D4vd faces new legal team in murder trial
Musician D4vd, accused of stabbing and dismembering a 14-year-old girl who threatened to expose their secret relationship, replaced his defense team on Monday with a court-appointed attorney, Reuters reports.
D4vd, 21, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, appeared Monday at the Los Angeles Superior Court. The appearance came a month after Judge Charlaine Olmedo found sufficient grounds for him to stand trial, following a multi-day proceeding in which prosecutors presented graphic testimony and grisly crime-scene photographs as evidence, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.
His lead attorney, Blair Berk, who has represented numerous celebrities in other cases, told the judge that Burke had requested new representation but did not explain why, the Los Angeles Times reported.
It was not immediately clear how Burke financially qualified for a court-appointed attorney, given his successful music career. In a statement, Burke's former legal team said the court had approved their request to withdraw “after it was determined that David qualified for a court-appointed attorney.”
Burke's next court hearing is scheduled for October, according to Los Angeles-based KABC.
Burke began his career as a viral TikTok sensation, with his first hit single, “Romantic Homicide,” leading to a multimillion-dollar deal with Interscope Records. His debut album was released in April 2025, the same week prosecutors say his underage girlfriend, Celeste Rivas Hernandez, disappeared.
Her decomposing remains were found five months later stuffed into the front trunk of a Tesla sedan that authorities say was registered to Burke. The singer-songwriter was arrested in April this year and charged with first-degree murder, mutilation of human remains and sexual abuse of a child.
Prosecutors allege that Burke killed the girl out of fear that she would destroy his burgeoning career after threatening to make their sexual relationship public.
Prosecutors said that “Burke fatally stabbed her at his Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025.” During last month's preliminary hearing, prosecutors displayed photographs of three chainsaws, a shovel and other items they said Burke purchased online under a false name and had delivered to his home after the killing.
Among the items was a blue inflatable plastic pool, which prosecutors said Burke used to prevent blood from spilling onto the floor of his garage when the victim was dismembered.
Authorities identified the victim's genetic profile in DNA samples collected from Burke's garage, according to prosecutors.
Photo: Instagram/d4vddd
