First-degree murder. Three special circumstances — lying in wait, financial gain, and the killing of a witness. Additional charges related to the victim's age and the condition of her remains. Those are the charges Los Angeles County prosecutors filed against David Anthony Burke — the artist known as D4VD — in the death of fourteen-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. This isn't a standard charge. This is the most serious set of allegations a California DA's office can bring. The harshest possible penalty is on the table. This look back, with criminal defense attorney Bob Motta, breaks down what prosecutors are telling the world by stacking these charges this way. The financial-gain allegation is specific: prosecutors allege D4VD killed Celeste because she was threatening to expose a relationship that could end his music career. A fourteen-year-old girl, according to the DA, was treated as a liability to a brand — and allegedly eliminated. The witness-killing special circumstance ties directly to the charges related to the victim's age: the prosecution's theory is that the alleged relationship with a child created the motive to silence her permanently. Motta explains how layering those charges together strengthens the entire case — and where the seams might be. The LAPD chief acknowledged that months between Celeste's death and the discovery of her remains degraded crucial evidence. The DA said they have physical, forensic, and digital evidence to present. Motta analyzes how solid a circumstantial case needs to be to carry charges this heavy. Burke has pleaded not guilty. We revisit where the case stood at the time of our reporting. Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePod This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice. #D4VD #CelesteRivasHernandez #DavidAnthonyBurke #FirstDegreeMurder #SpecialCircumstances #BobMotta #JusticeForCeleste #TrueCrime #LAPD #HiddenKillers