Prosecutors say singer D4vd stabbed 14-year-old to death
AP News • • general
Key Points:
- Prosecutors allege that singer David Burke, known as D4vd, killed 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez by stabbing her multiple times and then dismembered her body with chainsaws in his garage to conceal the crime.
- The court filing details that Burke met Rivas Hernandez when she was 11, began sexually abusing her at 13, and killed her after she threatened to expose their relationship, which he feared would ruin his music career.
- Evidence includes text messages revealing their sexual relationship and attempts to cover up the murder, as well as the discovery of Rivas Hernandez’s dismembered body in Burke’s Tesla and at a location in Santa Barbara County.
- Burke has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other charges, including lewd acts with a minor and mutilating a body; he faces possible death penalty but prosecutors have not decided whether to seek it.
- The case has drawn public attention due to Burke’s rising music career, highlighted by his viral success on platforms like TikTok and Spotify and recent performances at major events such as Coachella.
