Disturbing details on how teen was believed to be killed released during D4vd's court appearance

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Disturbing new details were revealed in court filings on Wednesday as D4vd appeared before a judge, painting a gruesome picture of the case prosecutors are building against the singer in the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, is charged with first-degree murder, continuous sexual acts, lewd and lascivious sexual acts with an individual under 14 years old and mutilating the human remains of a body. He pleaded not guilty to the charges earlier this month.

A legal brief from the prosecution says D4vd was the last person to drive his Tesla, where Celeste's dismembered body was discovered in September 2025. He was reportedly last seen driving the vehicle on July 29, 2025, before he left Los Angeles for his tour.

The court document also alleges D4vd ordered two chainsaws, a body bag and an inflatable pool on Amazon using a fake name. Investigators say fragments of that pool were found in cut wounds on Celeste's body.

Prosecutors also wrote that D4vd traveled to a location in Santa Barbara County multiple times after Celeste's death, including the night she was murdered, and a Caltrans worker later found the teen's passport card discarded in that area in January of 2025.

D4vd's attorney wanted the legal brief that was released on Wednesday sealed, but the judge declined the request.

A preliminary hearing has been set for next month, where they will determine whether the 21-year-old should go to trial.

Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell spoke to ABC7 about the shocking nature of the case.

"Sadly, some treated this as if it was entertainment. It's not entertainment. It's a tragic life taken in a very brutal way. A lot of people involved, a lot of care and concern, as well, expressed over the case. But, we've taken it very seriously, and our goal is to be able to preserve evidence until it gets to trial," McDonnell said.

That evidence is expected to be presented at the preliminary hearing. Witnesses will also be called. The preliminary hearing is set for May 26.

SEE ALSO: D4vd's phone contained 'significant amount' of child sexual abuse material, prosecutors say

A "significant amount" of child pornography was discovered on a phone belonging to singer D4vd, prosecutors said during a hearing on Thursday.

Last week, prosecutors said they found what they described as a significant amount of child sexual abuse material on D4vd's phone. They said more than 40 terabytes of evidence was found on computers, tablets and iCloud, adding that the sheer volume could slow the progress of the case.

This comes after the teen's autopsy report was released last week. Celeste, who was found dismembered in a Tesla belonging to D4vd last year, died from "multiple penetrating injuries," according to the Medical Examiner's report. Certain drugs were also found in her system.

Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani believes D4vd's defense will argue that Celeste accidentally died from an overdose, and he panicked, cutting up and hiding her body.

"If you're looking at the three sets of charges, the mutilation of a corpse is the least serious. So, if they can somehow fall on that and avoid either the sex crimes or the murder itself, that would be a huge win for the defense," Rahmani said.

D4vd and Celeste allegedly met when she was just 11 years old

According to the brief regarding preliminary hearing evidence, D4vd and Celeste met in January 2022 when the girl was just 11 years old. Prosecutors say they began a sexual relationship in November of 2023, when she was 13, and D4vd was 18.

Celeste was reported missing from her family's home in Lake Elsinore in February and April of 2024.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Office reportedly called D4vd on Feb. 17, 2024, after they identified his phone number in Celeste's phone records. The legal brief says he told deputies he last talked to Celeste on Feb. 13 or 14, but he claimed he didn't know she was a minor and didn't know she had been reported missing. Deputies then informed him that Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies would be visiting him at his home. At the time, he lived in West Hollywood.

When deputies arrived at his home that same day, prosecutors say they again told him that Celeste was 13 years old and a runaway. D4vd allegedly told them he was unaware of that and said he had only met her in person once in November 2023. He reportedly told deputies he didn't know where she was, but Celeste returned to her Lake Elsinore home two days after the conversation.

READ MORE: Family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez makes first public statement after D4vd charged with teen's murder

D4vd bought Celeste a phone after her parents took hers away, prosecutors say

According to the court document, D4vd continued to pursue Celeste despite being told by deputies that she was 13. When Celeste returned home, her parents took her phone away.

Despite this, prosecutors allege that D4vd paid a junior high school student in Celeste's class $1,000 to give her a cellphone that he had purchased so they could keep talking.

From there, the legal brief alleges that the pair spent a significant amount of time together in 2024, including weekends at his home in the Hollywood Hills and traveling to Las Vegas, London and even to Texas to meet D4vd's family.

Their texts reportedly contained references to sex, pregnancy and abortion. Prosecutors also reportedly discovered explicit photos "documenting and corroborating their sexual relationship."

D4vd and Celeste reportedly broke up in November 2024 but continued to communicate, and prosecutors say their texts suggest they also continued to have a sexual relationship.

Prosecutors say a March 2025 text from Celeste to D4vd says, "All we do is have sex and just hang out man I want more than that for myself."

SEE ALSO: Who is D4vd? Singer arrested in 14-year-old's death started as video game streamer

Singer D4vd's rising career has now been overshadowed by his arrest in connection with the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

D4vd allegedly invited Celeste to his house after they got into a fight, and that's when the teen was killed

According to the court document, D4vd and Celeste had a lengthy argument on the night of April 22, which was detailed in text messages. The teen was allegedly jealous of his other relationships and got upset, threatening to disclose information about their relationship to "end his career and destroy his life."

D4vd's album was due to be released on April 25, and he reportedly had multiple product endorsements that were highly profitable. He was also about to embark on a tour.

Prosecutors allege D4vd sent an Uber to pick Celeste up at her Lake Elsinore home and bring her to his house in the Hollywood Hills around 8:40 p.m. on April 23. They were reportedly texting before and during the Uber ride.

Celeste reportedly arrived around 10:10 p.m.

D4vd reportedly texted her and asked where she was at 10:30 p.m., but prosecutors believe she was already dead by this time, and the texts were part of a "premeditated plan" to cover up her murder.

The legal brief claims D4vd stabbed Celeste multiple times and watched her bleed to death. It also says he did not call 911 or take her to the hospital.

D4vd is accused of visiting an area in Santa Barbara County multiple times after Celeste's death

D4vd reportedly left his home around 11:30 p.m. as he continued to text and call Celeste's phone. The prosecutors say he "calculated and planned to set up his defense within a very short timeline after the victim's vicious murder."

He then allegedly drove north on the 101 Freeway to an area near Lake Cachuma in Santa Barbara County before returning home the morning of April 24 and going to a radio interview to promote his new album.

The document claims D4vd sent two more texts to the teen's phone that day, but never attempted to contact her again after April 26.

He allegedly returned to the same area in Santa Barbara County on May 8 and again on May 31.

Celeste's passport card was later found by a Caltrans worker off SR-154 in Santa Barbara County on Jan. 17.

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D4vd allegedly purchased chainsaws, body bag and inflatable pool on Amazon after teen's death

The court document says D4vd ordered a shovel from Home Depot on April 24 that was delivered to his home via Postmates. He then allegedly ordered two chainsaws on Amazon on May 1, and a body bag, heavy-duty laundry bags and a blue inflatable pool on May 5. All of the purchases were reportedly made under a fake name but delivered to his Hollywood Hills home.

On July 7, he allegedly ordered a "burn cage" on Amazon under the same fake name in a plan to "incinerate evidence."

Prosecutors believe Celeste was placed in the inflatable pool during her dismemberment "to prevent her blood from spilling onto his garage floor." Small blue plastic fragments were found embedded in her remains, and an expert allegedly matched them to the pool.

The teen's left pinky and ring fingers were reportedly amputated but never recovered. Prosecutors allege this is because her ring finger had a tattoo of D4vd's name and he was trying to "distance himself from the victim."

Celeste's remains were reportedly placed in a cadaver bag and a garbage bag and placed in the front trunk of the Tesla, where she decomposed for several weeks or possibly months.

Before leaving for the tour, D4vd is accused of parking his Tesla on the Hollywood Hills street where it was later towed from. Prosecutors allegedly have surveillance video showing D4vd driving the Tesla for the last time on July 29, 2025.

Celeste's remains were discovered in the Tesla in September 2025.

DNA evidence allegedly discovered in D4vd's garage

During a search warrant at the Hollywood Hills home, LAPD reportedly found evidence inside the garage consistent with the dismemberment of Celste's body. Samples tested positive for blood and matched the teen's DNA, according to the legal brief.

The inflatable pool was also located, and officers noted that it had multiple linear cuts.