Key facts
- Singer D4vd (David Anthony Burke) pleaded not guilty to murder, sexual abuse, and dismemberment charges.
- Prominent defense lawyers Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter withdrew from the case.
- A public defender, Walid Kandeel, was appointed to represent Burke following a financial evaluation.
- Prosecutors allege Burke killed 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez after she threatened to expose abuse and end his career.
- The victim's dismembered body was found in the trunk of Burke's Tesla.
- The District Attorney's office is considering pursuing the death penalty.
Singer D4vd, legally known as David Anthony Burke, lost his high-profile private lawyers Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter at a hearing where he entered a not guilty plea to charges of murder, sexual abuse, and dismemberment of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The defense attorneys stated the judge granted their request to withdraw after finding Burke qualified for a court-appointed lawyer, despite his reported earnings of at least $10 million from music between 2023 and 2025. Deputy Public Defender Walid Kandeel has taken over the defense. Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo denied Burke's initial request to delay the arraignment, demanding a plea and scheduling a status conference for October. In July, Olmedo had ruled there was sufficient evidence for Burke to stand trial on the charges. District Attorney Nathan Hochman indicated his office is still deciding whether to pursue the death penalty. Prosecutors allege Burke stabbed Rivas Hernandez to death after she threatened to expose sexual abuse and end his career, presenting evidence of a text message and the silencing of her phone. Her dismembered body was discovered in the trunk of Burke's Tesla in September.