Parents File Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Celeste Rivas D4vd Case

The parents of Celeste Rivas Hernández have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against singer D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, seeking damages for the death of their daughter. The wrongful death lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, also names Burke’s mother, Colleen Burke, along with his managers, his live-in security guard, and his business entities, accusing them of negligence in failing to protect a minor.

This article provides a legal breakdown of the criminal charges, the civil wrongful death lawsuit, and the rights available to families facing similar tragedies under California’s negligence laws.

Timeline and Key Details of the Case Thus Far

The court filing arrives weeks after Burke’s preliminary hearing concluded with a judge ruling that prosecutors had presented sufficient evidence for him to stand trial on charges connected to Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s death. Burke has pleaded not guilty and remains jailed without bail as the criminal case moves toward trial.

• Date of alleged killing: April 23, 2025
• Discovery of remains: September 8, 2025, at a Los Angeles tow yard
• Arrest: Burke was arrested on April 16, 2026
• Criminal charges filed: April 20, 2026, in Los Angeles County
• Civil wrongful death lawsuit filed: September 8, 2026
• Key locations: Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, Lake Elsinore (Riverside County)
• Key legal terms: wrongful death, death penalty, stand trial, childhood sexual assault

About the New Wrongful Death Lawsuit for the D4vd-Celeste Rivas Hernandez Case

Who Filed the Lawsuit

Celeste’s parents, Mercedes Martinez and Jesus Rivas, filed the 20-page lawsuit through their family’s attorney, Patrick Steinfeld. The lawsuit alleges that Burke and the people around him bear responsibility for what happened to Celeste, and it closely tracks much of the evidence that came out during Burke’s preliminary hearing over the summer.

Alongside the court filing, the family released a public statement expressing support for capital punishment if Burke is convicted. In the statement, Jesus Rivas and Mercedes Martinez described their daughter as their “precious daughter” and said Burke had “caused pain” to their family, calling him, in their words, a “human being” without conscience. 

Who Is Named as the Defendant(s)

The lawsuit claims that responsibility extends well beyond Burke himself. Defendants named in the filing include:

• David Anthony Burke (D4vd), accused of directly causing Celeste’s death
• Colleen Burke, Burke’s mother, accused of negligence for allegedly housing Celeste and funding arrangements that enabled Burke’s continued access to her
• Josh Marshall, identified in the suit as Burke’s manager
• Robert Morgenroth, a finance manager described as having helped organize Burke’s affairs and having resided at the property connected to the case
• Sheldon Jacques, described in the complaint as Burke’s live-in security guard, accused of providing transportation between Celeste’s home and Burke’s residence
• Mogul Vision, the management company associated with Burke’s career

Representatives connected to the management company Mogul Vision and to Morgenroth have previously denied knowing about a relationship between Burke and Celeste.

What the Lawsuit Alleges About the Relationship Between Celeste Rivas and D4vd

1. The Alleged Sexual Relationship and Timeline

According to the lawsuit and the evidence presented during Burke’s preliminary hearing, the sexual relationship between Burke and Celeste Rivas Hernandez began in November 2023, when she was 13 years old, and he was 18.

The complaint alleges the relationship continued for roughly a year and a half and involved travel together, including trips reportedly taken under the alias Victoria Mendez to destinations such as Las Vegas.

Several details from the timeline are central to the negligence claims:

• Celeste, of Lake Elsinore, California, was reported missing on more than one occasion during the alleged relationship
• Riverside County authorities requested a welfare check at Burke’s home, during which he reportedly told deputies he had only met Celeste once
• A separate welfare check reportedly informed Burke directly that Celeste was a minor
• Cellphone records introduced at the hearing allegedly tracked Burke’s movements to a remote part of Santa Barbara County around the time of Celeste’s death
• The lawsuit alleges continuous sexual abuse and childhood sexual assault throughout the relationship

2. Burke Arranged Transportation to the Hollywood Hills Home the Night Celeste Died

Prosecutors allege that on April 23, 2025, Burke arranged for an Uber to bring Celeste from her Lake Elsinore home to his Hollywood Hills residence.

According to testimony, Celeste sent Burke a text the night before, threatening to “end ur career and ur life” if their relationship became public. As she approached his Hollywood Hills home, she sent a final message saying she was almost there, and Burke replied. She was never heard from again.

According to prosecutors, Celeste’s death occurred shortly after she arrived, and Burke made no attempt to save her life.

3. Allegations Against Burke’s Mother and Inner Circle

The negligence claims against Colleen Burke and Burke’s associates form the heart of the civil case. The lawsuit alleges that Burke’s mother oversaw and paid many of his bills, hosted Celeste in her own home on at least one occasion, and by doing so undertook a duty to protect a minor she knew, or should have known, was involved with her son.

The suit alleges that Josh Marshall, Robert Morgenroth, and Sheldon Jacques similarly enabled Burke’s access to Celeste, whether through financial support, housing arrangements, or direct transportation, without ever intervening or reporting what they allegedly observed.

Where the Criminal Case Against David Burke Stands

Burke’s Preliminary Hearing to Stand Trial

Burke’s preliminary hearing spanned several days in Los Angeles and included extensive testimony from Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) investigators, forensic experts, and the medical examiner’s office. According to prosecutors, evidence presented at the hearing included:

• Testimony from the medical examiner describing dismembered remains
• An autopsy report listing multiple penetrating injuries caused the death
• Evidence that Burke ordered a burn cage, a body bag, chainsaws, and a blue inflatable pool in the days following Celeste’s death
• Testimony that a rubber mat in Burke’s garage tested positive for blood matching Celeste’s DNA
• Testimony that Celeste’s dismembered body was ultimately discovered inside a cadaver bag in the trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke, after the vehicle had been abandoned and later towed to a Hollywood tow yard

The judge ultimately ruled that prosecutors had shown sufficient evidence for Burke to stand trial.

Charges and Possible Capital Punishment

The Los Angeles County District Attorney, Nathan Hochman, has said his office is still deciding whether to pursue capital punishment, but the death penalty remains a legal possibility given the nature of the charges. Celeste’s parents allege that Burke exploited their daughter for over a year; he faces charges including:

• Murder
• Childhood sexual assault and negligence
• Lewd and lascivious sexual acts
• Unlawful mutilation of human remains

Burke’s most recent court appearance came after his high-profile private defense team, led by attorney Blair Berk, withdrew from the case. A public defender has since taken over his representation, and Burke has entered a renewed not guilty plea. No formal trial date has been set.

The Rivas Hernandez Family Speaks Out

Since Celeste’s death, Jesus Rivas and Mercedes Martinez have spoken publicly at multiple points in the case, including after Burke’s arrest and following the release of the autopsy report.

Their statements have consistently emphasized their daughter’s identity beyond the case that made her name known nationally, describing her as a loving daughter who enjoyed singing and spending time with family.

With the filing of the wrongful death lawsuit, the family’s attorney, Patrick Steinfeld, has framed the civil case as a separate avenue for accountability, one that reaches beyond Burke to the people the family believes allowed the alleged abuse and cover-up to continue.

Who Was Celeste Rivas Hernandez?

Celeste Rivas Hernández was a teenager from a Salvadoran-American family in Lake Elsinore, located in Riverside County. She attended school locally and was close to her parents, Mercedes Martinez and Jesus Rivas.

• Celeste was reported missing multiple times by her family before her remains were found. The first formal missing-person report was filed on February 15, 2024, when she was 14.
• Neighbors and family members saw her intermittently throughout 2024, creating confusion about her whereabouts and safety.
• Under California law, a 13- or 14-year-old cannot consent to a sexual relationship with an adult. Rivas Hernandez’s age at the time of the alleged abuse forms the basis of both criminal charges (continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14) and civil claims (childhood sexual assault).

The relationship between Rivas and d4vd was reportedly illegal and involved significant age differences, which is central to every legal dimension of this case, including the criminal prosecution, the wrongful death lawsuit, and the question of whether the death penalty should be pursued.

A vigil for Rivas was held in Lake Elsinore, and her funeral was held on October 6, 2025.

Who Is D4vd (David Burke) and His Music Career?

David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, is an American singer-songwriter who built a following with songs like “Romantic Homicide” before signing with Darkroom and Interscope Records. His music career generated reported gross earnings of $10 to $11.5 million in 2024, according to court filings cited by the Washington Post.

• Burke released his album Withered and announced a world tour scheduled to begin in August 2025.
• He maintained a Hollywood Hills residence that became central to the criminal investigation and the civil lawsuit.
• His public persona as a young, fast-rising artist contrasted sharply with the allegations once they became public. Media outlets examined his lyrics and social media posts for references to Celeste after charges were filed.

What Is a Wrongful Death Lawsuit?

Legal Definition

A wrongful death lawsuit is a civil claim brought by the survivors or estate of someone who died because of another party’s wrongful act, negligence, or intentional conduct. Unlike a criminal prosecution, which is brought by the state and can lead to imprisonment or capital punishment, a wrongful death claim is a private civil action that seeks monetary compensation for the surviving family.

Who Can File a Wrongful Death Suit

Within the California justice system, specific people connected to the deceased have the right to bring a wrongful death claim. This is generally limited to the following:

• A surviving spouse or domestic partner
• Surviving children
• Surviving parents, when there is no surviving spouse or children
• Financial dependents under some circumstances

Because Celeste was a minor, her parents are the ones with legal standing to bring the wrongful death lawsuit on her behalf.

When a Wrongful Death Suit May Be Filed

A wrongful death suit may be filed whenever a death results from another party’s wrongful conduct, whether through:

• Negligence, meaning a failure to exercise reasonable care
• Recklessness, involving conscious disregard of a known risk
• Intentional acts, such as assault or homicide

Common examples include car accidents, medical malpractice, defective products, workplace incidents, and violent crimes. A criminal conviction is not required before a wrongful death suit can be filed or won. Because civil cases in the California justice system use a lower standard of proof than criminal courts, a defendant can potentially be held liable in a wrongful death lawsuit even if a related criminal case ends differently.

Wrongful death claims are also subject to a statute of limitations, generally two years from the date of death in California, though certain circumstances can extend that deadline.

What Damages Can Be Recovered

Wrongful death claims are designed to compensate survivors for losses tied to their loved one’s death. Depending on the circumstances, recoverable damages can include:

• Loss of financial support the deceased would have provided
• Loss of companionship, guidance, and care
• Loss of consortium
• Funeral and burial expenses
• Loss of expected inheritance

Punitive damages may also be available when a case involves especially reckless or intentional conduct, which is often alleged in wrongful death lawsuits tied to abuse or violence rather than accidents.

Understanding Concurrent Civil and Criminal Proceedings

The case involving Celeste Rivas Hernandez and D4vd illustrates how a single set of facts can lead to two separate legal proceedings on different tracks in Los Angeles.

The criminal case focuses on whether prosecutors can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Burke committed murder and related offenses, a case that could result in capital punishment if the death penalty is pursued and Burke is convicted.

The wrongful death lawsuit, by contrast, focuses on financial accountability and reaches a wider circle of defendants, including people who never touched Celeste directly but who the family alleges enabled Burke through inaction.

As both Burke’s criminal trial and the civil case against him, his mother, and his associates move forward, the case for Celeste Rivas Hernandez remains a closely watched example of how a wrongful death lawsuit can be used to pursue accountability across an entire network of alleged responsibility, not just a single defendant.

Help From an Award-Winning Wrongful Death Attorney

If you suffered the loss of a family member due to another person’s negligence or gross misconduct, you don’t have to navigate the legal process alone; Jeff’s got you.

Give yourself the time and space to focus on your healing and honoring your loved one’s memory while a dedicated wrongful death attorney from our law firm handles the legal proceedings on your behalf. 

Contact Attorney Jeff to schedule a free consultation. We can explore your legal options, clarify the case timeline, and begin rebuilding your future together. 

Written By

Michelle Jaco

A content strategist and copywriter based in Orange County, she possesses over ten years of professional writing experience. A graduate of San Diego State University with a B.A. in English, she specializes in building brand identity and enhancing reader engagement, with expertise spanning legal content, software startup copy, and lifestyle branding. When she is not writing in her favorite coffee shop, Michelle is typically traveling, running along the beach, and indulging her sports fandom by cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Dodgers (she maintains that she is not a bandwagoner).