D4vd faces murder charge as autopsy details emerge in teen killing

A Los Angeles court heard Thursday that singer D4vd's iPhone contained a significant amount of child sexual abuse material, as prosecutors presented new details in the murder case of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

The hearing came one day after the Los Angeles County medical examiner released an autopsy report, and fell exactly one year after Celeste was last seen alive at the singer's Hollywood Hills home. D4vd, who has more than 4 million TikTok followers, has pleaded not guilty and is held without bail.

D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, is charged with murder, mutilation of human remains and continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. He faces a maximum sentence of life without parole or the death penalty.

Prosecutors told the court Thursday that a significant amount of child sexual abuse material was found on D4vd's iPhone. Defense attorneys have yet to review the bulk of more than 40 terabytes of total evidence — roughly 30 percent has been handed over so far — with a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 1, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles County medical examiner's report, released April 22, found that Celeste died from wounds caused by objects penetrating her body. Specific injuries included a wound to the right abdomen with damage to the liver and a wound to the left chest. Toxicology results showed benzodiazepines and methamphetamine or MDMA in her system. Her remains, weighing 71 pounds and dismembered into several parts, were discovered in September 2025 in the trunk of a Tesla in an advanced state of decomposition, with fragments of blue plastic embedded in the cut surfaces.

Celeste was last confirmed alive on April 23, 2025, when she traveled to D4vd's rented home in the Hollywood Hills. She had been reported as a runaway from Lake Elsinore in Riverside County.

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, speaking at a news conference, said evidence concerns shaped the pace of the investigation. "We had to be certain that nothing we said or did would ever jeopardize this case," McDonnell said, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. "The substantial amount of time that passed between her death and the discovery meant that crucial evidence had degraded or disappeared." He added that the probe was "driven by a single purpose: to secure justice for Celeste Rivas and for those who loved her."

Through their attorney, Celeste's parents released a statement saying the family was "absolutely devastated by the findings contained in the Medical Examiner's Report involving the horrible and gruesome death of their beloved daughter." They asked the public for "privacy, understanding, and patience" as they process the information.