Celeste Rivas' father, via his attorney, says the family had no contact with D4vd (David Anthony Burke) and received no money. Burke has been charged with first-degree murder with a lying-in-wait special circumstance after prosecutors say Rivas' body was found in his impounded Tesla. Court filings allege Burke paid a student to deliver a phone to the victim and that text messages referenced sex and pregnancy; Burke has pleaded not guilty and faces life in prison or possibly the death penalty.
Celeste Rivas' Father Denies Family Accepted Money From D4vd As Case Develops
Celeste Rivas' Dad Refutes Rumors Family Got Money From D4vdCredit: GoFundMe;Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office
Celeste Rivas' father, through his attorney, has publicly rejected online claims that the family had any contact with the musician known as D4vd or accepted money from him in exchange for silence about an alleged relationship.
Family Statement
On Friday, May 1, attorney Patrick Steinfeld, speaking on behalf of Jesus Rivas, told PEOPLE:
"I never had any contact with this guy and we haven't received any money from him or anyone in his family."TMZ first reported the attorney's comments.
Charges and Allegations
D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, has been charged by the Los Angeles County District Attorney with first-degree murder and the special circumstance of lying in wait in connection with the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas.
d4vd in June 2025Credit: Swan Gallet/WWD via Getty
Prosecutors say Rivas' body was found dismembered in the trunk of Burke's impounded Tesla in the Hollywood Hills in 2025. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner lists her date of death as Sept. 8, 2025, and recorded the cause of death as "deferred." District Attorney Nathan Hochman has alleged that Burke killed Rivas on April 23, 2025, and that her remains were later discovered in two separate bags in the vehicle's trunk. Prosecutors also allege that Burke removed the girl's ring finger, which bore a tattoo of his name.
Preliminary Hearing Allegations
A preliminary hearing brief released April 29 alleges Burke drove to the Rivas family's Lake Elsinore home and "paid a junior high school student in the victim's class $1,000 to give the victim a cell phone [he] purchased so they could stay in contact." Prosecutors further allege Rivas traveled with Burke to Las Vegas, London and Texas and spent summer weekends at his Hollywood Hills residence in 2024. Court filings cite text messages between the pair that reportedly reference sex, pregnancy, abortion and use of the Plan B emergency contraceptive.
Legal Status
Burke, 22, has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody awaiting trial. He faces a potential sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has not announced whether it will seek the death penalty. Following his arrest, defense attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter issued a statement saying Burke "was not the cause" of the girl's death and that they plan to "vigorously defend David's innocence."
Context
Authorities have said Rivas had been a witness in a separate investigation into alleged "lewd and lascivious sexual acts" that Burke is accused of committing while she was under 14 years old. The family’s denial aims to shut down circulating rumors about any financial arrangement with Burke as prosecutors continue their case.
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