D4vd Murder Charges Allege Chainsaw, Tesla Cover-Up

Shocking Details Outline Alleged Cover-Up

Grisly new details in the D4vd murder charges allege the singer used a chainsaw to dismember a 14-year-old girl inside a blue inflatable pool. Prosecutors outline a disturbing plot where he then hid her remains in the trunk of his Tesla for weeks.

These allegations are part of a nine-page preliminary hearing brief filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office. A judge unsealed the document on Wednesday over objections from the defense team for the singer, whose real name is David Anthony Burke.

Burke, 21, faces charges of first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child, and the unlawful mutilation of human remains in the death of Celeste Rivas. He has pleaded not guilty.

During a court hearing, Burke's attorney, Blair Berk, argued that releasing the “entirely one-sided” brief would taint a potential jury pool. Judge Charlaine Olmedo denied the request to seal the document but agreed to postpone the preliminary hearing from May 1 to May 26.

A Calculated and Premeditated Act

Prosecutors claim Burke orchestrated a detailed cover-up after stabbing Rivas to death in his Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025. They allege he sent texts to her phone after she was already dead to create an alibi.

The brief states Burke ordered a shovel, two chainsaws, a body bag, and an inflatable pool under the fake name “Victoria Mendez.” He allegedly used the pool in his garage to contain blood while dismembering the body and later ordered a “burn cage” to incinerate evidence.

According to the filing, blue plastic fragments found embedded in Rivas’s remains were a forensic match to the inflatable pool. Investigators also discovered blood in Burke’s garage that matched the victim’s DNA profile. The brief claims Burke amputated Rivas’s left ring finger because it had a tattoo of his name.

The victim's body was discovered on September 8, 2025, after Burke's Tesla was towed and impounded. Surveillance video from July 29, 2025, allegedly shows him parking the car near his rental home before leaving for a concert tour.

Relationship History and Alleged Motive

The court filing alleges the relationship between Burke and Rivas began when she was 13 years old. Prosecutors claim they have recovered text messages discussing sex, pregnancy, and abortion, as well as explicit photos exchanged between the two.

Authorities allege Burke was contacted by Riverside County officials in February 2024 about Rivas’s age after she was reported missing. Despite this, he allegedly continued the relationship, even paying a classmate $1,000 to give her a secret cell phone.

The motive for the murder, prosecutors contend, was Rivas’s threat to expose their relationship. On the night of her death, text messages allegedly show a lengthy argument where she became upset and “threatened to disclose damaging information… to end his career and destroy his life.”

Burke is facing special circumstance allegations of murder of a witness, murder for financial gain, and lying in wait. These charges make him eligible for the death penalty, though prosecutors have not yet announced if they will seek it. The case involves a large volume of evidence, including material from a wiretap and three separate grand juries.