David Burke’s Preliminary Hearing Begins in Murder Case

A preliminary hearing began on July 21, 2026, for singer David Burke, known professionally as D4vd, who is charged with murder and other crimes in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The hearing, expected to last three days in Los Angeles Superior Court, will determine if there is sufficient evidence to proceed to a full trial.

Burke, 21, faces charges of first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains. He has pleaded not guilty. The charges stem from the discovery of Rivas Hernandez's dismembered and decomposed body in the front trunk of Burke's Tesla on September 8, 2025, after the vehicle was towed to an impound lot in Hollywood.

Prosecutors allege the killing was premeditated, triggered by the victim's threat to expose a sexual relationship and ruin Burke's music career. According to a prosecution brief filed earlier this year, the pair began a sexual relationship in November 2023, when Rivas Hernandez was 13 and Burke was 18. Prosecutors claim to have evidence including text messages, explicit photographs, and travel records showing the two spent significant time together through 2024, including trips...