The parents of Celeste Rivas Hernandez have filed a civil lawsuit in California, United States, against singer D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, accusing him of sexually assaulting and killing their 14-year-old daughter before dismembering her body.
Mercedes Martinez and Jesus Rivas allege that Burke killed Celeste on April 23, 2025, when she was 14. Prosecutors have charged Burke in connection with the case, and have not said whether they will seek the death penalty if he is convicted.
Lawsuit and defendants#
The complaint, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, seeks damages from several parties. The filing states that each defendant knew or should have known about Burke’s inappropriate behavior and relationship with the minor.
- Burke
- His companies and managers
- His mother
- A live-in security guard
Allegations in the filing#
Text messages from 2024 indicated that the two discussed a pregnancy and the use of Plan B, an emergency contraceptive. Prosecutors say Burke pressured Celeste to have an abortion. The relationship continued, according to the allegations, even after a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy told Burke that Celeste was underage.
The night before the killing, Celeste and Burke argued, and she sent a message that read, “I will end ur career and ur life.” The lawsuit alleges Burke had a motive to silence her because his music career was generating millions of dollars and his debut album was days from release.
The lawsuit claims that in April 2025, Burke arranged an Uber to take Celeste from her home in Riverside County to his rental home in the Hollywood Hills, where she was killed. The lawsuit and prosecutors both allege that Burke used a chainsaw to dismember Celeste’s body in the garage and attempted to collect blood in an inflatable pool to conceal the alleged abuse. He also removed two of her fingers, according to the allegations, to hide evidence of matching tattoos the two had.
Remains found and family statement#
On September 8, 2025, authorities found Celeste’s remains in the trunk of Burke’s Tesla at a Hollywood tow yard. The car had been parked on a street near his home for weeks, and the dismembered body was severely decomposed.
On Monday, the date that would have been Celeste’s 16th birthday, her family called on District Attorney Nathan Hochman to seek the death penalty if Burke is convicted. Hochman has said he has not yet made that decision.
“If the death penalty were activated, it would be perfect for this kind of human being, devoid of feelings and emptiness inside, and without conscience, who only caused pain to our daughter, our family, and the world that supports our precious daughter,” the family said in a letter addressed to Hochman. “But that’s not in our hands, but rather in God’s and the California justice system.”
Legal team change and asset claims#
Burke’s previous legal team recently withdrew, and he is now represented in the upcoming murder trial by the Los Angeles County public defender’s office. The reason for the change is unclear. The family’s attorney alleged that Burke used his companies to shield music earnings and transferred assets to his mother, who ran the companies.
