Judge orders pop-singer D4vd to stand trial for murder and dismemberment of 14-year-old girl

A Los Angeles judge has ordered indie pop singer David Anthony Burke, known as D4vd, to stand trial for the murder and dismemberment of a 14-year-old girl. Prosecutors presented sufficient evidence, including graphic testimony and crime-scene photos, to establish probable cause. Burke, 21, is accused of fatally stabbing Celeste Rivas Hernandez after she allegedly threatened to expose their clandestine relationship, which began when she was 13. Her remains were found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke five months after she went missing in April 2025.

• Prosecutors allege Burke killed Hernandez to protect his burgeoning music career, which had generated $10-11 million in earnings.
• Evidence presented included photos of chainsaws, a shovel, and an inflatable swimming pool Burke allegedly purchased to dismember and contain the body.
• DNA analysis of samples from Burke's garage matched the victim's genetic profile.
• Burke's attorney, Blair Berk, maintains his innocence, stating, "We believe the actual evidence will show David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez, nor was he the cause of her death."