D4vd murder case: Teen texted 'I will end ur career and ur life' night before death

LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors on Monday gave a chilling account of the final hours of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, revealing a stream of angry text messages with singer D4vd before her phone went silent as she arrived at his Hollywood home.

The texts were shown in court on the fifth and likely final day of a hearing to determine whether D4vd, whose real name is David Burke, will stand trial for her murder. As she neared his home in an Uber he had sent, her last message read: 'girly pop i'm almost there open ur door if ur home.'

What did the teen text the night before her death?

The night before the killing, the two argued over his relationship with another woman. Rivas Hernandez sent an angry, profane text threatening to tell her father lies and saying, 'i will end ur career and ur life.'

Detective Corey Farrell of the Los Angeles Police Department read the texts obtained from warrants on Burke's iPhone and iCloud accounts. The defense showed other texts where Rivas Hernandez threatened to go to Burke's mother, talk to his friends, and 'leak' information about them.

What are the charges against D4vd?

Judge Charlaine Olmedo will decide whether to put the 21-year-old Burke on trial for murder, sexual abuse of a child under 14, and mutilation of a body. He has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers say he did not cause her death.

Prosecutors allege Burke stabbed Rivas Hernandez when she came through the door, then dismembered her body in his garage. A police analyst testified that blood stains there matched her DNA. Her body was found in a Tesla registered to him nearly five months later.

What does the defense argue?

Defense attorney Marilyn Bednarski argued the evidence is insufficient for a murder charge. 'There's no evidence that Mr. Burke harbored a deliberate intent to kill Miss Hernandez,' she said. She claimed the communications showed 'no threat, no evidence of a history of violence' and that he had 'the opposite of homicidal malice.'

The defense did not address the sexual abuse or mutilation charges during the multiday hearing. They also established that Rivas Hernandez had asked seven times to see him before her death, and that she had threatened to kill and mutilate him.

Was there a sexual relationship?

Farrell recounted dozens of sexually explicit photos and years of text messages describing the same, along with conversations indicating Rivas Hernandez had an abortion in 2024 at age 13 after Burke got her pregnant. The graphic material left her mother in tears and prompted both parents to leave the courtroom on Friday.

Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman told the judge that 'the defense tried numerous times throughout these proceedings to dirty up the victim' despite her being a child.

What was D4vd's career at the time?

D4vd (pronounced 'David') became an online musical phenomenon as a teen with a blend of indie rock, R&B, and lo-fi pop. He had huge followings on TikTok, Soundcloud, and Spotify, where his top songs, including the 2022 breakthrough 'Romantic Homicide,' have more than a billion plays. In 2024 he played Coachella and released his first full-length album, 'Withered,' two days after authorities say Rivas Hernandez was killed.

The hearing is expected to conclude soon, with Judge Olmedo ruling on whether the case proceeds to trial.