D4vd looked more like he was waiting on a delayed flight than fighting a criminal case Tuesday morning ... casually slumping in his chair during a court hearing while his lawyers and prosecutors deliberated over the case's timeline.
The artist -- born David Burke -- appeared in Downtown Los Angeles for a status conference tied to his upcoming preliminary hearing ... rocking an orange jail jumpsuit and appearing unusually relaxed throughout the proceedings.
A sketch shows him entering the courtroom in restraints as he faces first-degree murder and mutilation charges tied to the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez... whose dismembered remains were found inside a Tesla registered to the singer last year. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges after his April arrest.
D4vd's younger brother, Caleb Burke, says people online are pretending to be him -- days after distancing himself from his infamous brother, TMZ has learned.
On Friday morning, Caleb wrote, “There are people that are impersonating me online.”
“I don’t have a YouTube account,” he added. Caleb pointed to the three social media accounts that are his before adding, “I will be deactivating them after this post.”
D4vd's younger brother, Caleb Burke,is trying to separate himself from the firestorm surrounding the Celeste Rivas Hernandezmurder case … while also trying to launch a music career of his own online.
In a lengthy IG Story, Caleb said Thursday he’s stayed silent because the case is an "ongoing legal matter," but felt compelled to speak out after social media users accused him of helping cover for his brother.
"I’ve seen people say that I knew what was going on and was protecting my brother. This is not true at all," he wrote.
D4vd's TikTok account no longer exists ... weeks after he was charged with the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, TMZ has learned.
See for yourself -- you can search his page, but its content has been erased, and a message that it's been banned pops up.
TikTok's Community Guidelines prohibit the promotion of violence or graphic content, which may be the reason he got the axe. TMZ has reached out to TikTok for more information.
D4vd's brother, Caleb Burke, is jumping into the family biz ... dropping original music about sex and love, all while D4vd's locked up & facing murder charges, TMZ has learned.
Earlier this month, Caleb opened social media accounts under the name Cara Kova, but he calls himself Kova. The aspiring singer posted two songs -- "Imaginary Love" and "S*x" -- on Spotify and Apple Music.
Spotify lists Kova as the artist, but Caleb Burke as the songwriter, singer, composer and producer.
D4vd will head to court this month for his preliminary hearing in Celeste Rivas' murder case.
The singer -- whose legal name is DavidAnthony Burke -- has been charged with killing the teenager. But you may be wondering when everything went down ... and how they even met in the first place.
TMZ's got everything you need to know about D4vd and Celeste. Here's how the prosecutors say the timeline breaks down:
You can see Celeste and D4vd on a January 2024 livestream together ... answering fans' questions. At one point, you can hear Celeste encourage D4vd to respond to a specific comment.
February 2024: Celeste Reported Missing
According to prosecutors ... Celeste's family reported her missing to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.
The D.A. says the RCSD called D4vd on February 17 because they found his number in Celeste's phone records.
On the phone, D4vd allegedly told authorities he hadn't talked to Celeste since February 13 or 14 ... and claimed he was unaware she was missing ... or that she was a minor.
That night, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department went to D4vd's West Hollywood rental house, where he told them he'd only met Celeste in person once the previous November ... according to the brief.
The doc alleges that during this visit, D4vd showed deputies a yearbook photo of Celeste that he had on his phone.
February 19, 2024: Celeste Returns Home
According to the brief ... Celeste returned home to Lake Elsinore just two days after L.A. County deputies visited D4vd's home.
It notes that D4vd told officers during the welfare check at his home that he didn't know where Celeste was during the period in which she was missing.
February 2024: D4vd Keeps Pursuing Celeste
According to the filing ... D4vd "continued to pursue" Celeste ... even though both RCSD and LASD had allegedly informed him that she was a minor.
The brief says Celeste's parents took her phone away after she returned home. After this, D4vd allegedly drove to Lake Elsinore to pay a junior high student $1000 to give Celeste a phone he had bought for her.
A photo obtained by TMZ in September 2025 shows D4vd near the victim's home in Lake Elsinore, interacting with a man holding a brown bag ... but it's unclear if the pic is from his alleged visit in February of that year.
And as we previously reported, a TikTok commenter accused D4vd of "messing with a 13-year-old" ... and Celeste was 13 at the time of the post.
April 2024: Celeste Reported Missing Again
According to prosecutors, Celeste's family reported her missing again ... just months after the last time she'd been missing.
The missing-person poster says she was last seen when she left the house on April 5 at 9 PM.
The L.A. County D.A. claims that Celeste was with D4vd a lot "throughout 2024" ... allegedly spending summer weekends at his Hollywood Hills home and taking trips with him to Las Vegas, Texas, and London. The document specifies Celeste allegedly travelled to Texas to meet D4vd's family.
D4vd seemed to describe a couple of these alleged trips in an April 2025 interview with online magazine Songwriter Universe ... when he mentioned a trip he took to London with three "friends." He added that he went to Houston for two weeks after that.
Throughout 2024: Texts Confirm Sexual Relationship
According to prosecutors ... alleged texts confirm D4vd and Celeste were in a sexual relationship. The filing alleges messages contain references to sex, pregnancy, abortion, and the use of Plan B emergency contraceptive.
It also says there were "explicit photos" that documented and corroborated their sexual relationship.
November 2024: D4vd and Celeste Break Up
The filing claims D4vd and Celeste broke up in November 2024, but doesn't elaborate on the nature or circumstances of the alleged breakup.
But, it did claim that they stayed in touch ... and their alleged texts suggest they were still having "sexual relations."
April 22, 2025: D4vd and Celeste Fight
According to the brief ... texts allegedly show D4vd and Celeste had a "lengthy argument." In the alleged messages, Celeste was seemingly jealous that D4vd had relationships with other women ... the filing says.
The brief continues, claiming Celeste threatened to disclose "damaging information" about her relationship with D4vd with the alleged goal of ruining his life and career.
April 23, 2025: Likely Day Celeste Died
Prosecutors believe this is the "likely date" Celeste died ... according to the brief. It notes that all her cell phone activity stopped this night.
At Approximately 8:40 PM
The filing says D4vd sent an Uber to bring Celeste from Lake Elsinore to his place in the Hollywood Hills, in Los Angeles.
At Approximately 10:10 PM
Celeste was allegedly dropped off at D4vd's Hollywood Hills home. The brief claims that "very soon after her arrival at his home" the singer stabbed Celeste to death multiple times and stood by while she bled out.
The filing says D4vd did not attempt to save her life ... he didn't call 911 or bring Celeste to the emergency room.
At Approximately 10:30 PM
D4vd sent texts to Celeste asking where she was ... according to the brief. Prosecutors argue this was his "premeditated plan to cover up the murder, as she was already dead by this time."
At Approximately 11:30 PM
The brief says D4vd texted and called Celeste to once again ask where she was ... as he left his home in his Tesla and allegedly drove north to Santa Barbara County.
April 24, 2025: D4vd Returns From Santa Barbara
D4vd drove home from Santa Barbara County and returned to L.A. ... and went to a radio interview to plug his upcoming album, according to the filing.
The doc claims he texted Celeste two more times that day, "which obviously went unanswered because she was already dead." It also says he ordered a shovel from Home Depot that was delivered to his home by Postmates that same day.
April 26, 2025: D4vd Stops Trying to Contact Celeste
The brief notes that D4vd never attempted to contact Celeste again after this day ... but doesn't specify what attempt he made on the 26th, if any.
May 1, 2025: D4vd Buys 2 Chainsaws
According to the filing, D4vd ordered two chainsaws to his home ... allegedly making this purchase under the fake name "Victoria Mendez."
May 5, 2025: D4vd Buys Body Bag
The brief says the singer also ordered a body bag, heavy-duty laundry bags, and a blue inflatable pool to his Hollywood Hills house.
It claims these purchases were also sent to his home ... and ordered under the same pseudonym as the chainsaws.
May 2025: D4vd Goes to Santa Barbara Again
According to prosecutors ... D4vd made two more trips to Santa Barbara County. The first time, it says he left his home around 11:30 PM May 8.
The filing alleges he went back on May 31. It doesn't specify when he came back to L.A. either time.
July 7, 2025: D4vd Buys 'Burn Cage'
The doc says D4vd made another purchase under the Victoria Mendez alias a couple months after his other alleged purchases ... this time ordering a "burn cage" -- a portable outdoor incinerator -- from Amazon. Prosecutors claim this device was part of his plan to "incinerate evidence."
July 29, 2025: D4vd Drives Tesla for the Last Time
According to the brief ... surveillance footage and "other evidence" shows D4vd was the last person to drive his Tesla before parking it approximately 400 feet from his home ... where it was eventually towed from months later, in September.
August 5, 2025: D4vd's Tour Starts
D4vd's "Withered World Tour" kicked off in Del Mar, California in August. The run was scheduled to hit several cities -- in the U.S. as well as Europe -- and wrap on November 4, 2025.
September 8, 2025: Celeste's Body Found in D4vd's Tesla
According to the brief, Celeste's body was found "dismembered" in the front trunk of D4vd's Tesla at a Hollywood tow yard ... after being towed there on September 5.
Documents say the manager said they noticed a strong smell of decay and the presence of flies coming from the Tesla, and called LAPD ... who ultimately confirmed the car was registered to D4vd.
The brief says detectives found a black body bag "covered in insects" in the front trunk ... with a "severely decomposed" head and torso inside.
It notes there was also a plastic garbage bag under the body bag that contained dismembered arms and legs.
The body's left ring and pinky fingers had been amputated, and weren't found in the car ... according to the brief.
September 9, 2025: D4vd Performs in Minnesota
As we previously reported, D4vd was business as usual the next day ... hitting the stage at The Fillmore Minneapolis, continuing on the tour as planned.
September 16, 2025: Celeste's Body Identified
According to prosecutors ... the body from D4vd's trunk was "positively identified" as Celeste Rivas, based on her dental records.
Celeste's mom told TMZ at the time ... her daughter had a boyfriend named David and a tattoo on her finger that says "Shhh..." -- which matched the one in the police description of her body.
September 17, 2025: Search Warrant Served at D4vd's Home
LAPD served a search warrant for D4vd's home after the medical examiner identified Celeste ... prosecutors say.
At the time, law enforcement sources told TMZ the cops used luminol to look for blood during the search.
Also on this day, TMZ identifies that D4vd has same "Shhh..." ink on the same finger of his own hand. The first photo where you see the tattoo on D4vd is from September 2024. It's unclear when Celeste got hers.
September 18, 2025: D4vd Cancels Tour
D4vd pulled the plug on his U.S. tour with only two dates left on the leg. He eventually went on to scrap his European and UK shows.
Additionally, D4vd's label decided to pump the brakes on plugging the deluxe version of his album.
September 19, 2025: Pulls Bloody Merch
TMZ reports that D4vd yanked his "bloody shirt" merch from his website at some point between September 17 and September 19 as police continued to investigate Celeste's death.
December 9, 2025: Celeste's Death Ruled a Homicide
According to prosecutors ... the medical examiner ruled Celeste Rivas' death was a homicide.
The filing says the young teen died from "two penetrating injuries to the torso."
Late 2025: D4vd Dropped by Label
Rolling Stone reports D4vd was quietly dropped by Interscope Records, but doesn't specify exactly when.
The publication said artists like Kali Uchis, Holly Humberstone, Laufey,and Damiano David pulled their collabs with him from streaming services.
January 7, 2026: Celeste's Passport Card Found
According to prosecutors ... a Caltrans worker found Celeste's passport card off the SR-154 in Santa Barbara County near Painted Cave Road, about 100 miles northwest of the Hollywood Hills. Caltrans says CHP came and collected Celeste's passport card ... and then detectives from a law enforcement agency returned on January 17 to interview the maintenance worker and his supervisor.
LAPD arrested D4vd for Celeste's murder. He was brought into custody in the early evening at a different Hollywood Hills residence ... 7 months after her body was found in his Tesla.
The singer was booked at the 77th Street Station Jail at 10:12 PM and was held without bail. His attorneys told TMZ at the time that there had been no indictment and no criminal complaint when the cops brought him in.
D4vd was officially charged with first-degree murder with special circumstances -- which makes him eligible for the death penalty.
He was also charged with lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 ... as well as mutilating a body.
That same day ... D4vd went before a judge and entered a not guilty plea. That night -- just before 10 PM -- he was transferred to L.A. County Men's Central Jail.
April 22, 2026: Celeste's Cause of Death Released
The L.A. County Medical Examiner released Celeste's cause of death ... confirming she was killed by multiple penetrating injuries with unspecified objects.
The M.E. says there are "2 penetrating wounds of the torso with smooth edges that may represent sharp force injuries. The wound -- [3/4 inch length and 1.5 inches deep] -- on the upper abdomen penetrates the liver, and the wound on the left chest -- [9/16 inch length and 2 inches deep] penetrates one of the left intercostal spaces, with disruption of the adjacent ribs' cortical surfaces."
April 23, 2026: D4vd's Status Hearing
D4vd appeared in court for a status hearing regarding his preliminary hearing, later rescheduled for May 26 ... where he was shackled and wearing an orange jumpsuit.
During the hearing, prosecutors said they found a "significant amount" of child sexual abuse material on the singer's phone. They added that they want to go to trial within the next 60 days.
April 27, 2026: D4vd Requests Haircut and New Clothes for Hearing
TMZ obtained court docs that show D4vd's team requested new threads and a haircut before his preliminary hearing.
According to the papers ... the judge said no to the clothes, but signed off on an order that the LASD give him the haircut.
D4vd's preliminary hearing was initially scheduled for May 1 ... but was pushed to May 26.
This video shows D4vd apologizing to friends about a horrible "smell" in his home, 2 months after he allegedly murdered and dismembered Celeste Rivas Hernandez in that same house.
In the clip, from a July 4, 2025 livestream, the singer is hanging out with his friends Neo and Sukana. At one point, D4vd interrupts them to apologize for the "way his bathroom smells" ... claiming it was because he had "s***" in it 2 hours earlier.
As we reported, D4vd is facing felony charges of first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a minor and mutilation of human remains ... and prosecutors allege he kept Celeste's remains in his rental home for months before they were discovered in September in his Tesla.
Flowers are piling up at Celeste Rivas's gravesite -- a simple but powerful show of love as people continue to honor her memory.
Check out the scene we saw on Friday ... Celeste’s final resting place at Queen of Heaven Cemetery & Mortuary in Rowland Heights in L.A. is currently surrounded by carefully placed bouquets -- bright pink roses, yellow daisies, soft white blooms -- each a reminder that she hasn’t been forgotten.
The polished black granite headstone bearing her name is framed by bursts of color ... surrounding the etched image of Celeste depicted as an angel. The scene provides a sense of warmth in an otherwise heavy place … like each visitor found their own quiet way to say goodbye.
Celeste Rivas' father says he's never even met D4vd, much less received any money from him ... despite rumors floating around the family's home town that the singer was giving funds to the Rivas family.
There's been online speculation, including on Reddit and Facebook, springing up around Lake Elsinore, California -- located about 2 hours southeast of L.A. -- that the disgraced singer and murder suspect gave money to the family.
Jesus Rivas tells TMZ, through his attorney Patrick Steinfeld ... "I never had any contact with this guy and we haven't received any money from him or anyone in his family."
Prosecutors say D4vd disposed of Celeste Rivas' personal items in a remote area of Santa Barbara County after he murdered her in his Hollywood Hills home ... her identification was found off a highway in the area described, and now we know how it was recovered.
Caltrans tells TMZ ... a maintenance worker performing traffic control on SR-154 east of Painted Cave Road on Jan. 7, 2026 looked down in the brush and discovered Celeste's passport card. That's about 100 miles northwest of the Hollywood Hills, in a wooded mountainous region.
We're told the Caltrans worker reported the finding to his supervisor, who contacted the California Highway Patrol.
Celeste Rivas' parents were investigated over allegations of child neglect and abuse about a year before D4vd allegedly murdered the 14-year-old runaway, but law enforcement found no wrongdoing ... TMZ has learned.
When Celeste went missing from her family home Lake Elsinore, CA ... the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office tells us it opened an investigation that year on April 27. That was a couple weeks after Celeste was reported missing for the second time.
It's unknown who called to complain, but RCSD tells TMZ the person "expressed concern about a juvenile who had run away."
Celeste Rivas' family's lawyer said her relatives are dealing with "indescribable pain" and have decided not to make any public statement, after learning of the horrific details surrounding her tragic death.
Patrick Steinfeld tells TMZ ... on Wednesday, he had to inform the Rivas family about the horrific allegations made against D4vd -- including that he allegedly "stood by while she bled out" and later used a chainsaw to cut off her limbs.
Steinfeld says speaking to the family about such macabre allegations is the hardest thing he's had to do in 37 years as a lawyer ... and it's affected the family so much that they've decided against their original idea of speaking publicly throughout the criminal process.
A memorial for Celeste Rivas Hernandez continues to grow outside of her parents' home in Lake Elsinore, CA... and the scene is absolutely heartbreaking.
Photos taken on Thursday show a "Justice for Celeste Rivas" sign stretched across the fence, alongside her picture, surrounded by flowers and teddy bears, with her name also spelled out in candles on the ground.
The whole scene was just a stark reminder of how young she was. Celeste was just 14 when her body was found last year -- dismembered and decomposing in the trunk of D4vd's Tesla.
D4vd appears to be cool, calm, and collected during a podcast appearance ... which came out days after prosecutors claim he murdered Celeste Rivas.
During the singer's interview on the "Zach Sang Show" -- published April 28, 2025 ... 5 days after prosecutors claim Celeste was killed -- he is seen laid back and relaxed as he describes how he pulls inspiration for his music.
In the interview ... D4vd reveals he felt isolated by being homeschooled growing up, forcing him to create fake scenarios in his head, which he would then translate into his music.
There are some important updates to the death certificate for Celeste Rivas ... the document now reflects the fact the L.A. County Medical Examiner says she was murdered ... and it's now unknown if she'd been pregnant in the year before she was killed.
TMZ obtained Celeste's new death certificate, and it no longer says she was NOT pregnant ... now that section is marked "U" for unknown.
The new certificate says the cause of death has been corrected from "deferred" to "multiple penetrating injuries" ... and the manner of death is updated from "pending investigation" to "homicide."