D4vd’s attorneys withdraw from murder case, public defender appointed

Key Points:

• Singer D4vd, legally named David Burke, was arraigned on charges including first-degree murder, sexual abuse of a child, and unlawful mutilation of human remains related to the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose decomposed body was found in his abandoned vehicle.
• D4vd pleaded not guilty and has been appointed a public defender after his previous legal representation was granted withdrawal; his next court date is set for October 19 to discuss trial readiness.
• Prosecutors allege that D4vd and Rivas Hernandez had an illegal sexual relationship beginning in 2023, and that he killed her after she threatened to expose it, with evidence suggesting he dismembered her body to conceal the crime.
• The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office has not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty, and D4vd remains held without bail since his arrest in April.
• Prosecutors presented evidence during a July hearing, including witness testimonies, to establish probable cause for the trial, with the DA condemning D4vd's actions as a brutal murder driven by fear of career damage.