Los Angeles prosecutors presented forensic evidence in a preliminary hearing on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, showing that alleged blood stains in the garage of indie-pop singer D4vd matched the DNA of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whom he is accused of stabbing to death last year.
Forensic Evidence and DNA Match Revealed in Court
The preliminary hearing in downtown Los Angeles entered its third day as state attorneys detailed the physical evidence recovered from the Hollywood Hills residence of David Anthony Burke, the 21-year-old musician known professionally as D4vd. Prosecutors allege that Burke fatally stabbed 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez last year to prevent her from exposing the sexual nature of their relationship amid his rising profile in the music world. Los Angeles Police Department criminalist Samantha Tosch testified on Thursday that DNA profiles extracted from a rubber floor mat, a rowing machine, and a Tesla charger in Burke’s garage matched Rivas Hernandez.
Tosch told the court that the matches of several samples were one septillion times more likely to occur if it originated from Celeste rather than anyone else in the population,
and pointed out the number had 24 zeros. Another criminalist with the Los Angeles Police Department, Lauren Wallace, testified earlier that she found evidence of blood on gym mats and flooring inside the garage at the artist’s Hollywood Hills residence.
Defense Scrutiny Over Collection Methods
Burke’s legal team scrutinized how law enforcement officials chose to test evidence found in his home. Defense attorney Blair Berk questioned Lauren Wallace, another criminalist for the Los Angeles police department, on Thursday about why certain items, including chainsaws located in the musician’s garage, were not tested.
Testing was also done on a trash bag in the garage and stained cleaning wipes inside it. Tosch said the bag swab showed a mixture of DNA from four people, at least two of them male — and one of them that she said was Burke’s. Rivas Hernandez’s DNA was found on the wipes but not the bag, and Burke’s was not on the wipes.
Motive, Career Stakes, and Evidence
Prosecutors are alleging that D4vd killed the girl then dismembered her in the garage after she threatened to reveal their sexual relationship and crater his career. Authorities had said they had evidence that Burke had purchased chain saws, an inflatable pool and a shovel that were used to kill and dismember the teen who had known him for several years and even traveled to London with him. The testimony focused on the forensic evidence authorities said they found that they say proves he killed her and got rid of the body by hiding it in a Tesla that was registered to him, where the girl’s remains were discovered months later.
Legal Status and Next Steps in the Hearing
D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, is charged with fatally stabbing 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez last April and then using a chainsaw to dismember her body before shoving it inside the trunk of his Tesla. He has pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree murder, lewd and lascivious acts
with a child under 14, and mutilation of human remains. If convicted as charged, Burke would face life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty, though prosecutors have not indicated whether they intend to pursue capital punishment.
At the end of the preliminary hearing, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo will decide whether prosecutors have enough evidence to take Burke to trial. Burke has pleaded not guilty and denied all wrongdoing through his attorneys, and his lawyers have said they will vigorously defend him.
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