During a Los Angeles court hearing on Friday, forensic pathologist Dr. Grant Ho testified about the severe degradation of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s body, detailing two penetrating stab wounds as prosecutors pressed forward in the murder case against musician David Anthony Burke, known as D4vd.
Prosecutors assert that the singer, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, fatally stabbed Hernandez in April 2025 to silence her from divulging the sexual nature of their relationship as his career accelerated.
Burke has pleaded not guilty to capital murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains. Law enforcement officers discovered Rivas Hernandez’s remains last September inside the front trunk of an impounded Tesla registered to Burke at a Hollywood tow yard, nearly five months after authorities allege the killing occurred.
Autopsy Findings Reveal Severe Degradation and Fatal Wounds
Taking the stand in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom, Dr. Grant Ho of the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner explained that the degraded condition of the remains posed significant challenges during the postmortem examination, according to apnews.com. Dr. Ho testified that Rivas Hernandez had been dead for weeks, noting that it was extremely difficult to tell
the exact timing of her death due to the extensive decomposition.
Despite the physical degradation, the medical examiner identified two distinct stab wounds that caused internal trauma. One wound struck her liver through the abdomen, while another penetrated her left chest and damaged her ribs.
DNA Evidence and Forensic Details Presented in Court
Throughout the multi-day probable cause hearing, criminalists and homicide detectives introduced extensive physical evidence collected from Burke’s Hollywood Hills rental home. Samantha Tosch, a criminalist with the Los Angeles Police Department, testified that genetic material matching Burke was found in a DNA mixture profile extracted from an outer trash bag recovered during a September 17, 2025 search of the residence, as detailed by Rolling Stone.
Tosch also testified that a swab taken from a wipe found inside an inner trash bag was three trillion times more likely to have come from Rivas Hernandez than from an unknown individual. Additional suspected blood evidence matching the victim’s DNA profile was discovered on a rowing machine, a black rubber mat, a Tesla charger, and a green tarp inside the garage. Under cross-examination by defense lawyer Blair Berk, Tosch acknowledged that the LAPD software calculated the likelihood of DNA presence rather than a definitive touch, while maintaining her professional opinion that Burke’s genetic material was present on the outer bag.
Parents Face Gruesome Testimony in the Courtroom
The courtroom proceedings featured graphic photographs of the dismembered and decomposing body, prompting visible distress among attendees. Prosecutor Beth Silverman repeatedly checked in with Rivas Hernandez’s parents before displaying disturbing images of the remains, which included a torso, severed limbs, and a head found inside black refuse bags, according to BBC News.
The family’s attorney noted that Rivas Hernandez’s mother, Mercedes, had been advised she could step outside during the photographic evidence but chose to remain in the courtroom to support her daughter. They’re at a loss for words and they’re just trying to do the best they can,
Steinfeld told reporters outside the courthouse.
Legal Staking and Next Steps in the Proceedings
The preliminary hearing serves to establish whether sufficient evidence exists to send the case to trial. The defense maintains that the singer is innocent and that forensic evidence will prove he did not cause the teenager’s death.
The legal proceedings have already upended Burke’s music career. Following the discovery of the remains, his headlining tour was curtailed, a deluxe album was shelved, and he was dropped by Darkroom/Interscope Records, Sony Music Publishing, and talent agency The Team, as outlined by Billboard. As the multi-day preliminary hearing moves toward its conclusion, the presiding judge will weigh the medical examiner’s autopsy findings, DNA testimony, and other evidence to decide whether the murder case advances to trial.
