D4vd will face trial over the alleged murder and dismemberment of teenager Celeste Rivas Hernandez after a Los Angeles judge ruled that prosecutors presented enough evidence to move the case forward.
The “Romantic Homicide” singer had been undergoing a preliminary hearing at Los Angeles Superior Court for the past week to determine whether there was sufficient probable cause for a trial. On Monday (July 27), Judge Charlaine Olmedo ruled that prosecutors had met the required standard, allowing D4vd to proceed to trial on charges of murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
“What was presented by our Office over the course of the last week is a small but illustrative fraction of the evidence investigators have accumulated that proves defendant Burke is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the brutal murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said. “This has been a parent’s worst nightmare, hearing the ghoulish details of how their child was killed, dismembered and left as trash.”
The preliminary hearing, which began last Tuesday, revealed some of the evidence California prosecutors have gathered against D4vd, whose real name is David Burke. He is accused of killing and dismembering Rivas, who was believed to be 14 years old at the time of her death. Her remains were discovered in the trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke in September 2025.
During the hearing, an autopsy doctor testified that Rivas died from two sharp-force injuries and reportedly bled out over an extended period, potentially lasting up to an hour.
Evidence presented in court also alleged that Burke got Rivas pregnant and later persuaded her to have an abortion in early 2024.
Burke, 21, has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His attorney argued during the hearing that there is “no evidence that Mr. Burke harbored a deliberate intent to kill” Rivas.
The murder charge includes special circumstance allegations involving lying in wait, murder for financial gain, and killing a witness in a criminal investigation. If convicted, Burke could face life in prison without parole or the death penalty. He will remain in custody while awaiting trial.
