Just to name a few rap artist that come to mind are Shyne, Lil Wayne, Tay-K. They rap, dropped lyrics through the telephone.

He's going to still have admirers and fans. Look at Chris Watts, I think he's marrying someone. There will always be sick people out there lusting over murderers; Ted Bundy, Dahmer, these monsters who have done the most inhumane STILL had fans from the outside.

just wondering...

Something to think about as we go forward, unless there’s a plea deal.

Key highlights (from YouTube):

• Purpose of the Preliminary Hearing: Kersey explains that this hearing is a "probable cause" stage (1:55), meant to ensure there is enough evidence to move to trial, rather than a forum to dismiss cases or argue defenses like self-defense (4:00).
• The Crucial Line of Questioning: The defense asked the medical examiner if the victim's stab wounds could have been self-inflicted (7:42).
The medical examiner's opinion that it was unlikely due to a lack of hesitation marks is a major focal point, though Kersey notes this does not entirely rule it out (13:00).
• The "Battle of the Experts": Kersey suggests the defense may use expert testimony to create reasonable doubt, comparing this potential strategy to the Daniel Penny case where expert testimony regarding the cause of death played a critical role (15:52).
• Death Penalty and Special Circumstances:
The case involves three special circumstances: murder of a witness, murder for financial gain, and lying in wait (25:00). Kersey argues that the defense's primary goal may shift from proving innocence to avoiding the death penalty or life without parole, especially given the gravity of the allegations (23:44).
• Negotiation Strategy: Given the strength of the prosecution's evidence, Kersey believes the defense is likely preparing for a long legal process involving expert consultations, and that any potential plea deal would almost certainly involve a life sentence (36:40).

Goes without saying that I’m taking everything coming out of Nancy grace’s mouth with a grain of salt. That being said, I am curious to know (if this is true) how she found out about him getting access to what sounds like thanksgiving dinner for you guys ie turkey w cranberry sauce (I’m in Australia so I dunno)??? Tried to dig a little deeper into this, but it seems like this seems to be a bit of sensationalism on her part (seemingly her brand), and that inmate commissary offers things like hot wings, which seems pretty wild to me considering our jails don’t even offer Vegemite, our national condiment, due to it interfering with drug detection.

In short, can anyone confirm what he might be eating in there? Maybe orange is the new black deluded me into thinking that you guys prison system had inmates chowing on slop and grub and it kinda pisses me off knowing he has access to ANY kind of luxury considering he didn’t afford Celeste that same privilege in life 😠

I made a google drive with everything I have found about this case,

Reply under the thread if you want me to add something or if something is missing.

But give me your thoughts

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10Ai41FuK7O8rd5SUotJiBUdlWKVIEMlp?usp=sharing

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Full article plain text:

D4vd animators discuss 'Rehab' video ahead of murder trial

Aug. 15, 2026, 12:45 p.m. ET

by Krystie Lee Yandoli

Source: https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/2026/08/15/d4vd-animators-discuss-rehab-video-murder-trial/91276514007/

• Singer D4vd was arrested in April 2026 for the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
• Fans and investigators have scrutinized his 2023 animated music video "Rehab" for its violent imagery.
• Animators who worked on D4vd's gruesome "Rehab" music video are now questioning if it was a warning sign.

When D4vd released the video for his song “Rehab” on Sept. 8, 2023, its gruesome imagery appeared to be another extension of the rising singer’s fictional universe: A young man resembling D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, brutally dismembers a brown-haired woman before leaving her severed arm behind.

At the time, “Rehab” seemed like a somewhat typical anime-style video about heartbreak and horror. Then on April 16, 2026, the 21-year-old singer was arrested for the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Burke has pleaded not guilty. Soon more details came to light: Hernandez had been missing for five months before her dismembered body was found in the front trunk of Burke’s Tesla at a Los Angeles city tow lot.

The video suddenly looked very different.

Three animators who worked on the “Rehab” video spoke to USA TODAY about how they helped create Burke’s dark imagery, if the videos were a possible warning sign, and what safeguards—if any—the music industry should put in place. 

“When I watched that music video again, given the accusation, the arrest, and the crime, I felt such an overwhelming sadness. I just started sobbing because the worst thing that could happen to this young girl who’s no longer with us did happen,” one animator says. “Did this music video play a part in this story?”

New talent trying to break through

It isn’t easy for an unknown artist without industry connections to break into the music business. But after finding success as a Fortnite gamer and YouTube streamer, Burke’s songs “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me” blew up on TikTok in 2022. 

The artist was soon signed to Darkroom Records, an imprint of Universal Music Group’s Interscope Records. In May 2023, Burke released his debut EP “Petals to Thorns,” followed by a number of music videos that reached millions of viewers online. As his star continued to rise, freelance illustrators and animators were excited to land a gig contributing to his music videos. They were trying to get a foot in the door, too, and were grateful for the opportunity and to add his buzzy name to their résumés.

What they didn't know is that Burke had been involved in an on-and-off relationship with Hernandez. Prosecutors say she was 11 years old when they were first in communication, and in January 2022, when she was 13, their relationship allegedly became sexual. Authorities allege Burke killed Hernandez to stop her from exposing their sexual relationship and jeopardizing his burgeoning music career. He is charged with first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a minor and unlawful mutilation of human remains. Now Burke is being held without bail, and prosecutors have not announced whether they will seek the death penalty.

Representatives for Burke, Darkroom, and Interscope Records did not respond to requests for comment.

In light of the gruesome circumstances of the case, fans and sleuths have since pored over his art and imagery, particularly his video for “Rehab.” They point to what they believe to be physical similarities between the animated woman and Hernandez, and the video’s violence and the allegations against Burke. 

The four-minute anime video shows two versions of Burke repeatedly confronting each other in a brightly colored, illustrated world. A blindfolded character he named It4mi — after Itami, which means pain in Japanese, and as a reference to his stage name D4vd — is shown covered in blood, while Burke’s other animated counterpart appears largely uninjured. The two characters fight with swords and exchange blows as the action moves between a bar, rooftops, and a bridge. 

Burke explained in a 2025 YouTube interview with Mahogany that has since been deleted that It4mi is a murderous alter ego who appears throughout his art and is responsible for committing crimes that another, better version of himself would then investigate.

The video shows a brown-haired young woman wearing a cropped white shirt and star-patterned jeans. During one of the more graphic sequences, It4mi swings a blade at the woman, severing her arm and sending blood across the frame. Her detached limb is later shown lying on the ground as the violent confrontation between the two versions of Burke continues. 

Those examining Burke’s digital footprint pointed out Hernandez also had long brown hair; the woman’s jeans were celestial, a reference to Hernandez’s name. Two of Hernandez’s fingers, including one with Burke’s name tattooed on it, had been dismembered, when she was found, according to prosecutors.

Screenshots of alleged text messages between Burke and the music video’s director reviewed by USA TODAY, along with written directions for the video, paint a picture of the singer’s involvement in shaping its violent imagery and narrative. All three animators who spoke to USA TODAY asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation from others in the music industry and harassment online. 

“Had I known what I know now, obviously I wouldn't have had anything to do with this,” a second animator says. “But at the time it was just a good opportunity for me.”

How D4vd’s violent vision came to life

The animators say their work on “Rehab” began in August 2023, just one month before it was released to the public. All three say they were hired for the project by Tristan Zammit, who is credited as directing “Rehab” and has worked with famous bands like Metallica, as well as hip-hop stars like Lil Uzi Vert, The Game, and Logic, and new and emerging artists like Sleepy Hallow.

The animators say they were not directly in touch with Burke and were unfamiliar with his music prior to this assignment, and say Zammit primarily communicated instructions via Discord. (Twenty-six artists were originally credited on Burke’s YouTube video, but their names were removed during USA TODAY’s reporting. Many of them still appear in a 2023 post on Zammit’s Instagram feed.) Zammit did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

“When I was pitched the brief of the music video it was like, [the character] has this internal struggle, which is a really common theme in anime,” the second animator explains. “That's what you're seeing in the duality of the character: There’s one with blood all over him, and then the other one. At the time I was like, ‘Oh, it's a cool concept.’”

For an animated music video, the director typically creates what’s called an animatic, a type of storyboard, based on the artist’s vision to guide the animators. The written captions from the “Rehab” animatic, which were reviewed by USA TODAY, offer insight into the story Burke was trying to tell.

When the woman first appears in the animatic, the captions describe her control over It4mi. After seeing her silhouette, It4mi is “entranced/alarmed” and removes his blindfold, revealing glowing purple eyes. 

“It4mi becoming more hypnotized as petals swirl around him,” the caption reads. “Vines and thorns wrap around his arms—bringing him to his knees and piercing his skin—injecting poison that fully places him under the girl’s spell. In an endless ocean world-polluted in purple. This is the representation of the girl’s genjutsu over It4mi.”

In Japanese anime and manga, particularly the “Naruto” franchise, genjutsu refers to a supernatural illusion that manipulates a person’s senses and perception. Under its influence, It4mi follows a trail of petals toward the woman. “It4mi approaches the girl,” the caption says, “Reaches out and she disappears.” 

One animator highlighted this moment in the “Rehab” animatic, as a reflection of how, in Burke’s world-building, the woman manipulates his character and says the portrayal makes it seem like it was her fault that It4mi went on to be so violent in the story.

In the sequence depicting the woman’s dismemberment, the captions read: “Slice! The girls [sic] arm flies off in an impact. Arm falls off and turns into dead thorns and petals.”

When the character’s katana, a traditional samurai sword, is thrown into the air, the caption reads: “The katana spears the girl and pins her into the wall like a thumbtack.”

USA TODAY reviewed screenshots of text messages that, according to the three animators, were from Burke and shared by Zammit in a group Discord chat with six people including Burke. The screenshots show that during the making of the video, Burke gave positive feedback to Zammit about the video, including the moment when It4mi hits the woman. 

“THE IMPACT FRAMES BROOO,” Burke wrote. “Let the staff see their families dawg they going too crazy.”

When Zammit sent sketches of the woman to the same chat, Burke replied, “DAWGGGGGGGG OMG.”

At the time, this didn’t alarm the animators. “I was just happy to be drawing anime-style stuff for music videos. I thought, this is such a great trend, I'm so happy this is happening,” the first animator says. “It felt like a really tight deadline with a lot of work, so it was definitely stressful. But cool to be involved with a high-profile person for your portfolio.”

Animators revisit ‘Rehab’ in a new light

When news broke of Hernandez’s death and Burke’s possible involvement, the animators struggled to reconcile their role in creating the video with the emerging details of the case.

“When I saw all these stories coming up in the news I was like, ‘Oh my god, that's crazy. I can't believe I've done work for this guy,’” the second animator says. “I saw that people were saying he hints at a lot of things in his lyrics, and maybe these were all clues that he was dropping in his music.”

The first animator became immersed in fans’ speculation and sat in front of their television screen and sobbed because, in this new light, the video “was just so dark.”

“I thought, this is so tragic. If any of his art and his music have anything to do with this young girl losing her life, I was just lost for words,” they explain. “It just felt so gross and disgusting to have potentially helped tell that story.”

Particularly haunting: that “Rehab” video was released on Sept. 8, 2023, one day after Hernandez’s 13th birthday.

“I think it is very odd that it was released on YouTube around her birthday,” the first animator continues. “It's hard to ignore that. It’s just very strange.”

What the online theories get wrong

While the animators say they see distinct similarities between the case and the video, they also point out that some matching details were merely due to chance. 

Many commenters, for example, speculated about the star designs on the jeans worn by the woman character in the video.

“I saw people tying Celeste's name to the jeans because the star pants were ‘celestial.’ I drew her wearing star jeans because I owned the same pair of jeans,” the first animator says. Some artists “didn't have any clue what the narrative was, [we were] just picking stuff that we liked or thought was cool.”

The first animator says the speed and collaborative nature of productions like “Rehab” also complicate attempts to interpret every visual detail as a message directly from Burke. “These videos are made on such a tight deadline that a lot of us are just taking things we like, or inspiration from our own lives, and drawing things fast and putting them in there,” they explained.

Despite wanting to sometimes speak out and clarify these details for fans, the first animator was afraid to get too involved given the heightened scrutiny and attention surrounding the public discourse. 

“It's so sensitive, and [Hernandez’s] life is so important,” they said. “There are some things chosen in that music video that weren't by the artist. It's a mix of both. Some of it is not from David, and some of it is.”

While many in the music industry still have yet to speak out about their involvement with Burke, some people have clarified their relationship with the singer. Actress Cassidy Clarke, who played Burke’s love interest in the 2022 music video for “Here With Me,” shared that she met Burke only through the project and had not remained in contact with him. “I don’t associate with Burke by any means,” she said in a post on TikTok. “I’m an actor.” 

Another artist who goes by the name catuqu__ online said on TikTok that they worked as an animator on “Rehab:” “It’s crazy looking back now, the animation team and directors were just trying to make a cool anime music video but now it feels dirty, like we were a part of his guilty confession, Celeste you didn’t deserve this.” The artist didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment. 

The animators who spoke to USA TODAY are struggling to separate the art from the artist. “I am an open-minded person but when the artist does something really, really awful, it's hard to separate it,” the third animator says. “In David's case, he [allegedly] killed someone and I don’t want to hear anything from him. It's awful.”

Burke is not the first artist to explore dark themes in his music and lyrics. But few musicians have pointedly portrayed violence against women in their videos, especially when it comes to depicting explicit or graphic images of men killing or dismembering women. The inspiration for “Rehab” however is less traditional pop music and instead draws from anime and video games, both of which have faced criticism for their portrayals of women and use of gendered violence.That kind of content desensitizes people to violent artwork in “Rehab,” the third animator says, so the video doesn’t shock. But, they add, it also shouldn’t be looked at in isolation—is this artistic expression, or are there other patterns or concerns that suggest there are potential warning signs worth paying attention to?

“I always thought the video was very childish. The themes and everything were a bit morbid,” that animator explains. “After Burke’s arrest, everyone was saying, ‘Wow, he already put all this here for everyone to see, he already had these tendencies.“

Who bears responsibility for an artist’s vision?

The case also raises questions about the roles and responsibilities of the broader ecosystem that helped bring Burke’s artistic vision to life. Zammit was tasked with directing Burke’s vision and Darkroom/Interscope Records oversaw that process, as is common practice for a record label, but the freelance animators described the production as an informal process without contracts or institutional safeguards that might exist at a larger entertainment company.

“As people and artists who are just trying to make a living and follow our dreams, we don’t always go through the same vetting process that I’m sure someone like Disney or other major corporations do,” the second animator says. “For us, there was no guide to sign a contract or anything. There’s no paper trail of this. We don’t know what goes on in these people’s lives. We’re just trying to pay the bills.” 

Yet they invite the scrutiny of their work that was done in the name of Burke’s ultimate vision. “I do think with the severity of what happened to Celeste and her losing her life, we should look back at everything—the videos, the music,” says the first animator. “If that helps us help this girl and her family because an arrest has been made, then it seems like the responsible thing to do.”

Krystie Lee Yandoli is a senior entertainment reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kyandoli@usatoday.com, and follow her on Instagram, Threads, and X.

With almost a full year between the murder and when David was arrested, there is no doubt in my mind he wrote/recorded many songs in that time.

While it’s highly unlikely, I wonder if any of those tracks will be released (more so leaked) and what they contain. A lot of the themes he writes about are already dark and edgy; murder, abandonment, being alone, etc.

I’m curious if he has recorded any songs directly inspired by what happened. Something along the lines of Murder on My Mind -YNW Melly where it was discovered after the release that it was a song LITERALLY about him killing someone.

Let me know what you think.

EDIT: I took out a part talking about how I thought Afterlife was recorded after the murder since that’s the only part of this post people are talking about. Sorry.

​

I’m curious because it feels like people are looking at the same facts and coming away with completely different interpretations. Not on the guilty or not guilty spectrum per se, I don't think that's a mixed bag here. I would hope not

If you had to remove one commonly discussed piece of 'evidence' from the conversation because you think it’s misleading/distracting people, what would it be?

And on the flip side, what detail do you think could end up being far more important than people currently realize?

Interested in both sides, even if your answer goes against the prevailing opinion here.

So obviously we haven’t gotten any updates about Neo since he was arrested in January. I wonder where he is? Why he’s staying so quiet? What did he tell investigators? What did they found in his involvement?

Hi, all! Do we know if The Invisble String Theory voicemail was recorded specifically from that song, or did David just use an old voicemail he had. Also, is it confirmed it’s Celeste? Thank You!

Track 1: "Mama, I Sold My Soul"

Track 2: "Hello Hell"

Track 3: "My Condolences"

Track 4: "Decay"

Track 5: "Don't Believe Her"

Will work to get you some of the snippets shortly.

- Full Article Plain Text:

Source: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-08-13/d4vd-murder-case-online-shopping-evidence

By James Queally and Richard Winton

Aug. 13, 2026 3 AM PT

• Prosecutors say the singer D4vd bought several items he used to get rid of the body of teenager Celeste Rivas Hernandez, including chainsaws and cadaver bags, from online marketplaces.
• Amazon sells a wide range of cadaver bags online, but legal experts say they have legitimate uses and the vendor isn’t

responsible if a buyer uses them for nefarious means.

• By ordering such items directly to his residence, the singer did prosecutors a favor, experts say.

The best-selling body bag on Amazon is just $24.43.

With eight handles, the shiny black sack is capable of holding up to 300 pounds. The item is described as leak-proof, “impervious to blood,” and it can be used to transport goods and carry supplies for hiking. But it’s also helpful for “decomposed body transfer if needed,” according to the website.

The “Primacare BB-3201 Body Bag Stretcher Combo” sits atop a list of the dozen best-selling cadaver bags on Amazon. All but one of the items appears designed for the actual transfer of human remains or animal corpses. While such items are primarily used by hospitals or coroner’s offices, most of the body bags on Amazon can be bought for less than $50 by anyone with a credit card and a minute to spare.

It may seem odd that such items are so easy to purchase online, but testimony heard last month during a preliminary hearing in the murder case against David Anthony Burke — better known as the 21-year-old singer D4vd — showed the average shopper is just a few clicks from the tools needed to dismember and disappear a body.

Burke is charged with murder, continuous sexual abuse of a minor and mutilation of a corpse in the April 2025 slaying of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Prosecutors say Burke, who rose to fame after releasing the viral track “Romantic Homicide” and an anthem for the popular video game “Fortnite,” sexually abused Hernandez for years and then killed her in his Hollywood home after she threatened to expose him.

Burke has pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied wrongdoing through his attorneys.

An LAPD detective testified last month that after the killing, Burke ordered multiple chainsaws, cadaver bags, shovels and a “burn cage” from various online retailers, including Amazon and Home Depot.

Evidence of blood was found in Burke’s garage, according to an LAPD forensic analyst, and Hernandez’s limbs were severed and stacked in body bags when police discovered her remains in the trunk of Burke’s car last September.

Investigators did not recover the tools Burke allegedly used to sever Hernandez’s limbs. He ordered three chainsaws, authorities said, but officials found only two during a search of the garage where detectives believe he cut up Hernandez. Tests for blood came back negative and the so-called burn cage was never opened, officials testified last month.

Legal experts said that while it may seem ghoulish for online retailers to sell items like cadaver bags, they have legitimate uses and a vendor is not responsible if buyers use those items for nefarious purposes. Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, likened the purchases to how people can buy any number of items associated with illegal narcotics that have other legal uses.

“I can buy pipes. I can buy a scale. I can buy baggies. I can buy vials. I can buy needles … is the DEA going to show up at my house if I buy all that stuff?” Rahmani asked.

An Amazon spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry from The Times.

The singer’s defense attorney, Blair Berk, declined to comment on what, if anything, her client bought online after Hernandez’s disappearance last year.

Rahmani said the trail of circumstantial evidence could be used to bolster the first-degree murder case against Burke, helping to convince jurors he acted with intent.

“In hindsight, it looks super suspicious,” Rahmani said. “But 99% of people who buy chainsaws are not trying to cut up young girls they sexually abused.”

During the five-day preliminary hearing, Los Angeles Police Department officials testified that a search of Burke’s phone and computers revealed he bought many of the items that could have been used to dismember Hernandez online through aliases. Burke’s legal team did not challenge the fact that he bought the items, and they didn’t make any specific arguments that the body mutilation charges should be dismissed.

Joshua Ritter, a former L.A. County prosecutor turned defense attorney, questioned whether online retailers should have an alert system set up if a person buys a number of different legal items that could be used in conjunction for something illegal.

“If he bought a cadaver bag, along with a chainsaw … there’s a bunch of stuff you could see so clearly that something bad could be happening, does Amazon even care?” he asked.

Dmitry Gorin, another former L.A. County prosecutor, also said he found it “hard to believe that body bags are offered for purchase.”

“Online retail appears to make it very easy and convenient to put together a possible murder kit,” he said.

Experts said that while Burke’s decision to order the potential dismemberment supplies directly to his home didn’t help his case, he was already linked to Hernandez long before investigators searched his devices.

Police interviewed Burke about Hernandez after her family reported her missing from her Lake Elsinore home in February 2024, making his connection to the girl clear to the sheriff’s departments in both Los Angeles and Riverside counties. The discovery of Hernandez’s remains in Burke’s car in a tow yard in September 2025 also triggered the searches of his devices that revealed the purchases.

Still, in a case where prosecutors can’t say exactly how Hernandez was killed and lack witnesses to the attack itself, experts say Burke’s purchases could be used to convince a jury of his guilt.

“The prosecution will argue this circumstantial evidence is proof that Burke killed the victim despite not having a single eyewitness to the act,“ Gorin said.

Source: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-08-13/d4vd-murder-case-online-shopping-evidence