What has D4vd been charged with and when will the trial end?
US singer, 21, dismisses lawyer ahead of trial over murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez
D4vd has appointed the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office to represent him in a murder trial after his celebrity lawyer announced they would no longer be defending the singer.
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Blair Berk announced over the weekend that she would no longer be defending the 21-year-old singer, whose real name is David Burke.
The move means that the trial into the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez will likely be pushed back, while prosecutors are also reportedly weighing up whether to pursue the death penalty.
Ms Berk, who previously represented Harvey Weinstein and Mel Gibson, announced that she, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter would all no longer be involved.
A statement read: "We continue to support David and his defence against these serious charges.
"We are grateful that the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office has taken over the representation and that David has a highly capable and committed team of attorneys and investigators behind him."
Read also: Singer D4vd, charged with murdering and dismembering teen, dismisses lawyer
What has D4vd been charged with?
The charges all relate to the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 14-year-old girl whose remains were found in a Tesla car, registered to D4vd, in September 2025.
In April, Dv4d was charged with:
- First-degree murder of Ms Rivas with special circumstances (with a motive of financial gain),
- Lewd and lascivious acts with an individual under 14,
- And mutilating a body.
An autopsy revealed that Ms Rivas had died from “multiple penetrating injuries caused by object(s)”.
Prosecutors have alleged that D4vd had an illegal, sexual relationship with Ms Rivas from 2023, when he was 18, and she was 12 or 13.
They also alleged that he murdered her out of fear she would ruin his burgeoning career after she threatened to go public about their sexual relationship.
They claim to have evidence that D4vd ordered a chainsaw and a body bag to his home, under a false name, in April 2025.
Ms Rivas is thought to have died on April 23, 2025, when her phone activity stopped.
D4vd has denied all charges.
What is D4vd famous for?
D4vd, who came to fame as a singer after providing music for his Fortnite gameplay montages in 2021, had a breakout hit with Romantic Homicide in 2022 and released his debut album Withered last year.
His music career has been suspended in light of the charges, and a deluxe version of Withered was not released.
Read also: Who is D4vd?
When will the trial end?
No date has yet been set for a trial, but a pre-trial hearing will be on October 19, 2026.
The change of defence has meant that it is likely that a date for the trial will be pushed back to allow sufficient time for a review.
It had previously been reported that D4vd was expected to have charges formally read to him on August 31, with the trial starting within 90 days of that date.
Under this new timeline, 90 days after October 19 would be in mid-January.
Prosecutors are still said to be deciding whether to pursue the death penalty.