Judge rules singer D4vd must stand trial in killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez
Prosecutors presented forensic, digital and financial evidence tying the singer to the teen’s death, and the judge found enough cause for a jury trial.
- The preliminary hearing for American singer D4vd, legally named David Anthony Burke, concludes Monday in Los Angeles as a judge determines whether sufficient evidence exists to proceed with trial in the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
- Prosecutors allege Burke killed Hernandez to protect his $13 million music career after she threatened to expose their secret sexual relationship, claiming he arranged for her visit to his Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025.
- LAPD criminalists matched DNA from bloodstains in Burke's garage and his Tesla to Hernandez, whose remains were discovered inside two bags in the vehicle's "frunk" last September; blue plastic fragments found on the victim matched a pool in his garage.
- Defense attorneys maintain Burke's innocence, arguing evidence is circumstantial, while the hearing's graphic nature caused the victim's parents to leave the courtroom mid-testimony; Burke remained "stoic" throughout proceedings.
- Over the weekend, hackers compromised Burke's official Apple Music profile with an unauthorized track referencing the victim, while prosecutors presented cell tower data linking Burke to a site where Hernandez's passport card was discovered.
317 Articles
317 Articles
Rapper D4vd Ordered To Stand Trial For Murder Of 14-Year-Old Celeste Hernandez, Whose Body Was Found In His Tesla's Trunk
Rapper D4vd has been ordered to stand trial for the alleged murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The rapper, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, was arrested earlier this year after Hernandez’s body was found in his car’s trunk in 2025. Prosecutors have claimed that Burke is responsible for Hernandez’s death, stating that he murdered […] The post Rapper D4vd Ordered To Stand Trial For Murder Of 14-Year-Old Celeste Hernandez, Whose Body Was Fou…
6 Disturbing Takeaways From D4vd's Preliminary Hearing
Source: Pool / Getty After a five-day preliminary hearing that began on July 20, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo ruled on July 27 that singer d4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, must stand trial for the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The ruling came after prosecutors presented five days of testimony, forensic evidence, graphic photographs, and text messages. Judge Olmedo determined there was sufficien…
D4vd was arrested after the victim’s body appeared in his Tesla; he had written a song called “Romantic homicide,” where he talked about murdering a person
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