Singer d4vd could face trial over the killing of a teenage girl. Here’s a timeline of the case

Singer d4vd Could Face Trial in Teen Death Case

Goldlaner.com – Singer d4vd could face trial as prosecutors prepare to present their case against the musician following a ten-month investigation. The 21-year-old, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, faces serious charges connected to the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 14-year-old girl whose remains were found in his abandoned vehicle. Court documents show Burke has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder with special circumstances, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and mutilating human remains.

Timeline of the Relationship

Prosecutors have established that the singer and Celeste first met in 2022 when she was just 11 years old. Their bond strengthened considerably in November 2023, when they reportedly began a sexual relationship. At that time, the musician was 18 while Celeste was 13. That same month brought a professional breakthrough for the artist, who performed his hit song “Romantic Homicide” on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

A CNN investigation uncovered that Celeste continued appearing in the singer’s social circle multiple times, both before and after her first disappearance was reported in February 2024. In January 2024, she joined him in a Twitch livestream where they joked and talked until around 3 a.m., at which point he reportedly laughed and said, “Delete everything.”

“Delete everything.”

Reports of Disappearance

Celeste was reported missing on three separate occasions during early 2024 as her family grew concerned. Her first disappearance was documented in mid-February 2024, when she was 13 years old. According to 911 call records and missing-person flyers, she was last seen on or around February 14.

Shortly after her disappearance was reported, someone sent an email to an address associated with the singer’s name on his record company’s domain. The message referenced Celeste’s vanishing and noted that “There’s been talk” suggesting the musician might be involved. The concerned individual wrote, “If there was any truth to that, please do the right thing and take her home. Her parents are very worried.” CNN verified the email’s authenticity with the sender, who requested anonymity for safety reasons. An acquaintance of the family later confirmed to CNN that Celeste returned home within days of receiving this message.

Her second disappearance was reported on or about March 19, 2024, according to official logs and posters. The third and final missing-person report was filed on April 5, 2024, by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.

Evidence and Final Days

While the exact date of Celeste’s death remains unclear, photographs suggest she was still alive nearly a year after her first disappearance. Court documents indicate that authorities stated she was 14 years old when she died. In June 2024, she was photographed backstage during a sold-out performance by the singer at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles.

Additional evidence emerged after Celeste’s body was identified in September 2025. A private investigator working for property owner Steve Fischer discovered a digital camera inside the musician’s rented home. The camera contained photographs of Celeste and the singer taken in late December 2024 and early January 2025. During this same period, the artist shared other images from the camera’s memory card on his X account, captioning them “took these pics” alongside a selfie showing him wearing a camera of the identical model.

Prosecutors allege that the singer and Celeste engaged in a heated argument after the teenager became distressed about his relationships with other women. Text messages from that evening reveal that Celeste “threatened to disclose damaging information about her relationship” with the musician, who was then 20 years old. The messages indicate she feared this disclosure would “end his career and destroy his life.” Prosecutors believe this confrontation occurred on the day Celeste was killed, and they are presenting their evidence this week as a judge determines whether sufficient grounds exist to proceed with a trial.