Celeste Rivas Hernandez’ family “horrified” by images shown in D4vd hearing
D4vd was in court in Los Angeles for the first day of his preliminary hearing on July 21st.
The singer, real name David Anthony Burke, is charged with the first-degree murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, as well as charges for lewd acts with a child and for dismembering the victim’s body on April 20th, 2025.
He is alleged to have kept her body in his Tesla. The vehicle was later discovered in a tow yard in Hollywood in September, while Burke was on tour, which is when Hernandez’s body was eventually identified.
If found guilty, Burke could face a life sentence in prison or even the death penalty. District attorney Nathan J Hochman told the court on July 20th it was still undecided whether they would pursue the death penalty, per the New York Times.
According to the BBC, during the preliminary hearing, prosecutors showed the court, which included Rivas Hernandez’s parents, graphic photos of the crime scene and her deceased body when it was discovered.
A homicide detective also testified that Burke purchased a body bag, chainsaws, an inflatable pool and a shovel from the internet in the days before she died.
They were also shown body-camera footage from the home visit by the sheriff’s deputy to Burke’s home, in which he claimed to have met Rivas Hernandez only once, and she told him she was 18.
While these details had previously been shared, the hearing marked the first time that the photos had been shown.
The aim of the preliminary hearing is for prosecutors to convince the judge that there is enough evidence for a full trial to follow.
Prosecutors allege that Burke stabbed Rivas Hernandez and subsequently dismembered her body with a chainsaw following several years of alleged sexual abuse. It was claimed in court that she had threatened to speak about the alleged abuse, which had threatened his music career.
Speaking to the BBC, Patrick Steinfeld, the family attorney for Rivas Hernandez, said after the preliminary hearing, “This is the first time they’ve heard this evidence in detail, and they’re horrified. There was an image of Celeste’s torso and her head in the trunk of the car, and the prosecutor had to ask what it was because you could not tell it was a head. It was absolutely deplorable.”
Steinfeld added, “They’re at a loss for words and they’re just trying to do the best they can.”
Burke has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
The preliminary trial is expected to last for several days.
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