to replace his private attorneys now adds another twist to the case.
He had retained prominent criminal defense lawyer Blair Berk during the investigation. Berk has represented several high-profile clients during her career.
Burke also had other private lawyers working on his defense.
On August 31, however, Burke told the court that he had dropped the private team. He requested representation from the county’s Public Defender’s Office.
The court did not publicly disclose why Burke made the change.
That detail has fueled speculation, but the available court record does not establish a specific reason. The lawyers have not publicly said that money, strategy or a disagreement caused the change.
The financial issue has attracted particular attention.
Prosecutors presented evidence that Burke earned millions of dollars from his music career. Yet the Public Defender’s Office determined that he qualified for appointed counsel after reviewing his financial circumstances.
That determination does not, by itself, explain why his private attorneys left.
A mountain of evidence
The prosecution faces a huge evidentiary record.
Lead prosecutor Beth Silverman has said investigators collected about 40 terabytes of evidence. That material includes digital communications, forensic evidence, surveillance footage and records of Burke’s movements and purchases.
The defense now must review that evidence while preparing for trial.
That task could prove difficult for any new legal team.
Burke’s public defender must also develop a defense strategy against a prosecution that has spent more than a year building its case.
The defense has already challenged parts of the prosecution’s theory.
During the preliminary hearing, Burke’s lawyers questioned the lack of a recovered murder weapon. They also challenged aspects of the forensic evidence and the prosecution’s reconstruction of events.
The judge nevertheless found enough evidence to send the case forward.
Burke faces three major charges
Los Angeles County prosecutors have charged Burke with first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
The murder charge includes several special-circumstance allegations.
Prosecutors allege that Burke killed Rivas Hernandez to prevent her from becoming a witness. They also allege that he killed her for financial gain and that he waited for her before attacking her.
Prosecutors have said they will consider seeking the death penalty.
Burke denies the charges.
He remains presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
A music career transformed by the case
Before the investigation, Burke had built a rapidly growing career as D4vd.
Songs such as “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me” helped establish him as a major young artist. His debut album, Withered, arrived in April 2025.
Months later, his career changed dramatically.
The discovery of Rivas Hernandez’s remains led to the cancellation of his tour. His record-label relationships also ended, and several artists and companies removed collaborations involving him.
The case also drew intense attention because some of Burke’s music contains themes involving violence, death and troubled relationships.
But prosecutors cannot prove a murder case through artistic themes.
They must prove their allegations with admissible evidence in court.
The road to trial
The case now moves toward trial with a new defense team.
Burke faces an enormous prosecution file, serious charges and the possibility of a capital prosecution.
The withdrawal of his private lawyers creates another layer of uncertainty.
For Rivas Hernandez’s family, however, the central issue remains unchanged.
They want accountability for the death of a 14-year-old girl whose remains remained hidden for months.
The courts will now determine whether the evidence supports the prosecution’s allegations and, ultimately, whether Burke committed the crimes charged against him.
For now, Burke has pleaded not guilty.
The next chapter will unfold in court.
