Judge rules singer D4vd must stand trial in killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez

A Los Angeles judge decided Monday that prosecutors presented sufficient evidence to send singer D4vd to trial for the killing and dismemberment of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. As reported across multiple news outlets, Los Angeles Judge Charlaine Olmedo ruled that a five-day preliminary hearing established probable cause for charges including murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains. The 21-year-old performer, born David Anthony Burke, has pleaded not guilty and continues to be held without bail.

The legal proceedings have drawn intense public scrutiny to the rapid rise and sudden downfall of the artist, whose genre-blending indie rock, R&B, and lo-fi pop tracks gained immense popularity on digital streaming platforms. According to reporting from several outlets, prosecutors outlined a chilling sequence of events leading up to the tragedy. Authorities stated that Burke met Rivas Hernandez when she was 11, began sexually abusing her when she was 13 and he was 18, stabbed her to death when she threatened to report him and ruin his career, and cut up her body in his garage with chain saws.

Related imagery

Prosecution Evidence and Arguments

During the multi-day preliminary hearing, deputy district attorneys detailed the final hours of the victim's life. Text message logs introduced into evidence revealed that the two had argued over text regarding another woman the night before the killing. Rivas Hernandez allegedly sent an angry and profane text saying she will tell her dad so many lies about him and i will end ur career and ur life. According to court testimony detailed by prosecutors, Rivas Hernandez took an Uber sent by Burke to his Hollywood home shortly after 10 a.m., sending a final text message upon arrival before her phone went permanently silent.

Investigators testified that Burke stabbed her to death when she came through the door, subsequently ordering chain saws and wading pools that he used to dismember her body in his garage. Bloodstains matching the victim's DNA were reportedly recovered from the garage floor by police analysts. Furthermore, reports noted that her decomposing body was found in a Tesla registered to Burke that was towed from the Hollywood Hills in September, a little more than four months later. Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman maintained that the state had proved all allegations far beyond the required threshold, describing the submitted materials as a mountain of evidence.

Defense Counter-Arguments

Defense attorneys Marilyn Bednarski and Blair Berk pushed back against the state's narrative, arguing that the evidence failed to establish any homicidal intent. Bednarski contended that communications showed the opposite of homicidal malice and that the medical examiner's ruling of homicide based on two puncture wounds remained too vague to substantiate a murder charge. The defense also highlighted text messages showing the victim had repeatedly demanded to visit Burke and had threatened him and his family, though questioning confirmed she never threatened police intervention or legal action.

Additional testimony brought forward complex family dynamics. Detective Corey Farrell acknowledged under questioning that the parents of both Burke and Rivas Hernandez knew about their relationship, that he had attended church with members of her family, and that her parents had given their consent for her to go to London with him for a week.

Key Case Details

• Defendant: David Anthony Burke (stage name D4vd), 21
• Victim: Celeste Rivas Hernandez, 14
• Charges: First-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains
• Presiding Judge: Charlaine Olmedo
• Key Discovery: Victim's remains found inside a Tesla registered to Burke

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman addressed reporters outside the courthouse, stating that his office is actively weighing whether to seek the death penalty. Burke is to be arraigned Aug. 31.

What to Watch Next

With the preliminary hearing concluded and probable cause established, the case now moves forward to formal trial proceedings. David Burke is scheduled to appear in court for his arraignment on Aug. 31, where further scheduling decisions will be determined by the court.