Records on Houston singer D4vd share new details on alleged relationship with 14-year-old

HOUSTON - As the high-profile preliminary hearing for singer-songwriter David Anthony Burke (AKA "D4vd") approaches, a new court filing by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office provides a detailed and disturbing look at the evidence against him. 

Burke is charged with the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose remains were found in his vehicle last year.

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The discovery

The backstory:

On September 8, 2025, a tow yard manager in Hollywood noticed a strong smell of decay coming from a Tesla Model X. The car was registered to David Anthony Burke and had been towed from a street near his home.

Inside the vehicle's front trunk, detectives found:

• The Body: Several body bags and large heavy duty trash bags containing the remains of Celeste.
• Missing Evidence: Celeste's left ring and pinky fingers were missing. One of these fingers reportedly had a tattoo of Burke's name.

Burke's arrest was reported earlier this month.

The History

What they're saying:

The prosecution alleges that the relationship between Burke and Celeste began when she was 11 years old back in 2022.

In February 2024, police conducted a welfare check and explicitly told Burke that she was a 13-year-old runaway. Despite the police warning, Burke allegedly paid a junior high student $1,000 to give Celeste a secret cell phone after her parents confiscated her original one. 

iCloud data revealed messages between the two discussing sex, pregnancy, abortion, and the use of "Plan B" emergency contraception.

A possible motive

Big picture view:

By April 2025, Burke was on the verge of stardom, according to the prosecution. They say he had a multi-million-dollar career and a debut album set for release on April 25 of 2025.  

Text messages from April 22 show a heated argument between Celeste and Burke.

According to the documents, Celeste threatened to disclose their relationship, which prosecutors say would have "destroyed his life" and ended his career.

The Night of April 23, 2025:

• 8:40 PM: Burke ordered an Uber for Celeste, according to receipts from the company.
• 10:10 PM: The victim arrived at Burke's home.
• Prosecutors believe Burke stabbed her multiple times shortly after she arrived.
• At 10:30 PM, while prosecutors believe the victim was likely already dead, Burke began sending "Where are you?" texts to her phone.
• Late that night, Burke was tracked driving his Tesla to an isolated area in Santa Barbara County to allegedly dump Celeste's belongings.

Physical evidence

Dig deeper:

Following the death, prosecutors found several purchases at Burke's home under the alleged alias "Victoria Mendez."

Some of the items include:

• Shovel, purchased April 24
• Two Chainsaws, purchased May 1
• Inflatable Pool, purchased May 5
• Burn Cage, purchased July 7

LAPD experts found DNA evidence that matched Celeste's inside Burke's garage.

What's next:

David Anthony Burke is currently awaiting his preliminary hearing, scheduled for May 1 in Los Angeles County.