Singer d4vd bought chain saws, shovel and ‘burn cage’ after killing teen: Docs – Image for illustrative purposes only (Image credits: Unsplash)
Los Angeles — A court filing has exposed disturbing evidence against rising singer David Burke, known as d4vd, in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas-Hernandez. Prosecutors outlined a timeline of an illicit relationship that prosecutors say ended in a brutal stabbing on April 23, 2025, followed by calculated efforts to erase traces of the crime. The teenager’s dismembered remains turned up months later in a Tesla owned by the 21-year-old artist, who has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and related charges.
A Relationship That Spanned Years and Continents
Burke first encountered Rivas-Hernandez in January 2022, when she was just 11 years old. Prosecutors allege the pair entered a sexual relationship in November 2023, at which point she was 13 and he was 18. The connection persisted despite her parents’ intervention after she ran away in February 2024.
Authorities traced Burke’s number in her records and questioned him, but he claimed ignorance of her age. She returned home two days later, prompting her parents to confiscate her phone. Undeterred, prosecutors say Burke paid a $1,000 to a junior high classmate of hers to deliver a new device he had bought, ensuring their contact continued.
Throughout 2024, Rivas-Hernandez spent considerable time with Burke, joining him on trips to Las Vegas, London, and Texas. Investigators reviewed messages referencing sex, pregnancy, abortion, and Plan B use. The filing mentions plans to introduce photos depicting the minor nude and involved in sexual acts with him.
The Argument That Preceded the Slaying
Tensions boiled over on April 22, 2025, the night before prosecutors believe the murder occurred. Text exchanges captured Rivas-Hernandez’s jealousy over Burke’s interactions with other women, despite his assurances of a shared future. She grew furious and threatened to expose their relationship, potentially derailing his career just ahead of his debut album release on April 25.
The next evening, Burke arranged an Uber to bring her from Lake Elsinore to his Hollywood Hills residence. Cellphone and ride data placed her arrival at 10:10 p.m. Yet twenty minutes later, he messaged her phone inquiring about her whereabouts. Prosecutors argue this formed part of a premeditated ruse, as she had already been killed.
Stabbing and Immediate Aftermath
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner determined Rivas-Hernandez died from multiple penetrating torso wounds consistent with sharp force trauma. Prosecutors contend Burke stabbed her and watched as she bled out. Roughly 80 minutes after her arrival, he drove toward Santa Barbara County, returning home before dawn to attend a radio interview promoting his album.
On April 24, online orders surfaced under the alias “Victoria Mendez”: two chainsaws, heavy-duty laundry bags, a body bag, and a blue inflatable pool from Amazon. A shovel arrived from Home Depot. Later, on July 7, he purchased a “burn cage” using the same name, prosecutors said, as part of an incineration scheme.
Gruesome Dismemberment in the Garage
Search warrants at Burke’s home revealed signs of dismemberment inside the garage. Prosecutors described how he placed the body in the inflatable pool to contain blood, then used a chainsaw and possibly other tools to sever her limbs. Tiny blue plastic fragments from the pool embedded in her remains corroborated this.
To further disconnect himself, Burke amputated her left ring and pinky fingers, where a tattoo bore his name; those digits remain missing. Her head and torso ended up in a cadaver bag in the front compartment of his Tesla Model X, with arms and legs in a black trash bag below. Surveillance footage showed him as the last driver, parking the vehicle near his home on July 29 before departing for tour.
Discovery and Ongoing Proceedings
Investigators revisited the Santa Barbara County area multiple times and recovered Rivas-Hernandez’s U.S. passport card there. The Tesla sat in a tow lot until officers found the decomposing body on September 8, 2025—her 15th birthday. Biological samples from the garage tested positive for her blood DNA, and the pool bore linear cuts matching dismemberment activity.
- Key purchases: Chainsaws, shovel, body bag, inflatable pool, burn cage.
- Travel evidence: Uber data, cellphone pings, texts.
- Body condition: Dismembered parts in bags inside Tesla.
Burke returned to court on April 29, 2026, ahead of a preliminary hearing next month. He remains in custody without bond as prosecutors prepare their case.
The filing paints a picture of manipulation turning lethal, leaving a young life cut short and a promising music career in jeopardy. Questions linger about the full extent of the cover-up and what further evidence may emerge.
