The family of a 14-year-old girl, who was allegedly murdered by the singer known as D4vd, is grappling with intense emotions as shocking new information about her tragic death comes to light.

David Anthony Burke, the artist behind the stage name D4vd, is accused of the horrifying act of dismembering Celeste Rivas Hernandez using chainsaws. Reports also suggest he acquired a “burn cage” to eliminate any evidence last year.

Burke, aged 21, faces serious charges from the LA County District Attorney’s Office, including first-degree murder, after the teenager’s remains were discovered in the trunk of his Tesla.

In the wake of these startling revelations, the family’s attorney, Patrick Steinfeld, shared that he had the difficult duty of conveying the allegations to them.

“This was the most challenging task I’ve faced in my 37-year legal career,” Steinfeld expressed in an official statement.

He further noted, “Given the disturbing details that seem to surface almost daily, the family has chosen to refrain from making any public comments now or in the future.”

‘There are no words to express the indescribable pain the family is experiencing right now,’ Steinfeld continued. 

‘They still have bills to pay and jobs they go to every day. All they want is time to grieve and heal.’ 

Singer D4vd, real name David Anthony Burke, has been charged with first-degree murder, lewd and lascivious acts with a person under 14 and mutilating a body

Disturbing court documents describe how he allegedly used chainsaws when he dismembered 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez (pictured) last year and a ‘burn cage’ to destroy evidence 

An attorney representing the Rivas Hernandez family has said ‘There are no words to express the indescribable pain the family is experiencing right now’

In the nine-page preliminary trial brief filed on Wednesday, prosecutors say Rivas Hernandez became jealous over Burke’s relationship with other women after they broke up last April.

She then ‘threatened to disclose damaging information about her relationship with defendant to end his career and destroy his life,’ the documents state.

At that time, prosecutors say, Burke was set to release his first solo album and had a multi-million dollar career at stake.

With that allegedly on his mind, Burke sent an Uber to pick Rivas Hernandez up at her home in Lake Elsinore, California, at around 8.40pm on April 23 last year, and she was dropped off at the home he was renting in Hollywood Hills at around 10.10pm.

‘Knowing he has to silence the victim before she ruined his music career as she had threatened, very soon after her arrival at his home, [the] defendant stabbed the victim to death multiple times and stood by while she bled out,’ the brief alleged.

‘At no time did he call law enforcement… to take her to the emergency room to attempt to save her life.’

Instead, Burke allegedly tried to cover up his tracks by sending a text message to Rivas Hernandez asking where she was.

But following the murder, Burke allegedly drove about an hour north of his property in Los Angeles to Santa Barbara as he tried to dispose of some evidence.

Burke, 21, allegedly knew Rivas Hernandez was underage as he continued to pursue a sexual relationship with her

The teenager (pictured) reportedly became jealous over Burke’s relationship with other women after they broke up last April

Burke then arrived home the following morning and went to a show interview.

That same day, he also allegedly ordered a shovel from Home Depot and two days later, he stopped texting the teenager.

By May 1, prosecutors said Burke also decided to order two chainsaws, and on May 5, Amazon delivered a body bag, heavy-duty laundry bags and a blue inflatable pool to the home he was renting. 

Burke allegedly made those purchases under the name ‘Victoria Mendez.’ 

He then allegedly returned on May 8 and May 31 to Santa Barbara, where prosecutors said Celeste’s identification was found in January in an isolated area off Highway 154.

The final part of his efforts to dispose of evidence came on July 7, when Burke ordered and had Amazon deliver a ‘burn cage’ to his rental home under the same fake name ‘as part of his plan to incinerate evidence,’ prosecutors allege.

They go on to claim that Burke ‘took horrifying measures to destroy and discard the victim’s body.

Burke was arrested after Rivas Hernandez’s mutilated body was found in a Tesla he owned

Prosecutors claim Burke ‘amputated her left ring and pinky fingers because her ring finger contained a tattoo of his name.’ Above, his own fingers featuring a ‘Shhh’ tattoo

‘After placing her body in the blue inflatable pool to prevent her blood from spilling onto his garage floor, defendant used a chainsaw and perhaps other tools to cut off her limbs,’ prosecutors alleged. 

‘Small blue plastic fragments were found in the victim’s remains, which were collected by the LAPD’s Forensic Science Division, Trace Analysis Unit.’

Prosecutors said forensics matched those plastic fragments to the inflatable pool Burke had bought weeks earlier.

They also claim that in an effort to ‘distance himself from the victim, he amputated her left ring and pinky fingers because her ring finger contained a tattoo of his name.’

Those fingers have never been recovered.

Once Burke was done mutilating the body, prosecutors say he put Rivas Hernandez’s head and torso in the cadaver bag and placed her limbs in a garbage bag, placing both in the front trunk of his Tesla.

He then allegedly lied to his friends and business associates when they started to notice a strong smell of decay around the house. 

Before he left for his tour at the end of July, he parked the Tesla on the street around the corner from the house he was renting. 

The Tesla SUV, where police say Rivas Hernandez’s body was discovered on September 8

The court filing also details how Burke first met Rivas Hernandez in January 2021, when she was just 11 years old.

The two then allegedly began a sexual relationship in November 2023 when Rivas Hernandez was 13 and Burke was 18.

The teenager’s mother, who reported her missing three different times that same year, had said her daughter was dating a guy she had never met, named David.

But Burke denied to deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office that he knew Rivas Hernandez was a minor, as he showed investigators a picture from Rivas Hernandez’s yearbook that was in his cell phone, according to the court filing.

Once Rivas Hernandez was discovered safe, authorities also allegedly found a phone number listed in her phone belonging to the singer.

Her family took the phone away, but prosecutors say Burke continued to pursue her – even paying a junior high school student in her class $1,000 so that the classmate could get a phone for Rivas Hernandez.

‘Throughout 2024, the victim spent a significant amount of time with defendant, including summer weekends at his home in the Hollywood Hills and traveling with him to Las Vegas, London, and Texas to meet his family.’

‘Text exchanges between the victim and defendant contain references to sex, pregnancy, abortion and use of the Plan B emergency contraceptive.’

Prosecutors further alleged that they broke up in November 2024, but they continued to communicate.

Burke’s defense lawyer entered not guilty pleas to all counts during his first court appearance on Monday 

The singer was formally charged earlier this month with first-degree murder with special circumstances, continuous lewd acts with an individual under 14 and mutilating human remains of a body. 

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office explained the special circumstances for Burke’s first-degree murder charge, which includes ‘lying in wait, committing this crime for financial gain or murdering a witness in an investigation.’

The charges, filed in California, carry a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole and the death penalty.

Burke’s defense lawyer entered not guilty pleas to all counts during his first court appearance on Monday. 

D4vd, pronounced David, gained popularity among Gen Z fans for his blend of indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop. He went viral on TikTok in 2022 and landed a record deal.

His popularity led to collaborations with stars such as SZA and Kali Uchis. 

When the teenager’s body was discovered, Burke had been on a tour in support of his first full-length album. The tour was later canceled.