US singer D4vd has been accused of purchasing equipment online, including chainsaws, after prosecutors alleged he fatally stabbed a teenage girl.
The claims were outlined in a newly released court filing, which sets out the alleged motive and details the steps prosecutors say were taken to conceal the crime before the dismembered body of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was discovered in his car.
Prosecutors allege that Burke first met Rivas Hernandez when she was 11, and claim he began sexually abusing her when she was 13 while he was 18. They further allege the teenager sent messages threatening to expose their relationship and “destroy his life” shortly before her death.
D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, has entered a plea of not guilty.
His legal team has said they “will vigorously defend David’s innocence” and expressed confidence that the “evidence will show that David did not kill Celeste”.
He appeared in court on Wednesday, where lawyers and prosecutors debated whether the filing should be made public. He was dressed in an orange Los Angeles County jail uniform and remained shackled as he was escorted into the courtroom.
During proceedings, he spoke only briefly, responding “yes, your honour” when asked if he agreed to delay his preliminary hearing until late May.
According to the filing, prosecutors allege Burke stabbed the teenager multiple times at his home.
Investigators say they traced a series of online purchases made under a false name in the days following the alleged killing, including two chainsaws, an inflatable blue pool, a body bag and a shovel. The filing also alleges he bought a “burn cage” and planned to incinerate evidence.
The document further details prior interactions between authorities and the singer, including events following the teen’s disappearance in 2024.
Prosecutors say text messages reveal a prolonged argument on 22 April 2025 concerning Burke’s relationships with other women. The filing states that Rivas Hernandez threatened to “disclose damaging information about her relationship with the defendant to end his career”.
Authorities believe the teenager was killed the following day, according to the court document.
Prosecutors allege Burke arranged an Uber to bring Rivas Hernandez to his home on the day of the killing. They claim that subsequent messages he sent asking about her whereabouts were part of a plan “to cover up the murder,” the filing states.
The allegations coincide with the release week of D4vd’s first studio album, which came out on 25 April.
In the days after the alleged killing, prosecutors say Burke made multiple online purchases intended to dispose of the body. The filing alleges that he dismembered the remains in the garage of his Hollywood Hills residence.
The court document also cites surveillance footage, which prosecutors say shows Burke was the last person to drive his Tesla, where the body was eventually found in September 2025.
The filing provides the most detailed timeline to date since the case first drew international attention last year.
During Wednesday’s hearing, defence attorneys attempted to block the release of the nine-page document, arguing it could intensify media scrutiny and jeopardise a fair trial.
“We do have a very real concern about the amount and white hot focus and attention on this case for the last seven months and specifically in the last two weeks,” his lawyer Blair Berk told the court, requesting the document be sealed.
Judge Charlaine Olmedo permitted the filing to be released, while agreeing to keep certain other evidence confidential.
A further hearing in the case is scheduled for next month.
D4vd, who rose to prominence on TikTok with the viral songs “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me,” was on tour when police discovered Rivas Hernandez’s body in the front trunk of his Tesla in September 2025.
His global tour was subsequently cancelled, and he withdrew from public appearances and social media.
Authorities in Los Angeles announced his arrest earlier this month.
Nathan Hochman, the Los Angeles County District Attorney, has filed seven criminal charges against Burke, including murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child and the mutilation of remains.
Prosecutors said the teenager had been reported missing by her family and was last seen at Burke’s Hollywood Hills home on 3 April 2025. Her body was discovered in a decomposed state inside his Tesla five months later.
In their first public statement, Rivas Hernandez’s family expressed their grief, describing their love for the teenager and calling for justice over her death.
