On Air Now

This is the Coast

Midnight - 6:00am

  • 01723 336444

Now Playing

Gladys Knight

Licence To Kill

Download

Singer D4vd's alleged murder victim died from penetrating injuries, post-mortem finds

A 14-year-old girl, who was allegedly murdered by singer D4vd, died from "multiple penetrating injuries caused by objects", according to a post-mortem report.

The 21-year-old US musician, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, had been under investigation by a grand jury after the dismembered and decomposed body of Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found in a car registered to him in September.

He was arrested last Thursday and charged with Ms Hernandez's murder on Monday. He pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, lewd and lascivious acts with a person under 14 and mutilating a dead body.

The girl's death was ruled a homicide in the post-mortem report by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office.

It found she had significant wounds to her torso, likely caused by a sharp object.

Her body was so degraded that experts could not establish her eye colour. And some of her body parts were missing.

The report, published on Wednesday, had been blocked from release for months.

A judge had ordered the report to be sealed in November at the request of law enforcement.

But prosecutors agreed this week to allow its release.

Family tribute to 'beautiful, strong girl'

The victim's parents, Jesus Rivas and Mercedes Martinez, paid tribute to her, saying she was "a beautiful, strong girl who loved to sing and dance" as they made their first public statement.

"Every Friday night was movie night and we spent wonderful times together."

"We love her very much and she always told us that she loved us. We miss her deeply," they said in a joint statement released through their lawyer.

Prosecutors allege Burke killed the girl because she threatened to report they had a sexual relationship that began when she was 13 years old and he feared it would ruin his rising career.

A criminal complaint alleges he killed her with a sharp object and dismembered the body about two weeks later.

Read more from Sky News:
This is why your hay fever is getting worse
Everyone born after 2008 to be banned from smoking

LA County's chief medical examiner Dr Odey C Ukpo said: "After several months, I am grateful this information can now be released, not only to the public, but also to the grieving family enduring loss.

"It is unfathomable they have had to wait this long to learn what happened to their daughter."

Sky News

(c) Sky News 2026: Singer D4vd's alleged murder victim died from penetrating injuries, post-mortem finds

Want to See More from This is the Coast?

Click here to set This is the Coast as a preferred source on Google search.

Love living on the Yorkshire Coast? So do we.

This is the Coast is 100% locally owned and operated. We don’t rely on public funding or government grants—we rely on our community.

Producing trusted, fact-checked local news takes time and resources. If you value having a dedicated team of professional journalists fighting for our region, please consider supporting us.

Help keep the Yorkshire Coast informed for the price of a coffee a month.

Support Local Journalism Today

More from Top Stories

Follow Us

Get Our Apps

Our Apps are now available for iOS, Android and Smart Speakers.

  • Available on the App Store
  • Available on Google Play
  • Just ask Amazon Alexa
  • Available on Roku

Today's Weather

  • Scarborough

    Sunny intervals

    High: 11°C | Low: 5°C

  • Filey

    Sunny intervals

    High: 11°C | Low: 6°C

  • Whitby

    Sunny intervals

    High: 10°C | Low: 4°C

  • Bridlington

    Sunny

    High: 10°C | Low: 6°C

  • Hornsea

    Sunny

    High: 11°C | Low: 6°C

  • Driffield

    Sunny intervals

    High: 12°C | Low: 4°C

News