The California musician, accused of grooming a 14-year-old girl before allegedly murdering her to prevent exposure and then dismembering her body with a chainsaw, faced a Los Angeles judge on Tuesday. This marked the initial day of a preliminary hearing that could set the stage for the case to move to trial.
David Burke, who is known artistically as “D4vd,” stands accused of the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a teenager whose dismembered and decomposed body was reportedly discovered in the trunk of his Tesla. The vehicle was found abandoned just 400 feet from his residence in the Hollywood Hills, according to prosecutors.
Authorities reported that two of Hernandez’s fingers, which bore distinctive tattoos, were missing and have not been recovered.
Burke is facing several serious charges, including murder, child sexual abuse, and the illegal mutilation of a human body.
Los Angeles police have arrested singer D4vd in connection with the murder of a 14-year-old girl, whose body was found in a Tesla trunk. (Timothy Norris/Getty Images for Coachella)
Prior to the hearing, which is expected to take about three to five days, Celeste’s parents, Jesus Rivas and Mercedes Martinez, were spotted entering the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
There were no cameras allowed in the courtroom Tuesday as prosecutors displayed gruesome images and shared brutal details with the court.
A Los Angeles homicide detective took the stand to discuss the grisly scene, with Celeste’s parents opting to remain in the gallery when given a chance to leave before his testimony, according to FOX 11 Los Angeles.
Photographs, intimate notes and flowers are among the items left at a memorial for slain teen Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who was found dead in the trunk of a Tesla in a Hollywood tow yard on Sept. 25, 2025, in Lake Elsinore, Calif. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“There were maggots,” LAPD Det. Joshua Byers testified, according to the California Post. “There were flies. I don’t know how to describe the other liquid matter.”
Martinez looked like she might faint as a supporter leaned over to help her, according to the FOX LA report. Burke, shackled to a chair, reportedly showed no visible reaction.
The parents of Celeste Rivas, Jesus Rivas and Mercedes Martinez, arrive to the Hall of Justice in Los Angeles, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. Their daughter’s alleged killer, D4vd, is in a pretrial hearing for the murder case. (Jef Steinberg/Splash for News Media)
Prosecutors allege that Burke first met Celeste when she was 11 and began molesting her in November 2023, when she was 13 and he was 18.
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman told reporters outside the courthouse that a decision on whether to seek the death penalty has not yet been made.
The charges against Burke are death penalty eligible. If prosecutors don’t seek capital punishment, which is under a moratorium in California, Burke would face a maximum sentence of life without parole if convicted.
Hochman added that while prosecutors will present some evidence throughout the preliminary hearing, they would have more to show at trial.
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman addresses the media outside the Foltz courthouse in Los Angeles July 21, 2026. Hip-hop star D4vd is facing a pretrial hearing for the murder of Celeste Rivas. (Jeff Steinberg/Splash for News Media)
Prosecutors expect to call 10 witnesses, including members of the police department and coroner’s office.
Burke and Celeste spent “a significant amount of time” together in 2024, when Burke allegedly flew the child to Las Vegas, London and Texas and introduced her to his family, prosecutors have alleged in court filings. In November of that year, however, they “broke up.”
“[Text] messages reveal the victim’s jealousy over defendant’s relationships with other women, as defendant led her to believe they had a future together,” prosecutors wrote. “She became extremely upset and threatened to disclose damaging information about her relationship with defendant to end his career and destroy his life.”
That was two days before his debut album dropped. Burke allegedly ordered Celeste an Uber and is accused of concocting a “plan to cover up the murder” that involved sending text messages to her phone asking where she was — allegedly after he’d already stabbed her to death.
A mugshot of D4vd, who is facing a first-degree murder charge in the death of a 14-year-old girl. (Los Angeles County District Attorney)
The morning after the murder, Burke sat for a radio interview about his forthcoming album, prosecutors have said previously.
During the interview on “The Zach Sang Show,” he discussed “losing relationships” and how he could turn the losses into songs, including one named “Romantic Homicide.”
“But you saying expecting it to end in a devastating, tragic, sad way so it can inspire art? But are you manifesting that in a certain way?” the interviewer asked.
“I really hope I’m not because it feels that way,” Burke replied.
He also explained how to pronounce “D4vd” in the episode, which is still on YouTube.