Last Podcast on the Left: Side Stories – D4vd Deep Dive (May 6, 2026)
Hosts: Henry Zebrowski & Ed Larson
Main Theme:
A darkly comedic, in-depth look at the D4vd case: his meteoric musical rise, connections to the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, and the chilling details behind the grisly crime, with hosts analyzing the events, timeline, and cultural impact, all filtered through their signature irreverent lens.
Episode Overview
The hosts deliver a “deep dive” into the disturbing and bizarre story of D4vd (a.k.a. “Deforvid”), a once-rising pop musician now infamous for his involvement in the murder of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez and accusations of child predation. The episode traces the origins of their interest in the case, unpacks evidence and timeline revelations, mocks the incompetence of the crime, and laments the generational crisis embedded in music and online culture. Throughout, Henry and Ed’s gallows humor keeps the episode energetic, despite the grim subject matter.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
D4vd: The Origins of a “Mall Goth” Pop Star
- Fashion Talk: Henry wears a “challenging hat” in “celebration” of D4vd’s infamous bad headwear.
Henry: “Every year...Jackie will give me a bag of entertainment hats. Bad hats...nothing bad about this hat.” (03:37)
- Name, Notoriety, and the Internet:
- D4vd (real name David Anthony Burke) started as a Fortnite-obsessed YouTuber. Switched to music as a workaround for copyright issues.
- Explosive fame was shocking to the hosts:
Ed: “Who is this guy? Oh, my God, he’s incredibly famous.” (07:18)
- Social Media & Youth:
- D4vd’s online presence was “childlike,” and his audience skewed young, both online and in predatory behaviors.
- Henry: “He does mall music for crying 13-year-old girls.” (20:24)
The Case: Timeline and Details
The Crime Scene
- Discovery:
- Celeste’s body found in the trunk (“frunk”) of an abandoned Tesla at a junkyard, September 2025.
- Relationship Timeline:
- D4vd met Celeste when he was 15 and she was 10 or 11, via Discord.
- Their sexual relationship spanned September 2023–September 2024.
- Crime believed to have occurred April 23, 2025; body discovered months later.
- Autopsy & Gruesome Details:
- Body was decomposed; two stab wounds—one in the liver, one in the intestine.
Ed: “The actual stabbing of Celeste...they found two stab wounds. An inch and a half and two inches...one cut her liver.” (30:28)
- D4vd attempted to dismember and dispose of the body using chainsaws and a kiddie pool, bought with a traceable Amazon account.
The Murder Investigation
- Poor Crime Execution:
- D4vd used credit cards, left digital trails, and made no credible effort to conceal evidence:
Henry: “Just the concept…if you really wanted to do this…you would buy, like, a butcher knife...and you buy it with cash, ten pounds away, and you do it silently.” (45:02)
- Kept Celeste’s body at home for weeks before moving it to the Tesla.
- Digital “Spams”:
- Authorities found over 40 terabytes of child sexual assault material, much of it self-produced and shared.
- Henry: “There’s probably other victims that are involved somewhere within that CSAM material, it seems like...because he was making it and openly talking about it on his Discord.” (08:28)
Timeline (select timestamps):
- Discord grooming: Began when Celeste was 10/11 (12:41)
- Relationship: Officially began Sept 7, 2023; ended Sept 7, 2024 (24:45)
- Final confrontation & murder: April 23, 2025 (25:39)
- Album Release: April 25, 2025 (40:37)
- Chainsaw & body bag purchases: Early May 2025 (41:05)
- Body found: After Tesla abandoned and impounded, September 2025 (47:18)
The Music: Pop Stardom Tainted
- D4vd’s biggest single, “Romantic Homicide,” was heavily inspired by—or perhaps a “confession” about—the murder:
- Lyrics Read-Aloud and Analysis:
Henry: “These are the lyrics to ‘Romantic Homicide’...in the back of my mind, I killed you, probably shouldn’t have said that.” (22:30–23:06)
- Ed: “It’s such a childish thing to say, ‘I hate you.’” (23:23)
- Hosts lament that Gen Z musical “taste” is shaped by algorithmic isolation from deeper music history:
- Henry: “Highly derivative of like, Babyface...Right? He’s like a modern shitty—He’s got a different, a slightly different aesthetic though.” (21:17)
- Ed on new pop: “If Youngblood is their Ozzy, then he’s their Tupac.” (21:57)
- Henry: (In disbelief) “What is happening...?” (22:00)
Analysis: Psychological Dimensions & Parental Responsibility
- On the Youth of Both Victim and Perpetrator:
- The hosts frequently note D4vd’s “chronically online,” childlike mentality, and inability to comprehend either reality or consequences.
- Henry: “He’s still honestly childlike in a way...mentally a child, and I just don’t think he’s got a heck of a lot going on in the upstairs department.” (28:25)
- Parental Abdication:
- Ed points to the failures of Celeste’s parents:
Ed: “I’m gonna say something that’s probably rude...but her parents suck.” (35:26)
- Henry: “You can’t be somebody’s parent and their friend.” (35:35)
- Digital Culture’s Role:
- Ominous discussion of Discord as a venue for grooming, and the digital traces left by an “ironic, numb” youth generation.
Cultural Fallout & Legal Prognosis
- The Aftermath:
- D4vd continued touring and performing, with shows at major festivals, after the murder.
Henry: “He didn’t miss a lick...selling tickets.” (48:39)
- Justice System Skepticism:
- Henry: “Because the one thing we know about our judicial system: they always get it right.” (48:58 — sarcasm)
- Predictions:
- The hosts speculate that D4vd will likely take a plea deal and spend his life in prison.
Henry: “I think he’s going to end up taking a plea.” (56:22)
- Online footprint persists:
- Fortnite dropped D4vd collaborations, but users can still wear his “skins” in-game.
- Music remains on Spotify; hosts joke about the persistence of “canceled” artists’ work.
Notable Quotes & Moments
- Henry, on D4vd’s artistry: “It’s mall music for crying 13-year-old girls. It’s CVS music.” (20:24)
- On the crime’s clumsiness:
- Henry: “He just waited until he hit a wall. Then he’s like, oh, my God, I have to do…then it’s like, we gotta do something.” (44:33)
- Ed: “If you’re going to chainsaw a body to death, you don’t do it in an inflatable pool.” (41:16)
- On “love triangles:”
- Henry: “That’s not a love triangle...You know what a love triangle is? When Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie met on the set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith...Each point of the triangle...must own property.” (13:49–14:10)
- On generational music:
- Henry: “Post Malone just sings light FM songs. He just have face tattoos.” (55:01)
- Ed: “Michael Bolton could kick their ass.” (55:19)
- On Discord and video games as pervert havens:
- Ed: “It made me, like, stop trusting Discord...all this.” (56:48)
- Henry: “I can’t pick Roblox out of a lineup.” (57:22)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 03:37 – Henry explains the “entertainment hat” meme and connects it to D4vd’s fashion sense.
- 06:28 – Start of case background: body found in trunk, intro to Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
- 09:25 – Brief D4vd biography: “From Fortnite kid to alleged predator, murder suspect, and charting artist.”
- 24:45 – Mapping D4vd and Celeste’s relationship timeline.
- 30:28 – Autopsy findings & speculation on murder method and psychology.
- 40:37 – Timeline of post-murder actions: album release, covering tracks, botched disposal.
- 41:16–42:05 – Analysis of the laughably poor attempts at body disposal.
- 47:18 – Discovery of body and clues left at the scene.
- 54:33–56:00 – Uncle’s Music Corner: a comedic rant on Gen Z music, Michael Bolton, and musical legacies.
- 56:45 – Discord as a cultural problem; joke about their inability to use it.
- 58:00 – Promo for live show; switch to lighter banter and show wrap-up.
Conclusion
The episode offers a comprehensive, irreverent, and darkly comic investigation into the D4vd case—laying out the facts, failings, and cultural context in which this tragic and ghoulish story unfolds. The hosts manage to explore the horror of modern youth, internet celebrity gone wrong, and failed parenting through both true crime analysis and their trademark comedic style, balancing disgust, disbelief, and laughter throughout.
Further Listening:
For more episodes blending true crime and sardonic commentary, search “Last Podcast on the Left: Side Stories” wherever you get your podcasts.
