prosecutors 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 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.
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