A Los Angeles detective dropped bombshell testimony in court this week, alleging that rising music star D4vd—whose real name is David Burke—used a 𝒻𝒶𝓀𝑒 name to buy a chainsaw, body bags, a shovel, and an inflatable pool just days after the death of a young girl.
The 21-year-old singer is currently facing murder, continuous sexual 𝓪𝓫𝓾𝓼𝓮 of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains charges in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. He has pleaded not guilty, and his legal team has denied he caused her death.
During a preliminary hearing that will determine if there’s enough evidence to send the case to trial, Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective Joshua Byers testified that Burke placed the online order under an alias after Rivas Hernandez’s passing. According to reports, he used his own credit card and had those items shipped directly to his home.
Detective Byers reportedly told the court that the body bag found with Rivas Hernandez’s remains matched the one ordered. The girl’s body was so badly decomposed that investigators couldn’t remove it from the bag, the AP notes. Prosecutors also showed photos of her dismembered remains in court for the first time, including what appeared to be small blue pieces from the inflatable pool.
Rivas Hernandez was just 14 years old when she allegedly was sexually abused by Burke, according to District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman. In a press release, Hochman stated that when she threatened to expose the conduct and ruin his music career, Burke allegedly murdered her, cut up her body, and stuffed it into two bags inside the front trunk of his car.
The remains reportedly sat there for over four months until they were discovered at a tow yard in September 2025.
The family’s attorney, Patrick Steinfeld, told the BBC that the hearing was the first time loved ones heard the evidence in detail. He described one particularly haunting image of Celeste’s torso and head in the trunk, saying the prosecutor had to ask what it was because you couldn’t tell it was a head. “They’re at a loss for words,” Steinfeld said.
Bodycam footage from February 2024 was also played in court, showing deputies questioning Burke after Rivas Hernandez was reported missing. In that video, the singer reportedly said he believed she was 18 and allowed authorities to search his home. The preliminary hearing is expected to run for four days.
As the case continues to unfold, one question lingers: what else could this evidence reveal about what really happened to Celeste?