What D4vd Allegedly Did After Celeste Rivas Hernandez Died

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:01]This is Hidden Killers Live with Tony Bruski and Robin Green.

[00:00:08]>> Let's go over to another case. David David Anthony Burke, D4 VD, first met Celeste Rivas Hernandez when she was 11 years old and by 13 the relationship had allegedly become a bit more than just friends. uh when we hear about an adult allegedly seeking out a child that young and and let's it's important to understand for the context of this case he was about 18 at the time too. Um still an adult without a doubt but not 40 or 50 still they would have been in the same school system essentially at a point in time. Uh but seeking out a a child that young and reporting reportedly maintaining contact for years. Um, let's talk about that. What What does that pattern suggest about intent uh versus opportunity? Is this someone because people are going to look at this and and you're going to hear a thousand and I'm not saying they're justified excuses, but I'm already seeing them of, well, when I was 18 or my grandma was 18 or my mother was 18 or my father was 18, they were dating my mother who was 14 or whatever. You hear these stories and things like that.

[00:01:20]This is a little further than that. This is not just like senior and freshman.

[00:01:25]This is more like senior and seventh grader, >> right?

[00:01:29]>> Which is which is more. I remember being in seventh grade and I remember having uh female friends of mine who would brag about their boyfriends who were driving and were 18 and adults and they were, you know, they thought they were adults.

[00:01:45]They were down with that. They were like, "This is great." And and unfortunately in 199 whatever that was five six that uh people were still kind of like oh well okay it was looked the other way still. Um anyway uh it's not about me it's about this. Let's talk about that um that situation there that that age difference and what might have been going on in in your thoughts. Yeah, huge age difference between a 14 year, an 11year-old, a 15year-old, a 16year-old. You know, 11 is definitely a child. That's that's a prepub preubescent child. And it speaks of grooming, intentional grooming, and the need for power and control. And, you know, somebody that really uh gains a sense of, you know, what would we say?

[00:02:40]grandiosity from being able to manipulate someone that young and impress them, which I'm sure he was trying to do.

[00:02:46]>> Yeah. That's even a young age for the middle ages, even 13,400s. It was older than that. It was uh pretty much 14, 15.

[00:02:54]And so, so you can't even have an historical excuse like even epste on that one. Uh and I think I looked this up the other day. I believe it's 5 years is the difference that they actually talk about legally as well. So, it's definitely outside that realm also. So yeah, no excuses. And I remember I'm sorry having all these these talking about our high school years. I remember if you dated someone more than one grade away from you, you got a you got a sideways glance. If you went two grades, that was too much. At least in my school, and I'm a I'm a you know, I'm a hardcore Gen Xer and we you know, we're just nuts.

[00:03:31]>> I mean, is there Let me ask this. Is there a disconnect that goes on mentally when you're because David lived in such a world and he he talked about it where he was online. I mean the people that he interact with interacted with at least initially they're faceless you know names on on a you know with not even real names you know they're they're online names uh as he's playing games and if he met her that way the the way that one uh expresses themselves online not always necessarily reflective of one's age does that play a factor into this in how he viewed her um obviously when you meet in person and clearly they met in person quite a bit. Um, you know, that should probably wipe that away going, you're a child. Um, but for some it doesn't. Does that in in predatory type situations, does that create >> a justification in the mind of the predator that this person is just more mature for their age? In the words of R.

[00:04:36]Kelly or who wrote a Leah song, age ain't nothing but a number. Uh, is that kind of what maybe had been the thought process in somebody like this.

[00:04:47]>> They very much go into that. But but this this young girl um is so mature. I married well I met my h my first husband when I was 15 and he was 25 >> and that's what everyone said. I remember when I met his mother she made the comment to him, well she's very young but she's so mature. So mature.

[00:05:10]And so that's always said, you know, pedophiles with the 5-year-old or the six-year-old, as as I've mentioned before, they'll say, "Oh, but but she was so seductive and so mature." She came on to me.

[00:05:23]>> She came on to me. Yeah. That's a standard.

[00:05:26]>> Yeah. Why do we see that in society? Is it because we're not far enough removed from our own relatives who've done this sort of [ __ ] where they where there where there was that those kind of of relationships at young ages and and maybe it didn't turn into a big controversy and they lived many years together like well they were happy till they were 85 and they died and they married with this kind of an age difference. I I don't know. But it it seems like the fact that that these conversations are had and and people still say that sort of stuff. Well, they're they're very mature for their age. They're still a kid. And and why why is that not like immediately something that somebody goes and says, "Yeah, that's not acceptable." I mean, it's one thing to say they're mature for their age in nonsexual ways. You know, if if we're talking about oh, understanding of of science or math, they're very mature in that area. they they've really, you know, they're advanc maybe maybe advanced is really more the word for that. Um, not mature. Maturity is something different. Why are we why does society give such a pass and and minimize and and go into the corner of the predator and not the victim? Is it because people just don't want to deal with the reality of of what's directly in front of them and how messy that could be if they call it out?

[00:06:45]>> I I think it's changing in society. Yes, we're still seeing it happen and particularly in in some of these, you know, high-profile cases. It's awful.

[00:06:54]>> It's obvious. Um, but there's increasingly multiple states now have made it illegal for girls to marry under 18. And that didn't used to be the case. I mean, there were states where it was legal at 13. And when I married at 16, I did have to go before the court and get permission, which meant sitting for 15 minutes with a social worker and and it was just nonsense. And he wrote the letter to the court saying that I was mature enough to get married. That was in California. Um, but there's a whole movement now, and I forget the name of the organization. I think it's No, I'm not going to say because I may not get it right, but they're trying legislatively to say it is simply not okay for girls under 16, under 18 to be getting married, which I think is a good thing. I think it should be%.

[00:07:49]So, I think we're becoming more aware that this is exploitation.

[00:07:53]>> Yeah. And we said this the other day, too. I I absolutely hate people using that excuse of, well, she's mature for her age. Yeah.

[00:08:01]>> No. So what they saw here and I think people see is for someone's age because they face so much trauma and just like you Siobhan that they become a very good problem solver at a young age and they mistake the ability to solve problems and stay safe >> as best they can as maturity. No, they're good problem solvers for their age. I think just be a little more specific on what you're seeing so that you're not making an excuse for some predator out there to say, "Well, she came on to me. She's mature for her age." Right.

[00:08:30]>> No, you're dealing with a traumatized child that knew how to make herself safe and she's a good problem solver, much better than you, you freaking nut.

[00:08:37]>> It's a good way to put it.

[00:08:39]>> Riverside County deputies uh reportedly contacted David in February 24th. So, this is before the unaliving. This is before any of this happened. Um and and told him that Celeste was a minor and missing. So, they they allegedly knew back then that there was a relationship of some sort here. this girl is uh missing. Uh I mean, if we look at the logs of kind of her coming and going and the videos of where she's been, she was I guess I I call semi missing. I don't know cuz she was at home sometimes. She wasn't consistently missing. Um and I think that's that's a caveat here. Her parents did know where she was from time to time. Um she but she was basically kind of an on andoff runaway. Uh prosecu So they tell him she's underage. He probably already knows this, but it's on the record now that she's a child. Stay away. Prosecutors then alleged that he paid a classmate $1,000.

[00:09:38]So, she's, I guess, in school at this moment, even though she was gone in and out. Uh, paid a classmate $1,000 to deliver a new phone to her so they could resume contact. Uh, he'd just been put on notice by law enforcement. I mean, what does that that alleged choice there reveal about how someone in this psychological space might weigh the risk against control here?

[00:10:03]>> Well, it speaks to grandiosity that he thinks the rules don't apply to him and that he's going to maneuver and get his way.

[00:10:12]>> And that again is the kind of thinking that we would say is pretty psychopathic thinking. um that he wasn't learning anything from experience and he continued on with his path in a in a way that indicated he thought he was going to get away with it as he thought ultimately he was going to get away with everything that he did here.

[00:10:34]>> No guard rails, no accountability and lunacy that he can throw someone in a frunk of a Tesla and think it's going to be okay and go away.

[00:10:45]>> Yeah.

[00:10:45]>> What a [ __ ] >> Yeah. Uh what what do you say here? You know, allegedly happened after Celeste reported death. I mean, it wasn't a single panicked act. This guy, he had a plan. And it went on for weeks, if not months. Tools, bags, a pool, like literally a blowup pool. So, he he's sitting here thinking, "Okay, she's dead.

[00:11:10]Uh what do I do? Oh, let's let's go on Amazon. Let's buy two chainsaws, a incinerator, >> which is the dumbest thing you can think of, >> and a blowout pool and and a and a kitty pool. None of this looks weird or anything. Uh and and he did it under a fake name, but to his address. Um with forensic evidence reportedly tying those materials to injuries on Celeste remains. There's pieces of the pool in her parts. Um, I mean, psychologically, what does that kind of mean, sustained methodical behavior in the aftermath of a violent act tell you about the person who's able to carry it out?

[00:11:48]>> It says it's a sadistic person who's who's definitely capable of fairly elaborate planning in his mind, even though he was not very good at it. And clearly, he's not the brightest guy. Um everything he did was stupid, but he was confident and very full of himself and his apparently he has impressed enough people around him that fed his ego on what a star he is or was going to be and it's insane that you know he he it's the mark of a predator.

[00:12:24]>> Yeah.

[00:12:24]>> Yeah.

[00:12:25]>> It's not >> Go ahead.

[00:12:27]>> Yeah. I'm I'm curious, Siobhan, you know, really focusing on him for a sec.

[00:12:33]>> I know when you're dealing with people that are suffering from addiction, alcohol addiction, drug addiction, typically, again, I know this is anecdotal, um, but when someone actually enters the addiction phase of life, that's kind of where their emotional development stops, like right there.

[00:12:49]Then when they finally enter recovery, that's when it kicks back off again. So, a lot of times they're extremely emotionally immature and and stunted because of that addiction.

[00:12:59]>> Is that the same thing that happens in cases like this where you have some psychopath where when it finally hit hold and he actually gets addicted to trying to control someone like like thinking of control as an addiction maybe or whatever he was doing because he seems like some five-year-old that watched some cartoon or played a video game on how he went about what he was doing. Not someone who's actually making millions of dollars and starting to run an empire.

[00:13:23]>> Right. Right. Yeah. Could you look at it as addiction? Um I don't know. That's not really >> Well, the emotional development aspect of it, not the addiction aspect of it.

[00:13:32]>> Emotional development or just being not very smart. You know, you can be artistically talented and still just not very smart. Right.

[00:13:40]>> I want to I want to add on to that, Robin. Um because I I I I get where you're going. Ego addiction. And and I wonder is that a a thing? A celebrity a a person who's had a taste of celebrity.

[00:13:55]They got a little little taste of what that life is like. The money, the attention, the you're always right. No one's going to question anything that's going on around you. I mean, the it's documented. People were were pointing out to him, why does your Tesla smell like death? um leading up to all of this and his solution is I'm just going to park it out in front of the the house and go on tour. Nothing could happen there. I mean, is it is that the addiction here that that drove this sort of because obviously, you know, you talk about alcohol, you talk about drugs, all sort of stuff. People do so such stupid things when under the influence of those those substances and their addiction is taking over. Is that something? Does that explain part of what went on here?

[00:14:43]an ego addiction, the dopamine hit, the I'm always right. I I I know what this life is like now, and I'm not going back to being just a nobody anymore. So, I'm just going to keep going full forward no matter what. No matter what people say to me, people are smelling the body in my frunk. Oh, well, I got a tour to go on. I Is Is that Is that what's driving it? the the the chemical imbalance that comes with addiction, the the imbalance that comes with ego and celebrity and that dopamine hit is that could be what what drove I mean this these utterly delusional lines of thinking on how he was trying to cover up this crime and thinking he was going to get away with it.

[00:15:23]>> Yeah, you certainly see the the grandiosity being extreme. And the other thing that I was going to mention, um, I heard someone reading quotes from him, and I don't know where he had written this, but things he had written about how much he enjoyed gory, awful, horror kinds of media content, and that it had not only desensitized him, and that that was his word, it had desensitized him.

[00:15:49]He thought it was funny. He loved it.

[00:15:52]And that, I think, is also a piece to look at. You know, of course, there's no direct correlation with people who like gory movies and going out and committing murders, but there there is a subset of people, and again, we'd be looking at psychopathic, narcissistic people, who are attracted to that content because that gives them a high and they identify with being in the position of power and being able to commit these kind of horrendous acts on another human being.

[00:16:23]And that can be something that you can look at as they they have a form of addiction to that too. And when we look back at his, as we've done, his song lyrics and the type of videos that he produced, that shows that kind of fantasy life. And even if those videos were done prior to the, you know, the unaliving of Celeste, >> um, he had been thinking about this kind of thing and enjoying this kind of thing. And that's, I think, something that, you know, we need to keep in mind with some of these films. Um, there was a movie my husband wanted to watch the other night and we got halfway through it and I just said, "I can't watch this.

[00:17:05]I'm not going to watch torture because it wasn't just a violent movie. It wasn't just a movie with graphic scenes.

[00:17:10]It was about torture."

[00:17:12]>> And it was a very popular movie. And we didn't know going in that that was going to be the theme of the movie. But there's a certain subset of people who get high off of watching torture and and awful things enacted on other human beings. And I have a problem with those kind of films. I if I were in charge, they wouldn't be made. I just I just think there's a population of people that should not see stuff like that, >> you know. And I said this yesterday and I misspoke a little bit. Someone corrected me and and absolutely and you know, kind of relating these psychopathic people to like wolves who who will do things for pleasure, you know, they kill for pleasure sometimes.

[00:17:49]And it actually wasn't actually true. Um it it's the worst animals will do in the wild is they'll kill for territorial disputes and something like and stuff like that. Yeah, we are the only organism on this planet, you know, not luckily not all of us, but actually we'll have individuals that take pleasure in in sadism.

[00:18:09]>> Definitely.

[00:18:10]>> We're the only ones. That is just a broken system of our brains and some of us.

[00:18:15]>> Yeah. And and I don't think we we know the full results yet of of what we're creating with the world that we have around us because if if we look back to, you know, our upbringing, our younger years, um you know, we could watch gory movies. You'd have to go to the blockbuster or whatever and and rent it or or catch it on television uh before then. Uh you know, and and and you were you were consuming the gory movie. Then >> if you have a brain that's just right enough to be wrong and you're doing the murder simulators, video games, and I'm not an anti- video game person.

[00:18:52]>> I enjoy a good round of Grand Theft Auto every now and then, too. But but you're participating in it. You're you're not just watching it, you're participating in it. And you can be the most sadistic [ __ ] you want in those games. And there's games far worse than Grand Theft Auto that far gorier and far darker and far more disturbing. Um, but you're participating >> in that and and our brains aren't the greatest at deciphering what's reality in front of us and what's uh entertainment or or what is what is a simulation if if you will. So, I I I am wondering, you know, how much of a recipe for disaster this was because obviously millions of kids play video games that are horribly violent and they're not out there murdering. It's not an epidemic where, oh my god, suddenly there's all these murderers.

[00:19:39]No, there are brains that are able to differentiate the two, but there's some that are not.

[00:19:44]>> 100%. 100%.

[00:19:46]>> There's some that are not. And and >> some are not.

[00:19:49]>> And that's what I'm wondering how much of that may have played a factor in in the desensitization of David in in these younger years that he is still in. uh where he he had the capability to look at it almost like a video game of okay, here's the task. Here's the mission. I got to get rid of this body. What do I do? Buy two chainsaws on Amazon, a a burn incinerator and a pool.

[00:20:15]>> Mhm.

[00:20:15]>> I mean, it seems like something you do on a video game almost.

[00:20:18]>> Yeah. Yeah. And the it really interesting. I've done a deep dive into research on video games. one of the early books I wrote back in the early 2000s um on video game addiction and video game play and then again touched on it in the mass killers book. Um >> it's not that there's a relationship there's no direct causal relationship with video games causing people to go out and commit mass murder or commit do awful things. But when we look at mass murderers, most of them have been very compulsive game players and played for hours and hours and hours and they're playing in a qualitatively different way. They're not just seeing this as a game and they're playing as rehearsal.

[00:21:04]And some of them have been very open about that that you know they they gained skills at what they did when they were became shooters from being shooters in games. And so they played obsessively and they saw it as rehearsal and they were thinking about how would I act this out when they played. So it's a subset again of gamers and it's the way they're playing and this has to do with their pre-existing personality problems.

[00:21:30]>> Yeah, I saw that research too and you're spot on Siobhan. work was great on that.

[00:21:34]It's, you know, these sadistic trends are already there. It's just throwing kerosene on the fire, >> right?

[00:21:40]>> Your thoughts in the comments section on Substack and YouTube as we continue to work our way through the David case.

[00:21:45]>> Want more on this case and others? Then press subscribe now and don't miss a moment of true crime coverage from Tony Brui and the Hidden Killers podcast.