Following a five-day preliminary hearing in Los Angeles, Judge Charlaine Olmedo ruled that indie-pop musician David Burke, known as D4vd, will stand trial for the murder, unlawful mutilation of human remains, and continuous child sexual abuse of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez on Monday, July 27.
A Los Angeles courtroom became the focal point of a harrowing months-long investigation as prosecutors detailed the final hours of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The indie-pop singer known as D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke, sat in court wearing orange jail clothes and glasses as a judge weighed the evidence against him.
Probable Cause Established in Five-Day Preliminary Hearing
Los Angeles Judge Charlaine Olmedo delivered her decision after prosecutors questioned a dozen witnesses, presented graphic crime-scene photographs, and walked through digital records over five days of testimony. The judge ruled that the prosecution presented sufficient evidence to establish probable cause across all charges. The people have met their burden on all counts,
Justice Olmedo said, while emphasizing that the probable cause standard at a preliminary hearing remains lower than the threshold required at trial.
The 21-year-old performer, whose viral TikTok success and subsequent Interscope Records deal propelled him to prominence following early viral tracks in 2022, has pleaded not guilty to all counts. He was ordered to remain held without bail. An arraignment is scheduled for August 31, with a trial potentially beginning 60 days after that.
Prosecutors Outline a Moment-by-Moment Account of the Victim’s Final Night
During the hearings, prosecutors offered a granular timeline of the night Rivas Hernandez died. Investigators traced digital communications showing that she and Burke had argued via text message the evening before regarding his relationship with another woman. In an angry message sent prior to her arrival, she told him i will end ur career and ur life,
according to text transcripts read aloud by LAPD Detective Corey Farrell.
On April 23, 2025, Burke arranged an Uber to transport the teenager to his Hollywood Hills home. As she neared the residence shortly after 10 p.m., she sent her final message: girly pop i’m almost there open ur door if ur home.
Prosecutors allege Burke stabbed her to death immediately after she entered the house.
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman noted outside the courtroom that the state shared only a fraction of its total evidence during the preliminary proceedings. Authorities previously uncovered the teenager’s decomposing remains inside a black vinyl cadaver bag stuffed into the front trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke when the vehicle was towed from the Hollywood Hills in September.
Financial Motive, Special Circumstances, and Potential Death Penalty
The legal stakes for the entertainer escalated significantly during the hearings. Prosecutors argued that the alleged murder was tied to a fear that the victim would expose their relationship and derail his rising career.
Because Judge Olmedo found probable cause for special circumstances including lying in wait, killing for financial gain, and eliminating a potential witness, Burke is eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors have not yet formally announced whether they will seek capital punishment.
Defense Arguments and the Path Ahead
Worth a look
