Overview
- Prosecutors say musician David “D4vd” Burke killed 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez in April 2025 and that her dismembered remains were found months later in a vehicle registered to him.
- During late July pretrial hearings the prosecution publicly read 2023–24 chat logs showing messages between Burke and Celeste that discussed possible pregnancy, the morning-after pill, and abortions.
- The district attorney argues those messages show an illegal sexual relationship that Celeste threatened to expose and that investigators found purchase records for tools and materials they say were ordered under false names.
- Burke has pleaded not guilty and his lead attorney, Blair Berk, says the defense will show he did not kill Celeste and that the evidence does not prove intent to murder.
- The judge found enough evidence in the preliminary hearing for a criminal trial to proceed and pretrial disclosures and evidentiary fights over the chats and forensic claims are ongoing.