Disturbing new details have emerged of the horrifying way D4vd groomed and eventually mutilated Celeste Rivas at the age of 14 with a chainsaw, according to prosecutors.
The singer, real name David Burke, ordered an Uber to deliver Rivas from her family home in Lake Elsinore to his Hollywood Hills home on the night of April 23, 2025, according to legal documents obtained by The California Post.
He then stabbed her and stood by while she bled to death, prosecutors claim.
Burke allegedly ordered a shovel from Home Depot the following day and had it delivered to his home by Postmates. About a week later, he ordered two chainsaws from Amazon that were delivered to his home, and on May 5, he allegedly ordered a body bag, heavy-duty laundry bags and a blue inflatable pool, according to the documents.
He allegedly made the purchases under a fake name, Victoria Mendez.
From there, investigators say, Burke “took horrifying measures to destroy and discard the victim’s body.”
Burke allegedly placed Rivas’ body into the blue inflatable pool to prevent her blood from making a mess on his garage floor and used the chainsaw and possibly other tools to cut off her limbs, according to the documents.
Here’s the latest on the D4vd’s murder charges of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas
- D4vd thrown in segregation after suddenly moving jails following 14-year-old rape, murder charges
- D4vd remains silent during murder charge court appearance
- Bomb threat before D4vd murder arraignment forces evacuation at courthouse
- Disturbing details of D4vd’s alleged relationship with Celeste Rivas revealed in new timeline
- D4vd had sex with 14-year-old Celeste Rivas, lay in wait before killing her, DA says as singer charged
Investigators allegedly found plastic fragments embedded in Rivas’ remains that matched those found in the pool purchased by Burke on Amazon.
Burke also amputated Rivas’ left ring and pinky fingers because her ring finger bore a tattoo of his name — and those fingers were never recovered, according to the documents.
Investigators served a search warrant at Burke’s home in September 2025 where they allegedly “discovered evidence consistent with the dismemberment of the victim’s body in the inflatable pool, which contained multiple linear cuts. Several biological samples, which tested positive for blood, were collected within the garage area,” the documents state.
The DNA matched Rivas’, investigators said.
Burke and Rivas got into a “lengthy argument” over text message the night before the alleged murder because she was jealous about Burke’s relationships with other women, according to the documents.
“She became extremely upset and threatened to disclose damning information about her relationship with defendant to end his career and destroy his life,” investigators said.
There are also sickening details about how Burke and Rivas allegedly met when she was only 11 years old in January 2022. Investigators say the two began a sexual relationship in November 2023 when Rivas was 13 and Burke was 18.
Rivas was allegedly reported missing by her family in February 2024 — long before her alleged murder — and detectives discovered a phone number in her phone belonging to Burke, according to the documents.
When detectives called Burke, he stated he was unaware she was a minor or that she had been reported missing.
Rivas’ family took her phone away once she was located safe, but Burke allegedly continued to pursue her, despite having being informed she was a minor, according to the documents.
Burke even allegedly drove to Lake Elsinore, where Rivas lived, and paid a student in her class $1,000 to give Rivas a phone Burke had purchased so they could continue to communicate. Text messages allegedly obtained by detectives suggest the two continued to have a sexual relationship, according to investigators.
Burke was in court Wednesday for a procedural hearing where his attorney said she was concerned about the alleged evidence becoming public.
Last week it was revealed that a “significant” amount of child pornography allegedly was found on Burke’s iPhone in a search of the device.
Investigators claimed to have gathered 40 terabytes of data through a lengthy investigation. They also revealed they conducted a wiretap.
Rivas died from “multiple penetrating injuries,” according to the Los Angeles County Corner’s Office.
Rivas’ dismembered body was discovered Sept. 8, 2025, in the trunk of a Tesla belonging to Burke.
It took investigators several months to determine the cause and manner of death — reaching a conclusion on December 8, 2025.
Burke was charged with first-degree murder with special circumstances. The special circumstances included lying in wait, murder of a witness to an investigation and murder for financial gain.
He was also charged with lewd and lascivious sexual acts with an individual under 14 years old, and mutilating the human remains of a body.
The special circumstance of murder of a witness to an investigation were because Rivas was a witness in the lewd-and-lascivious investigation.
Officials say the murder for financial gain circumstance was added because they believe Burke thought allegations of sexual relations with a minor could derail his music career.
Exclusive video obtained by The California Post shows the moment Burke was hauled away in cuffs from his Hollywood mansion, flanked by officers.
Burke is being held in the infamous twin towers jail in downtown Los Angeles — the same place where Nick Reiner, who is accused of killing his Hollywood mogul parents, Rob and Michele, is housed. He also had a hearing today in the same building.
Rivas’ parents broke their silence on the alleged crime in a statement issued by their attorney Patrick Steinfeld.
“The Rivas Hernandez family is absolutely devastated by the findings contained in the Medical Examiner’s Report involving the horrible and gruesome death of their beloved daughter,” it said.
Burke’s preliminary hearing is scheduled to start Friday. He’s pleaded not guilty to all charges.
