Judge to Decide on D4vd’s Trial for Murder

LOS ANGELES — A hearing beginning Tuesday will determine whether there’s enough evidence to bring singer D4vd to trial for the murder and dismemberment of a 14-year-old girl who allegedly threatened to reveal their relationship.

Prosecutors claim that 21-year-old D4vd, whose real name is David Burke, took Celeste Rivas Hernandez to his Hollywood Hills home, where he reportedly stabbed her several times and dismembered her body using a chainsaw in his garage.

This preliminary hearing in Los Angeles is expected to span about four days and will resemble a shortened trial format.

No jury will be present. Judge Charlaine Olmedo will assess whether prosecutors have provided sufficient evidence to establish probable cause to proceed to a trial.

A Mini-Trial Approach

This hearing marks the initial public release of evidence against Burke, who was arrested in April and has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including murder and unlawful mutilation of a corpse. His attorney, Blair Burke, contends that his client bears no responsibility for Rivas-Hernandez’s death.

Burke, currently held without bail at a nearby jail, plans to appear in court wearing a jail uniform after declining a request from the judge to wear a suit—something often permitted in jury trials. Media cameras will not be allowed in the courtroom.

Following Burke’s arrest, the prosecution issued a memo outlining the evidence, though the defense attempted without success to have it sealed.

Background of the Case

Reports indicate that Burke and Rivas-Hernandez had known each other for several years. Burke reportedly met her when she was 11 and began sexually abusing her at 13, just before killing her after she threatened to report him.

She had been reported missing several times in previous years, and evidence suggests she had spent extensive time with Burke, including a trip to Texas where she met his family.

Detectives previously contacted Burke about her disappearance, but he is alleged to have misled authorities, claiming he only met her once and was unaware of her age. Prosecutors argue that they exchanged sexually explicit messages and imagery.

On April 23, 2025, Burke allegedly drove about 80 miles to pick her up from Lake Elsinore, California. They communicated until her cell phone died upon her arrival in Hollywood.

Details of the Allegations

According to court documents, Burke felt the need to silence Rivas-Hernandez, stating that he was concerned about his music career following her threat to expose him. The documents allege that he stabbed her to death shortly after she arrived at his home.

Prosecutors claim that Burke ordered a chainsaw and other equipment to dismember her body in the garage, asserting that DNA evidence linked him to the crime through blood stains discovered during a police search. For several months, he allegedly drove around with her body in the trunk before it was found in a Burke-registered Tesla, parked near his home.

Although the circumstances surrounding the delayed arrest remain unclear, authorities had to issue subpoenas to uncooperative witnesses, and the autopsy findings were not concluded until December.

The defense has refrained from sharing specifics regarding their case.

Preliminary hearings like this one function similarly to grand jury deliberations. Prosecutors usually present the minimum evidence necessary, and witness lists are typically kept limited to law enforcement and investigators, allowing the defense to probe any weaknesses in the testimony.

D4vd’s Emerging Music Career

D4vd started his music journey by creating content for YouTube related to the video game Fortnite during his teenage years.

His unique blend of indie rock, R&B, and lo-fi pop has taken social media by storm. His hits, including the 2022 sensation “Romantic Homicide,” have surpassed 1 billion streams across platforms like TikTok, Instagram, SoundCloud, and Spotify. In 2023, he released two EPs and supported SZA on tour.

Just weeks prior to the murder announcement, he performed at last year’s Coachella festival, while the discovery of the victim’s body occurred five months later during a promotional tour for a film he was involved with.