Dv4d case: Teen's parents knew of relationship with pop singer before chainsaw dismemberment, testimony says - Fox News

What the report says

Fox News reported that a Los Angeles judge allowed the murder case against rising recording artist David Burke, known as D4vd, to proceed to trial after a preliminary hearing in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Burke is accused of killing and dismembering the teen, whose remains prosecutors say were found in an impounded Tesla tied to him in September 2025. He has been charged with first-degree murder and is expected back in court for arraignment on Aug. 31.

According to Fox, Los Angeles Police Department Detective Corey Ferrel testified about text messages suggesting Celeste’s parents knew she had contact with Burke and had tried to keep them apart, including by taking away her phone and contacting police when she ran away. Prosecutors also alleged Burke paid a high school student $1,000 to get her another phone. The defense pointed to evidence it said showed family permission for some contact, including a signed form allowing Celeste to travel to London with Burke, and noted that her sister reportedly accompanied them on a Las Vegas trip.

Prosecutors allege Burke invited Celeste to his Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025, after which she was not seen alive. They claim he later bought items including chainsaws, a body bag and a kiddie pool, some allegedly under an alias, and that DNA and plastic fragments tied the scene to the dismemberment allegations.

The case matters because it combines a high-profile music figure, a minor victim and potential capital charges. Fox reported prosecutors have not decided whether to seek the death penalty; California currently has a moratorium on executions.