In September, the remains of 14-year-old California native Celeste Hernandez were discovered inside the front trunk of an impounded Tesla — a grisly finding that attracted national headlines when the vehicle was found to be registered to buzzy alternative musician David “D4vd” Burke.
After a lengthy investigation, Burke was arrested earlier this month and charged with murder, mutilation of remains, and continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14.
While he subsequently pleaded not guilty, some truly horrific details are now coming to light. According to prosecutors, Burke allegedly stabbed the teen to death after she threatened him to publicize their illicit relationship.
The story only gets more macabre from there. Court filings released this week detail how Burke allegedly purchased chainsaws, an inflatable pool, a body bag and a shovel online through Amazon and Home Depot, while using the fake name “Victoria Mendez.” Prosecutors even allege he had bought a “burn cage” in July to incinerate evidence.
“After placing her body into the blue inflatable pool to prevent her blood from spilling onto his garage floor, defendant used a chainsaw and perhaps other tools to cut off her limbs,” the District Attorney’s filing reads. Biological samples from inside the garage tested positive for blood, while the medical examiner noted the existence of blue plastic fragments in the garage, consistent with the inflatable pool.
In addition to being unspeakably gruesome, it’s also one of the most advanced cases of internet brain rot we’ve ever heard. At face value, it sounds as though Burke was so helplessly dependent on ecommerce and delivery that he even turned to online shopping platforms when he needed to dispose of a murdered body.
Burke’s defense team maintains that it will show “actual evidence will show that David did not kill Celeste” and that “we will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”
It’s only the latest in a series of horrific developments in the case. Prosecutors also accused Burke of having extensive child sexual imagery in his possession.
It’s a shocking case, particularly considering Burke’s high-profile career as a musician. Developer Epic Games, which launched a series of in-game items for its blockbuster game “Fortnite” inspired by D4vd around April 2025, said that it would be refunding customers.
“We hear the concerns,” the company tweeted over the weekend. “We have a bunch of changes we’re rolling out over time.”
More on the story: Chopped Up Human Body Found in Tesla Registered to Pop Singer
The post D4vd Bought Chainsaws and Body Bag on Amazon After Murder, Prosecutors Say, in the Most Grisly Case of Internet Brain Rot We’ve Ever Heard appeared first on Futurism.
