Singer d4vd, born David Burke, will now be represented by the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office after his private legal team asked a judge to let them withdraw from his murder case. Attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter told the court they could no longer continue representing him; the judge granted the request after determining Burke qualified for appointed counsel, according to TMZ. Deputy public defender Walid Kandeel has stepped in to lead the defense.

Burke, 21, is charged with first-degree murder with special circumstances in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose remains were found in a Tesla registered to him in 2025. He has also been charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child and unlawful mutilation of human remains, and has pleaded not guilty. A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled in July, following a preliminary hearing, that he must stand trial.

The abrupt shake-up in his defense comes ahead of an Oct. 19 status conference, at which attorneys are expected to say whether they're ready to proceed to trial within 90 days, per NBC News. The case has drawn national attention since Burke's arrest in April, given his rising music profile at the time.