A judge ruled that singer D4vd must stand trial for allegedly killing and dismembering a 14-year-old girl.
On Monday, Los Angeles Judge Charlaine Olmedo determined during a preliminary hearing that there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial. “The people have met their burden on all counts,” said Olmedo during the conclusion of the hearing, reports AP. D4vd, whose real name is David Burke, will continue to be held without bail.
The preliminary hearing began last Tuesday with prosecutors showing grisly photos taken from the crime scene where the body of the victim, Celeste Rivas Hernandez, was found in September 2025. The pictures showed her dismembered body parts in the front trunk of Burke’s Tesla. Prosecutors claimed that Burke had purchased two cadaver bags, a shovel and three different chainsaws following Hernandez’s murder.
Throughout the week, prosecutors laid out various allegations and findings. They claimed that nearly a dozen air fresheners were found in the Tesla where Hernandez’s body was discovered, and an LAPD Criminalist stated that blood found inside Burke’s garage was consistent with Rivas’ DNA, according to People. Prosecutors also alleged that Hernandez and Burke texted about terminating a pregnancy when she was 14 years old, and messages shown in court on Monday suggested that Hernandez threatened to destroy Burke’s career before her death. After prosecution rested, Burke’s defense team chose not to call any witnesses.
Burke was arrested this past April and charged days later with a first-degree murder charge that could make him potentially eligible for the death penalty. He is also set to face charges for lewd acts with a child and for dismembering her body. Burke pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Hernandez was last seen alive on April 23, 2025, when she went to Burke’s home in the Hollywood Hills. In September 2025, her body was found in multiple bags in the front trunk of Burke’s Tesla. Her arms and legs had been cut off and her body had significantly decomposed.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner released an autopsy report showing that Hernandez died of multiple stab wounds and that the manner was “homicide.” She died from “multiple penetrating injuries.”
In April, prosecutors alleged that D4vd had a “significant amount” of child pornography on his iCloud storage account during a hearing. Beth Silverman, deputy district attorney for Los Angeles County, said they uncovered eight terabytes of data on an iCloud account but had only been able to download one terabyte thus far. They also had found 20 to 30 terabytes of raw data across various devices. Burke had appeared at the hearing in an orange jumpsuit and was “slumped” in his chair.
