Patrick Steinfeld, the lawyer representing the family of the 14-year-old girl D4vd is accused of sexually assaulting, murdering, and dismembering, is disputing the singer’s claim that he is indigent and entitled to a public defender.
In a statement obtained
by Rolling Stone, the lawyer for the family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez alleges the singer, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, is concealing assets in companies he owns and through money he transferred to his mother, Colleen Burke. Steinfeld argues that the public should be angered that a platinum-selling artist is seeking publicly funded representation.
“It is unfathomable that our justice system qualifies David Anthony Burke as indigent when D4VD has 5+ billion streams with 16 million monthly listeners on a single streaming platform, and controls three corporations,” Steinfeld wrote in the statement. “The residents of Los Angeles County should be outraged because it will be the taxpayers that are picking [up] the tab to defend this millionaire on charges of murder, continuous sexual assault of a minor under 14 years of age, and unlawful mutilation of human remains.”
Steinfeld quoted from testimony at Burke’s preliminary hearing, where Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman questioned Benjamin Greger, a former financial manager at Burke’s management company, Mogul Vision. Greger testified that Burke took home roughly $10 million to $11.5 million in gross earnings through recording, merchandising, and music-publishing deals and that Greger discussed transferring Texas properties held in Burke’s name to his mother, Colleen Burke.
“Do you remember testifying that the reason you told her to do that was to protect his estate from any civil suit, so the victim’s family wouldn’t be able to…get…that money?” Silverman asked at the hearing in July.
“I do recall, yes,” Greger testified.
The Rivas Hernandez family attended each day of the preliminary hearing but did not speak to the media during the proceeding.
“We as a family only want justice for Celeste and for whoever is responsible to face the full force of the law. And we thank everyone for supporting our daughter in every way,” the family said in a new statement shared with Rolling Stone this week.
Burke, 21, was arrested in April and pleaded not guilty to his charges at a rearraignment on Monday. His lawyer, Los Angeles County Public Defender Walid Kandeel, began representing D4vd immediately Monday after Burke’s high-powered private legal team, including Blair Berk and Marilyn Bednarski, handed the case over to him.
At the hearing, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo asked Kandeel if his office needed more time “to see if Mr. Burke qualifies” for a public defense. Kandeel said the office was “prepared” to move forward and was seeking appointment.
“We’re not at liberty to disclose financial information. Our office has done a thorough financial evaluation and determined that David Burke is eligible for representation by the Public Defender’s Office,” a spokesperson for the office said in a statement sent to Rolling Stone.
Judge Olmedo decided in July that there was enough evidence to send Burke to trial. Prosecutors say Burke sexually abused Rivas Hernandez for more than a year before killing her in April 2025 when she threatened to expose the alleged abuse. They claim he dismembered her in his garage using a chainsaw and hid her remains in the front trunk of his Tesla.
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