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Preliminary hearing begins
A multiday preliminary hearing began Tuesday in Los Angeles to determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence to send singer D4vd to trial for the killing and dismemberment of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, with the case centered on allegations that D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, stabbed her and cut apart her body at his Hollywood Hills home.
“D4vd murder case: Dayslong preliminary hearing underway in Los Angeles The singer has pleaded not guilty to charges that include first-degree murder”
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said outside the courthouse that prosecutors plan to call "over 10 witnesses" as they seek probable cause, and the hearing is expected to last several days as testimony and evidence are presented for the first time in open court.
ABC reported that a police detective testified about responding to a Hollywood tow yard and finding Rivas Hernandez's decomposing, dismembered body in D4vd's impounded vehicle, and it said the medical examiner identified the remains on Sept. 16, 2025.
Prosecutors allege that D4vd and Rivas Hernandez began a sexual relationship in 2023, when he was 18 and she was 13, and that she was last seen alive on April 23, 2025, according to the nine-page brief described by ABC.
ABC also said prosecutors allege D4vd ordered an Uber that brought Rivas Hernandez to his Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025, and that he then ordered a body bag and chainsaws as part of a sequence to dismember her body.
Defense denies, death penalty
D4vd pleaded not guilty and his attorneys argued in court that the evidence will show he did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez, with ABC saying his attorneys requested that shackles be removed and that the court denied the request while removing handcuffs.
In the same proceeding, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Beth Silverman laid out graphic photos of the victim’s dismembered body, and CBS reported that Senior Deputy Juan Gonzalez testified about a February 2024 welfare check after a call from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.
NBC News said Judge Charlaine Olmedo will decide whether the prosecution offered enough evidence to demonstrate probable cause to proceed to trial, and it described the hearing as resembling a mini-trial with no jury.
NBC News also reported that D4vd was held without bail and that his attorney, Blair Berk, said Burke is not responsible for Rivas Hernandez’s death, while the prosecution presented allegations that he stabbed her multiple times and cut apart her body using chain saws.
El Universal reported that Prosecutor Nathan Hochman revealed the DA’s Office is considering seeking the death penalty for the singer if guilt is proven, while clarifying that the decision had not yet been made.
Evidence, tattoos, and stakes
Prosecutors presented a digital and forensic case built around tattoos and purchases, with NBC Los Angeles reporting that detectives described matching tattoos, including a tattoo that read "shhh" on Rivas Hernandez’s right index finger while her left ring finger and pinky were missing.
NBC Los Angeles also said an Amazon account linked to an email address used to purchase airline tickets was used to buy two chainsaws through an alias, and it reported that a shovel and another chainsaw were delivered via Uber Postmates through the account connected to Burke.
NBC News said prosecutors have evidence that Burke ordered chain saws and wading pools that they allege were used to dismember her body, and it described prosecutors saying her DNA was found on bloodstains discovered when police served a search warrant.
CBS News reported that investigators used dental records to identify Rivas Hernandez’s remains, and it quoted Patrick Seinfeld, the attorney for Rivas' family, saying, "She can't understand how anyone could be so vile."
If the judge finds probable cause, the next step is setting a trial date, and ABC reported prosecutors are seeking to hold D4vd to answer on three felony charges including first-degree murder, sexual abuse of a child and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
