D4vd Loses Legal Team, Switches to Public Defender

Singer D4vd's high-profile private attorneys withdrew from his murder case Monday. A Los Angeles judge appointed the county public defender to represent him.

• Burke, 21, pleaded not guilty to three charges, including murder and continuous sexual abuse of a child.
• 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez's remains were found in a Tesla registered to Burke's address in September 2025.
• Outgoing attorney Marilyn Bednarski said Burke made the decision to switch and that there was no conflict.
• Los Angeles DA Nathan Hochman has not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty.

Why it matters: The switch raises an unresolved legal question: Burke signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Interscope Records, yet a court determined he qualifies for appointed counsel.

• Prosecutors allege Burke stabbed Rivas Hernandez after more than a year of sexual abuse, dismembered her body with a chainsaw, and hid her remains in the car.
• A death penalty decision by the DA is still pending, adding a potential new dimension to the case.

How 27 sources split on this story

Where they split: Coverage does not dispute the basic facts but divides on how much weight to give the prosecution's preliminary-hearing evidence versus the defense's challenges to that evidence.

What’s next: Deputy public defender Walid Kandeel will lead Burke's defense after receiving case files from the outgoing team.

• The October 19 hearing is a status conference; no trial date has been scheduled.
• How does Burke qualify for a publicly funded defense given his recording contract and music earnings?
• Will the Los Angeles DA seek the death penalty, and on what timeline will that decision come?
• What evidence does the prosecution plan to introduce at trial that was not presented at the preliminary hearing?