US singer D4vd has been accused of purchasing tools online – including chainsaws – after prosecutors say he stabbed a teen girl to death.
The allegations were released in an evidence filing, which details his alleged motive and steps prosecutors say he took to cover his tracks before 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s dismembered body was found in his car.
Prosecutors say he met Rivas Hernandez when she was 11, and allege he started sexually abusing her when she was 13 and he was 18. They allege the teen sent text messages threatening to reveal their illicit relationship and “destroy his life” before she was killed.
D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, has pleaded not guilty.
Attorneys for D4vd have maintained they “will vigorously defend David’s innocence” and said they believe the “evidence will show that David did not kill Celeste”.
He appeared in court on Wednesday as attorneys and prosecutors argued over the public release of the filing. He wore an orange Los Angeles County jail jumpsuit and was shackled while being escorted into the courtroom.
He said very little aside from “yes, your honour” when the judge asked if he was OK with his preliminary hearing being delayed until late May.
In the court filing on Wednesday, prosecutors allege that Burke stabbed the teen multiple times at his home.
The filing states prosecutors tracked purchases he’d made online using a fake name in the days after, including two chainsaws, an inflatable blue pool, a body bag and a shovel. They allege he also purchased a “burn cage” and made plans to incinerate evidence, the filing states.
The filing outlines previous interactions authorities had with the singer, including after the teen was reported missing in 2024 by her family.
Prosecutors say that text messages outline a lengthy argument on 22 April 2025 over the singer’s relationship with other women. Rivas Hernandez texted threats to “disclose damaging information about her relationship with the defendant to end his career,” the filing states.
Prosecutors say in the court document that they believe the teen was killed the following day.
Prosecutors say D4vd ordered an Uber for Rivas Hernandez that day to come to his home and she was dropped off there. They say he texted her multiple times, asking where she was, but prosecutors allege that the messages were part of his plan “to cover up the murder,” the filing states.
D4vd’s first studio album was released that week – on 25 April.
In the days after her alleged killing, prosecutors say the singer made an array of purchases online to dispose of Rivas Hernandez’s body. The filing alleges he dismembered her remains in the garage of his Hollywood Hills home.
The court document also states that surveillance footage shows Burke was the last person to drive his Tesla, where the body was found in September 2025.
The filing released on Wednesday has offered the most detailed timeline since the case captured international attention last year.
In court on Wednesday, his attorneys tried to block the release of the nine-page filing, saying it will lead to more media coverage and could affect him getting a fair trial.
“We do have a very real concern about the amount and white hot focus and attention on this case for the last seven months and specifically in the last two weeks,” his lawyer Blair Berk told the judge, arguing for the document to be sealed.
Judge Charlaine Olmedo allowed for the document to be released but did agree to keep other pieces of evidence sealed from public disclosure.
Another hearing in the case is due to take place next month.
D4vd, who rose to fame on TikTok with the viral hits Romantic Homicide and Here With me, was on tour when police found Rivas Hernandez’s body in the front truck of his Tesla in September 2025. His worldwide tour was cancelled and he largely retreated from public life and social media.
Los Angeles police announced his arrest earlier this month.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman filed seven criminal charges against him, including murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child and the mutilation of remains.
They said the teen had been reported missing by her family and was last seen at Burke’s Hollywood Hills home on 3 April 2025. Her body was found decomposing in Burke’s Tesla five months later.
Rivas Hernandez’s family made their first public statement shortly after that, describing the love they had for the teen and calling for justice in her death.
By BBC News
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
