Key facts
- Singer D4vd, legally David Burke, is charged with murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child, and mutilation of a body.
- Prosecutors allege Burke killed 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez to prevent her from revealing their relationship.
- A money manager testified he only knew the victim by her first name and heard about her from Burke's manager.
- Evidence presented includes online orders for a body bag, chainsaws, and a shovel, and the victim's dismembered body found in Burke's car.
- Burke's music has earned him at least $10 million between 2023 and 2025.
During a preliminary hearing in Los Angeles, a money manager for indie-pop singer D4vd, legally known as David Burke, testified that he only knew the first name of the 14-year-old girl the artist is accused of killing. Benjamin Gregor stated he heard the name Celeste from D4vd's manager, Rob Morgenroth.
Prosecutors allege Burke fatally stabbed Celeste Rivas Hernandez to prevent her from revealing their relationship and jeopardizing his career. Burke's defense claims he did not cause her death. The prosecution is attempting to establish that Burke, who gained fame for his music related to the video game Fortnite, began a sexual relationship with Rivas Hernandez when she was 13 and he was 18, while she was 11.
Evidence presented included testimony that Burke ordered a body bag, chainsaws, and other items online, and that Rivas Hernandez's dismembered body was found in the trunk of his Tesla months after her death. Photos of the body were shown in court. The singer's music has reportedly earned him at least $10 million between 2023 and 2025.