The family of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez has expressed “indescribable pain” and denied rumours that they were paid by singer D4vd (David Anthony Burke) to stay silent, following gruesome revelations about her alleged murder and dismemberment in April 2025.
Prosecutors allege D4vd, 21, stabbed Celeste to silence her regarding their prior sexual relationship. D4vd‘s legal team is bracing for what comes next as the Rivas Hernandez family processes the full weight of what prosecutors allege happened to their 14-year-old daughter. The family’s attorney, Patrick Steinfeld, delivered the details to Jesus and Mercedes Rivas last week, and the emotional toll has been immediate and devastating. Steinfeld described the moment as the most difficult conversation in his 37 years practicing law, laying out allegations that D4vd stabbed Celeste, stood by while she bled out, dismembered her body with a chainsaw, and purchased equipment specifically designed to destroy evidence.
On May 5, he ordered a body bag, heavy-duty laundry bags, and a blue inflatable pool, using the fake name Victoria Mendez for the purchases. Investigators found plastic fragments embedded in Celeste’s remains that matched the pool he bought, and court documents suggest he placed her body inside it to contain blood while he dismembered her in his garage. The case has already drawn comparisons to previous high-profile cases involving artists, though the specifics here are uniquely brutal. D4vd faces first-degree murder with special circumstances, meaning he’s eligible for the death penalty.