The preliminary hearing involving singer David Anthony Burke, better known as D4vd, entered a critical stage Monday as a Los Angeles judge considered whether prosecutors have presented enough evidence to send the case to trial.
During the fifth day of testimony, LAPD Detective Corey Farrell walked the court through more than 8,000 messages exchanged between Burke and Rivas Hernandez before her death. According to testimony, the messages included repeated threats from Hernandez to kill Burke, strangle him, damage his personal life and destroy the music career that had made him a multimillion-dollar artist.
The exchanges painted a volatile relationship shaped by jealousy, arguments and escalating pressure. Burke’s defense attorneys leaned heavily on those messages, presenting Hernandez as demanding and threatening while challenging the prosecution’s theory that Burke acted with premeditation.
Prosecutors see the same digital trail differently. They argue that Hernandez’s threats to expose the alleged relationship and disrupt Burke’s career gave him a clear motive to kill her and conceal what happened.
Investigators testified that Hernandez arrived by Uber at Burke’s Hollywood Hills residence on April 23, 2025. No witness or surveillance footage captured what occurred inside the home during a crucial 20-minute window. Her dismembered remains were later discovered inside Burke’s impounded Tesla, a finding at the center of the prosecution’s first-degree murder case.
The defense also highlighted evidence that Hernandez had previously lied about her age and that her parents had allowed her to travel with Burke, including a trip to London. Attorneys pointed to shared outings and parental awareness as they pushed back against the prosecution’s presentation of the relationship.
The hearing began July 21 in downtown Los Angeles before Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo. Earlier testimony focused on digital purchases, vehicle GPS data, DNA evidence and messages discussing multiple abortions. Investigators and a deputy medical examiner also delivered graphic testimony concerning the condition of Hernandez’s remains and alleged child sexual abuse material discovered during the investigation.
Both sides announced during a July 7 status hearing that they were ready to proceed. The current proceeding is not a full criminal trial. Its purpose is to determine whether probable cause exists to hold Burke for trial on the charges.
With testimony reaching its fifth day, Judge Olmedo was expected to rule on whether prosecutors had met that threshold. Burke has not been convicted, and the allegations against him remain unproven unless established in court.
