D4vd Murder Case: Preliminary Hearing Begins For Singer Accused Of Killing 14-Year-Old Celeste Rivas
Singer d4vd faces murder charges over 2025 death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez; preliminary hearing reveals gruesome details.
Black News 
Singer and songwriter d4vd appeared in court on July 21 for a preliminary hearing in connection with his ongoing murder case surrounding the 2025 death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose dismembered remains were discovered inside a Tesla linked to the artist.
d4vd Murder case: What happened at the preliminary hearing?
According to court documents obtained by ABC 7 New York, d4vd, whose legal name is David Burke, appeared in court wearing an orange jail uniform and shackles. His attorneys requested that the shackles be removed, arguing they were unnecessary and undignified. The judge denied that request, though Burke’s handcuffs were removed during the hearing.
The preliminary hearing began Tuesday morning with graphic testimony from LAPD Detective Joshua Byers of the department’s Robbery-Homicide Division, who responded to a Hollywood tow yard after Hernandez’s decomposing and dismembered body was discovered in two separate bags inside Burke’s impounded Tesla on Sept. 8, 2025. Members of Hernandez’s family became visibly emotional as Byers described the condition of the remains.
“There were maggots,” Byers testified, according to the California Post, Fox News cited. “There were flies. I don’t know how to describe the other liquid matter.”
The remains of the teenage runaway from Lake Elsinore, California, were discovered by Los Angeles police responding to reports of a foul odor coming from the abandoned Tesla.
Byers also testified that investigators reviewed Burke’s Amazon purchase history, where they allegedly found orders placed on May 5, 2025, for two “City Morgue” cadaver bags, PEOPLE reported.
Prosecutors further allege Burke purchased a shovel on April 24, 2025, one day after they believe Hernandez was killed. Investigators also testified that Burke allegedly ordered three chainsaws between May 1 and May 4, 2025. Authorities claim he purchased a 16-inch orange-and-black chainsaw and a 6-inch pink chainsaw under an alias on May 1. A third chainsaw, described as a blue 10-inch Makita model, was allegedly ordered through Postmates on May 4 but has never been recovered.
Additional purchases included a blue inflatable pool, two heavy-duty laundry bags, and a “Tornado Spin” mop and bucket combo.
d4vd was allegedly in an underage relationship with Hernandez before her death, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors believe Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s death was a result of Burke and the young teen’s complicated relationship. Burke and Hernandez allegedly began a sexual relationship in 2023, when he was 18 and she was 13. They allege Hernandez later threatened to expose the relationship and damage Burke’s career if he refused to remain exclusive with her.
Court filings of the d4vd murder case state that just as tickets for his world tour were about to go on sale, Burke allegedly arranged an Uber to bring Hernandez to his Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025. Prosecutors say that was the last time she was seen alive.
On the night of the incident, prosecutors believe Burke stabbed Hernandez multiple times before later dismembering her body.
“In order to distance himself from the victim, he amputated her left ring and pinky fingers because her ring finger contained a tattoo of his name,” prosecutors wrote in their brief, noting that her fingers have not been found, ABC 7 New York noted.
According to court filings obtained by Fox News, Burke and Hernandez allegedly spent “a significant amount of time” together throughout 2024. Prosecutors allege Burke flew the teenager to Las Vegas, London and Texas, where she met members of his family. The filings state the relationship ended in November 2024 when issues began to arise in their relationship.
“[Text] messages reveal the victim’s jealousy over defendant’s relationships with other women, as defendant led her to believe they had a future together,” prosecutors wrote. “She became extremely upset and threatened to disclose damaging information about her relationship with defendant to end his career and destroy his life.”
How long will the d4vd preliminary hearing last?
The preliminary hearing is expected to last between three and seven days as prosecutors seek to establish probable cause for the case to proceed to trial. The prosecution is expected to call 10 witnesses, including law enforcement officers and members of the coroner’s office.
As previously reported, in a press release issued April 22, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner concluded Hernandez died from “multiple penetrating injuries caused by object(s),” officially ruling her death a homicide. The report also noted presumptive positive findings for benzodiazepines and methamphetamine/MDMA in her system. Toxicology testing also detected a low level of alcohol in her liver, though the Associated Press reported it may have resulted from postmortem chemical changes and was not considered a contributing factor.
On April 16, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that Burke was arrested by detectives with the department’s Robbery-Homicide Division. He remains in custody without bail while the murder case continues.
His attorneys said they plan to “vigorously defend David’s innocence.”
“The actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death,” his attorneys said in a statement following his arrest.
SEE MORE:
d4vd Murder Case: What Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s Autopsy Revealed About Her Death
