Full story
Judge Orders Trial
A Los Angeles judge ordered singer D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, to stand trial on murder charges in the killing and dismemberment of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, and Judge Charlaine Olmedo ordered that Burke continue to be held without bail.
The criminal complaint includes one count each of murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains, along with special circumstance allegations of murder of a witness, murder for financial gain and murder by means of lying in wait.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said, "The people have met their burden on all counts," and he argued that evidence presented during the preliminary hearing proves Burke is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the "brutal murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez."
Burke has pleaded not guilty, and his arraignment is scheduled for August 31, with a decision on whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty to be made at a later date.
Prosecutors allege the case involves special circumstances that permit the rare use of the death penalty in California, including that Burke was accused of "lying in wait, murder for financial gain and killing a witness in a criminal investigation" last April.
Preliminary Hearing Evidence
During a five-day preliminary hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court, prosecutors questioned a dozen witnesses and displayed photographic evidence as Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s family watched.
ABC News reported that Burke was arrested and charged in April and that he continues to face those three charges, with a post-preliminary arraignment scheduled for Aug. 31 and a trial expected to take place within 90 days of that date.
Prosecutors allege that Burke stabbed the teen multiple times, watched her bleed out, and then dismembered her body and got rid of evidence, with her badly decomposed remains found in two body bags in the front trunk of Burke’s impounded Tesla in September 2025.
The BBC said the judge found that prosecutors met the threshold for proving that Burke had probable cause to commit the crime, and it quoted Judge Olmedo saying, "The people have met their burden on all counts."
The BBC also reported that prosecutors alleged Burke killed her because she had threatened to reveal his relationship with a minor and destroy his multi-million dollar music career, while the defense argued there was not sufficient evidence that he had committed the crime.
What Happens Next
If convicted as charged, Burke could face life in prison without parole or the death penalty, and the Deadline report said a decision on whether to seek the death penalty will be made at a later date.
NBC Los Angeles said arraignment was scheduled for Aug. 31 and that a trial date had not been set, while it described prosecutors’ allegation that Celeste was killed because the relationship posed a threat to Burke's lucrative music career.
The BBC reported that Burke’s arraignment is scheduled for 31 August and that the trial is to start within 90 days of that date, and it said Burke has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering and sexually abusing her.
In court, prosecutors presented text messages and other evidence, including threats Hernandez made to Burke, and the BBC quoted one text saying, "I swear to GOD I will kill u".
The stakes extend beyond the criminal case as the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has not yet decided whether it will seek the death penalty, and Hochman said prosecutors presented a "small fraction of our evidence" during the preliminary hearing.
