D4vd murder case resumes on day 5 of preliminary hearing. Here's what to know
The preliminary hearing in the murder case against singer and songwriter D4vd, who is accused of killing 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, is expected to continue on Monday after nearly a dozen witnesses have already testified.
D4vd, 21, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, is accused of murdering Hernandez, dismembering her body and leaving her remains in the front trunk of his Tesla. He is charged with first-degree murder with special circumstances, lewd and lascivious acts with an individual under 14 and mutilating a body.
Prosecutors also allege that Burke had a sexual relationship with Hernandez. Los Angeles Police Department Detective Corey Farell testified that the pair began talking when Hernandez was 11 years old, and Burke was 16.
Farell said messages from Burke's iCloud account indicate that their sexual relationship began two months after Hernandez's 13th birthday. Farell also testified that Hernandez had had an abortion roughly two months later in January 2024.
Investigators have also testified that blood found in the Tesla registered to Burke, where Hernandez's remains were found, matched her DNA and the medical examiner detailed findings from the autopsy report, saying there was "severe decomposition."
Hernandez's family was present at the hearing but left when graphic evidence about their sexual relationship and images of her remains were displayed.
Prosecutors are trying to prove that there is enough probable cause to proceed with a trial.
Medical examiner testifies about autopsy report
LA County Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Grant Ho said her remains were severely decomposed, and certain evidence to help determine how long she was dead was not available.
Ho testified that Hernandez's remains were dismembered in one place and her lower extremities were dismembered in two places. He also said that two of her fingers were dismembered and that he believed that both of her legs had been amputated by a power tool.
Ho said the autopsy revealed two penetrating wounds, one to the chest and another to the abdomen. Ho said her cause of death was by "multiple penetrating wounds."
During cross-examination, the defense asked Ho if he had any conversations with detectives or criminalists prior to the autopsy. Ho responded no.
LAPD officer details finding her remains
On the first day of the preliminary hearing, Joshua Byers, an LAPD detective, talked about discovering Hernandez's remains at the Hollywood Tow Yard on Sept. 8, 2025.
Byers said he responded to the scene for a death investigation of a potential body that was found inside a car.
Byers said when he arrived, there was a foul odor coming from the front trunk of a Tesla that was later determined to be registered to Burke.
He said he opened the front trunk of the car and found a partially opened black body bag with the torso and head inside. Byers said he found her limbs in another plastic trash bag.
During Byers' testimony, prosecutors displayed graphic photo evidence of Hernandez's remains.
Byers said there was quite a bit of decomposition, and he could not make out facial features. Investigators said they used dental records to identify Rivas' remains.
D4vd murder case
Prosecutors argue that Burke murdered Hernandez after she threatened to expose their relationship and derail his music career.
According to court documents, the DA's office argues that Burke arranged a ride-share to bring the 14-year-old to his Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025, before he allegedly stabbed her.
They also allege that he tried to cover his tracks by buying items under a fake name to dispose of her body, including a shovel, body bag, heavy-duty laundry bags, two chainsaws, a blue inflatable pool and a burn cage. They believed that he texted and called her as if she were still alive.
Investigators have testified that blood stains in the front trunk of Burke's Tesla, a black rubber mat from his garage, a Tesla charger and a rowing machine found at his Hollywood Hills home were all consistent with a DNA profile of Hernandez.
Investigators also found traces of blood on a blue inflatable pool that prosecutors believe was used to dismember Hernandez's body. They confirmed that blue plastic fragments found on Hernandez's remains match the inflatable pool found in Burke's garage.
The murder charges include special circumstances — lying in wait, committing the crime for financial gain and murdering the witness in an investigation. If convicted, Burke faces the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The DA's office has not said whether it will seek the death penalty.
