D4vd replaced his high-profile defense team with a public defender just weeks before his next court hearing.
Musician D4vd, legally named David Anthony Burke, is now represented by a court-appointed public defender after his private defense team abruptly withdrew from his high-profile murder case. The 21-year-old singer appeared in a Los Angeles Superior Court on August 31 for his post-preliminary arraignment, where he entered a plea of not guilty to charges stemming from the killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
Celebrity Defense Team Steps Down Over Indigency Qualification
Burke was previously represented by prominent criminal defense attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter. Berk's client history includes high-profile entertainment figures such as Britney Spears, Mel Gibson, and Lindsay Lohan.
Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo approved the defense team's motion to withdraw after the court determined Burke qualified for court-appointed counsel. Deputy Public Defender Walid Kandeel was subsequently assigned to lead the defense, taking over despite previous financial testimony indicating Burke earned over $10 million from his music catalog between 2023 and 2025.
The Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office confirmed that a financial evaluation determined Burke met the legal threshold for indigent defense services. Following the appointment, Kandeel stated that the defense team will thoroughly review the prosecution's evidence while acknowledging the gravity of the allegations.
Capital Murder Charges and Upcoming Pretrial Hearings
Burke stands charged with first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains, with special circumstance allegations of lying in wait, witness murder, and murder for financial gain. The charges carry a potential sentence of life imprisonment without parole or the death penalty, though the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has not yet announced whether it will seek capital punishment.
Prosecutors allege Burke fatally stabbed Rivas Hernandez at his Hollywood Hills residence in April 2025 after she threatened to expose their relationship. The victim's dismembered remains were recovered in September 2025 inside the front trunk of an impounded Tesla registered to Burke.
Following a multi-day preliminary hearing in July, the court ruled that sufficient evidence exists to send the case to trial. Burke remains held without bail at the Los Angeles Men's Central Jail, with a pretrial status conference scheduled for October 19.
