Preliminary hearing underway for singer accused of murdering missing teen
LOS ANGELES (CBS, KYMA) - The musician known as D4vd appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom today for the start of a multi-day preliminary hearing on murder charges.
The prosecution is trying to convince the judge there is enough evidence for D4vd, whose real name is David Burke, to face a jury trial.
Inside a Los Angeles courtroom, prosecutors showed gruesome photos of Celeste Rivas Hernandez's decomposing and dismembered body after the 14 year-old was found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke, 21.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman argued Burke killed Rivas Hernandez in April 2025 after a sexual relationship.
"We will be seeking to hold D4vd to answer for three felony counts in which he is charged," Hochman shared.
According to court documents, Rivas Hernandez threatened to go public just before Burke's first album release.
He then allegedly used a fake name to order two chainsaws and a body bag, stabbed her to death, cut off her limbs, and left her body inside the Tesla for weeks.
Burke entered a not guilty plea earlier this year.
"We believe the actual evidence will show David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez," said Blair Berk, Burke's lawyer.
Reporters inside the courtroom say Burke showed no emotion as the photos were shown. L.A. County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey Ukpo says there's no question about how Rivas Hernandez died.
"She did not die from something natural. She did not died from drugs. She was stabbed," Dr. Ukpo remarked.
CBS News legal analyst Caroline Polisi expects prosecutors to show enough evidence to take the case to trial.
"All the prosecution has to do is show there's probable cause, that's the standard to move forward with an actual trial," Polisi explained.
If the judge orders a trial, it is not expected to begin until next year.
If convicted, Burke faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. Hochman has also not ruled out the possibility of pursuing the death penalty in this case.
