Celeste Rivas-Hernandez case: New evidence in David Burke murder charge

There are new details about what happened to Celeste Rivas-Hernandez before she was

found in David Burke's trunk.

Last week, new evidence was released and it shows Celeste threatened to expose their relationship

the night before she was allegedly killed.

In February of 2024, Celeste was reported missing from her family's home in Lake Elsinore

after meeting David online.

When police went through her phone records, they found his number and court documents

state they called him that same week about her case.

They told David Celeste was a missing minor and that they would be coming to search for

her at his home in the Hollywood Hills.

By the time they arrived, she was already gone and she quote,

returned home two days later and her parents took her phone.

So the state says David drove an hour and a half to Lake Elsinore and paid one of her

classmates $8,000 to give her a new one.

Celeste was reported missing again just a few weeks later and throughout the rest of

2024, she and David traveled to London, Las Vegas, and to Texas together where she met

his family.

David allegedly manipulated her for years and their texts show that on April 22nd, 2025,

they got into a lengthy argument over other relationships he was having.

Celeste quote, became extremely upset and threatened to disclose information about them

that would end his career and destroy his life.

David's first studio album was set to release later that same week and the state is arguing

that he was on the verge of a multi-million dollar career and could not risk her talking.

They claim that the very next night, he called Celeste an Uber to his place and she was dropped

off there around 10, 10 p.m.

But then at 1030, David texted her asking where she was, allegedly pretending she never

got there when he had already taken her life right after she arrived.

By 1130, his phone records show he was driving two hours north to an isolated site in Santa

Barbara County where Celeste's passport would later be found.

David returned home the next morning and ordered a shovel and later that night, he still hosted

a release party for his album.

He was then booked for the rest of that month doing shows out of town, but on May 1st, he

started making more horrifying purchases.

David ordered saws, an inflatable swimming pool, and large bags to his home under the

fake name Victoria Mendez.

He also allegedly ordered a cage to incinerate evidence and went back to the same spot in

Santa Barbara County two more times last summer to dispose of even more.

Detectives say he repeatedly lied to friends and business associates about the smell around

his home and around his vehicle where Celeste would ultimately be found.

They have video surveillance showing David was the last person to drive his Tesla on July

29th before parking it in his neighborhood and leaving for his tour.

He traveled the country for the next five weeks bringing caskets to shows and singing

about death while that car sat outside in the summer heat.

Finally, on September 5th, it was towed and tragically, human remains were found in the

Tesla's front trunk.

At the time, David made a statement that he was cooperating and would continue his shows,

but that all changed the next week when it was announced that the remains found belonged

to Celeste.

The tour was canceled, celebrities started distancing themselves from David, and people

online really started to put together what could have happened.

Then last month, David was charged with Celeste's murder and new court documents show the evidence

there is against him.

Prosecutors are arguing that night he killed Celeste with two injuries to her torso in

order to silence her before she could ruin his career.

They have detailed the forensic evidence they found in David's garage and how he manipulated

her for over three years leading up to this.

Celeste's family still maintains that when she was missing, they never knew she was with

David but unfortunately, we know that other people did.

Police found David's number in her phone over two years ago.

Some of her classmates helped them communicate and Celeste's teacher says she came to school

talking about David the first of three times she was reported missing.

David's next court date is scheduled for June 29th and it will be decided if there is enough

evidence to take the case to trial.