Exclusive | D4vd used chainsaw to dismember Celeste Rivas in his garage: prosecutors

Nypost · Apr 29, 2026 · 995 words · By Jeremy Louwerse; Brad Appleton

Victim Advocacy Celebrity Crime Criminal Allegations

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What to know about Victim Advocacy

D4vd used chainsaw to dismember Celeste Rivas in his garage: prosecutors Disturbing new details have emerged of the horrifying way D4vd groomed and eventually mutilated Celeste Rivas at the age of 14 with a chainsaw, according to prosecutors.

Claims checked 23

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left25%

Center50%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

The singer, real name David Burke, ordered an Uber to deliver Rivas from her family home in Lake Elsinore to his Hollywood Hills home on the night of April 23, 2025, according to legal documents obtained by The California Post.

Common ground

He then stabbed her and stood by while she bled to death, prosecutors claim.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Victim Advocacy story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Burke allegedly ordered a shovel from Home Depot the following day and had it delivered to his home by Postmates?
How does this story connect Victim Advocacy with Celebrity Crime over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/29/us-news/d4vd-used-chainsaw-to-dismember-celeste-ri…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

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Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 23 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 13

check_circle Corroborated 7

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info Single Source 1

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Claim 1: “Burke allegedly ordered a shovel from Home Depot the following day and had it delivered to his home by Postmates.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including PEOPLE and other news reports, confirm that Burke ordered a shovel from Home Depot via Postmates on April 24, 2025.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Events in 2020 pertaining to politics and government in the United States.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_in_United_States_politics…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2020s (pronounced "twenty-twenties" or "two thousand [and] twenties") is the current decade that began on 1 January 2020 and will end on 31 December 2029. The COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath m…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020s

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On September 8, 2025, the remains of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez were discovered in Los Angeles, California, inside the front trunk of an impounded Tesla registered to David Burke, a musician …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Celeste_Rivas_Herna…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “on May 5, he allegedly ordered a body bag, heavy-duty laundry bags and a blue inflatable pool”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources (Times Now and others) report that on May 5, Burke ordered a body bag, heavy-duty laundry bags, and a blue inflatable pool.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — David Burke may refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Burke

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — David Burke (born 25 May 1934) is an English actor, known for playing Dr. John Watson in the initial series of Granada Television's 1980s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, which starred Jeremy Brett …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Burke_(British_actor)

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+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 3: “Burke allegedly placed Rivas’ body into the blue inflatable pool to prevent her blood from making a mess on his garage floor and used the chainsaw and possibly other tools to cut off her limbs”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the purchase of the pool and chainsaw is corroborated, the specific detail about using the pool to prevent blood on the garage floor is not independently corroborated by multiple distinct news organizations in the provided evidence; it appears as a specific allegation in one context.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — David is honored as an ideal king and the forefather of the future Hebrew Messiah in Jewish prophetic literature, and many psalms are attributed to him. David is also richly represented in post-biblic…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David

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web search NEUTRAL — David not only becomes Saul's musician but also his armor bearer (1Samuel 16:15 - 23). The Philistines, Israel's implacable enemy, soon gathers their army to invade the country.
https://www.biblestudy.org/maps/life-of-david-timeline.html

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web search NEUTRAL — The life of David is one of the most extensive biographies in the Bible. From his youth as a shepherd to his death as Israel’s greatest king, David’s life spans more than forty chapters in 1 Samuel, 2…
https://unforsaken.org/bible-studies/studies-by-theme/a-comp…

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Claim 4: “Celeste Rivas’ death certificate now says it’s ‘unclear’ if 14-year-old was pregnant when allegedly murdered by D4vd”

CORROBORATED

Multiple news reports confirm that an updated death certificate states it is 'unclear' if Celeste Rivas was pregnant.

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web search NEUTRAL — An updated death certificate says it is “unclear” if 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was pregnant when she was murdered and dismembered, allegedly by “Romantic Homicide” singer D4vd. The initial d…
https://nypost.com/2026/05/01/us-news/celeste-rivas-death-ce…

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web search NEUTRAL — LOS ANGELES -- An updated death certificate for Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the alleged murder victim of singer D4vd, states it is unclear whether the teen was pregnant in the year before she died. Prose…
https://abc11.com/post/d4vd-case-updated-death-certificate-c…

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web search NEUTRAL — Celeste Rivas death certificate revealed. What we know: According to Rivas Hernandez's death certificate obtained by TMZ, the 15-year-old's cause of death is "deferred" as the Los Angeles County Depar…
https://www.foxla.com/news/celeste-rivas-not-pregnant-found-…

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Claim 5: “Investigators allegedly found plastic fragments embedded in Rivas’ remains that matched those found in the pool purchased by Burke on Amazon.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding plastic fragments matching the pool.

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Claim 6: “He was also charged with lewd and lascivious sexual acts with an individual under 14 years old, and mutilating the human remains of a body.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 7: “Rivas died from “multiple penetrating injuries,” according to the Los Angeles County Corner’s Office.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 8: “Burke was charged with first-degree murder with special circumstances. The special circumstances included lying in wait, murder of a witness to an investigation and murder for financial gain.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 9: “Burke even allegedly drove to Lake Elsinore, where Rivas lived, and paid a student in her class $1,000 to give Rivas a phone Burke had purchased”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 10: “Burke also amputated Rivas’ left ring and pinky fingers because her ring finger bore a tattoo of his name — and those fingers were never recovered”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding the amputation of specific fingers due to a tattoo.

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Claim 11: “He’s pleaded not guilty to all charges.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 12: “Burke and Rivas allegedly met when she was only 11 years old in January 2022.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 13: “Burke is being held in the infamous twin towers jail in downtown Los Angeles”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 14: “The singer, real name David Burke, ordered an Uber to deliver Rivas from her family home in Lake Elsinore to his Hollywood Hills home on the night of April 23, 2025”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web sources (The California Post and other news reports) confirm that David Burke ordered an Uber to transport Celeste Rivas from Lake Elsinore to his Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of some of the most notable films produced in Cinema of Germany in the 2010s. For an alphabetical list of articles on German films, see Category:2010s German films.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_German_films_of_the_20…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of composers of 20th-century classical music, sortable by name, year of birth, year of death, nationality, notable works, and remarks. It includes only composers of significant fame and…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_20th-century_classical…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 15: “He allegedly made the purchases under a fake name, Victoria Mendez.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that the purchases (chainsaws, body bag, pool) were made under the alias 'Victoria Mendez'.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of Latin-pop artists from around the world, mainly musicians.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Latin_pop_artists

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Peter McCallum Dowding SC (born 6 October 1943) is an Australian lawyer and former politician who was the premier of Western Australia from 25 February 1988 until his resignation on 12 February 1990 d…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Dowding

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 16: “The DNA matched Rivas’”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 17: “About a week later, he ordered two chainsaws from Amazon that were delivered to his home”

CORROBORATED

Web search results from multiple sources report that Burke ordered two chainsaws from Amazon following the alleged murder.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — David Anthony Burke (born March 28, 2005), known professionally as D4vd, is an American singer-songwriter. Born in New York City and raised in Houston, Texas, Burke began composing music in 2021 for h…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D4vd

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — David Burke (born June 18, 1967) is an American television actor. He attended the College of William and Mary where his most famous role was that of Eugene Morris Jerome in Brighton Beach Memoirs and …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Burke_(American_actor)

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 18: “It took investigators several months to determine the cause and manner of death — reaching a conclusion on December 8, 2025.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 19: “D4vd had ‘significant’ amount of disturbing child sex abuse images on iPhone: DA”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources report that the DA/investigators found a significant amount of child sex abuse images on David Burke's iPhone.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, is an American singer-songwriter. Born in New York City and raised in Houston, Texas, Burke began composing music in 2021 for his Fortnite gameplay m…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D4vd

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web search NEUTRAL — Getty Images. David Anthony Burke, the singer known as D4vd, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges. Warning: This story contains distressing content and details of death.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn53vg3y574o

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web search NEUTRAL — David Burke listens to the judge at his arraignment on Monday. POOL/AFP via Getty Images. Investigators claimed to have gathered 40 terabytes of data through a lengthy investigation. They also reveale…
https://nypost.com/2026/04/23/us-news/d4vd-accused-of-having…

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Claim 20: “Investigators say the two began a sexual relationship in November 2023 when Rivas was 13 and Burke was 18.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 21: “Rivas’ dismembered body was discovered Sept. 8, 2025, in the trunk of a Tesla belonging to Burke.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 22: “Rivas was allegedly reported missing by her family in February 2024”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 23: “Investigators served a search warrant at Burke’s home in September 2025 where they allegedly “discovered evidence consistent with the dismemberment of the victim’s body in the inflatable pool”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.