D4vd Pleads Not Guilty in Teen Murder Case, Switches to Public Defender

D4vd, the singer behind the platinum hit "Romantic Homicide," entered a not guilty plea Monday at his rearraignment on charges he sexually abused, killed and dismembered 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The plea was entered by his newly appointed public defender, Walid Kandeel, after the singer's high-profile private attorneys withdrew from the case.

Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter told the court they were stepping aside, and Judge Charlaine Olmedo granted the request to appoint the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office. In a statement handed out outside the courtroom, the three lawyers said D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, "qualified for appointed counsel."

"This morning, the court granted our request to withdraw as counsel and appoint the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office, after it was determined David qualified for appointed counsel," the statement read. "We continue to support David and his defense against these serious charges. We are grateful that the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office had taken over the representation and that David has a highly capable and committed team of attorneys and investigators behind him."

Kandeel asked the judge to delay the arraignment so he could review transcripts from the preliminary hearing, but Olmedo denied the request. She noted the charging document contained the same three counts filed when Burke was arrested in April. Kandeel then entered the not guilty plea on Burke's behalf, and the judge set the next hearing for Oct. 19. No trial date has been set.

The case stems from the death of Rivas Hernandez, whose remains were found in September 2025 in a Tesla registered to Burke's address. Prosecutors allege Burke killed her on April 23, 2025, after she threatened to expose their illegal sexual relationship and ruin his music career. They say he dismembered her body with a chainsaw and concealed the remains in the vehicle.

In late July, after a five-day preliminary hearing, Judge Olmedo ruled that prosecutors had presented enough evidence to send Burke to trial on charges of first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains. The murder charge includes special circumstances of lying in wait and financial gain, which could make Burke eligible for the death penalty.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said outside court Monday that his office is "ready to proceed" with the case. He acknowledged the change in lawyers could delay proceedings or lead to a motion to dismiss. The public defender's office said in a statement that it recognizes the loss of life and extends sympathies to those grieving, while adding that Burke "is entitled to a defense that takes his circumstances seriously and carefully examines the evidence."