D4vd’s heading to trial after a judge ruled prosecutors proved their case against the singer in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
D4vd is heading to trial after a Los Angeles judge determined sufficient evidence exists to proceed with murder charges in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
Judge Charlaine Olmedo’s decision came after five days of testimony in which prosecutors laid out their case against the 21-year-old artist, whose legal name is David Burke.
Olmedo found probable cause across all three charges: murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
From the bench, she stated, “The people have met their burden on all counts.” Burke will remain in custody without the possibility of bail as the case advances.
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The prosecution’s timeline centered on April 23, 2025, when authorities say the killing occurred.
Celeste was traveling to Burke’s Hollywood residence via an Uber he’d arranged when she sent what would be her final message: “girly pop i’m almost there open ur door if ur home.” Prosecutors contend Burke fatally stabbed her upon her arrival.
Tensions between the two had escalated the previous evening through text exchanges regarding Burke’s involvement with another woman.
In response, Celeste threatened him with an angry text: “i will end ur career and ur life.”
Detective Corey Farrell from the Los Angeles Police Department testified about communications retrieved from Burke’s iPhone and iCloud that documented their deteriorating relationship.
The detective presented jurors with text exchanges that ranged from explicit content to discussions about abortion, marriage, and Celeste’s attempts to leave home.
The digital evidence painted a picture of what Burke allegedly viewed as a romantic connection. However, the prosecution’s case intensified when sexually explicit photographs surfaced on Burke’s device.
These images depicted Burke with Celeste at various stages of her life, including when he was 18 or 19, and she was 13.
Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman argued to the judge, “Based on the mountains of evidence presented, all of the allegations have been proved way beyond the standard required.”
Silverman concluded by chronicling Celeste’s final hours, noting how her phone ceased transmitting signals after she reached Burke’s residence.
Authorities allege Burke dismembered her body in his garage, where a forensic analyst confirmed blood residue matched Celeste’s DNA profile.
Her remains were discovered in a Tesla bearing Burke’s registration approximately five months later.
The defense team contested the sufficiency of evidence for a murder conviction.
Burke’s attorney, Marilyn Bednarski, contended there was “no evidence that Mr. Burke harbored a deliberate intent to kill Miss Hernandez” and that he possessed “the opposite of homicidal malice” toward her.
Bednarski also questioned the medical examiner’s conclusion that two puncture wounds caused Celeste’s death, characterizing it as insufficiently precise for establishing murder.
Before the allegations surfaced, Burke’s trajectory was ascending rapidly.
The artist gained prominence as a teenager by blending indie rock, R&B, and lo-fi pop across TikTok, SoundCloud, and Spotify, where his 2022 track “Romantic Homicide” has accumulated over one billion streams.
His 2024 Coachella performance preceded his debut album Withered by just two days, released shortly after authorities say he killed Celeste.
Burke entered not guilty pleas to all charges and displayed no visible reaction when Olmedo announced her ruling.
