D4vd faces charges including first-degree murder and sexual abuse of a minor; he has pleaded not guilty.
In a new court filing, prosecutors allege that D4vd severed two of Celeste Rivas Hernandez's fingers, one of which bore a tattoo of his name, as a way to "distance himself from the victim."
The musician, born David Anthony Burke, is charged in Los Angeles County with murdering Rivas on April 23, 2025 -- just days before the release of his debut album -- in order to silence her threats to expose him. Prosecutors say he then allegedly cut up her body with a chainsaw, stuffed the parts into two bags and left them in the trunk of his Tesla.
The Tesla was impounded months later; the manager of the impound lot it was brought to called police after noticing a "strong smell of decay" coming from the vehicle and flies surrounding it, prosecutors said in the preliminary hearing brief released on Wednesday, April 29.
A medical examiner's report previously obtained by PEOPLE stated that the girl died from "multiple penetrating injuries caused by object(s)" and was missing two fingers. The report also noted a "Shhh..." tattoo on her right index finger, and Burke has been seen in photos with a similar tattoo.
In the brief, prosecutors allege that one of the missing fingers bore a tattoo of Burke's name and that he removed it in an effort to "distance himself from the victim." The missing fingers have not been recovered.
Prosecutors further allege that Burke used a chainsaw to dismember her and sent messages to her phone after they believe she was already dead to cover up his crimes.
Surveillance footage also allegedly showed Burke as the last person to drive the car in July 2025 before he left for his tour.
Rivas was a teenage runaway who had met the singer when she was 11 and was having sex with him by age 13, prosecutors also claimed in the filing.
Text messages between Burke and Rivas reveal they had an argument the night before she is believed to have been murdered, according to prosecutors.
Jealous of his relationships with other women, she allegedly threatened to expose their illegal relationship "to end his career and destroy his life," the brief states.
Burke was arrested on April 16 following a lengthy investigation, and on April 20 was hit with first-degree murder charges that could carry the death penalty. He is also charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
He has pleaded not guilty and is being held in custody ahead of his trial.
His attorneys, Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter, said in a statement following his arrest that he "was not the cause" of the girl's death, adding they plan to "vigorously defend David's innocence."