A Los Angeles judge heard graphic testimony Tuesday in the murder case against musician d4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, according to Rolling Stone. Prosecutors showed photos of the severely decomposed remains of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who was found in the front trunk of his Tesla last year.
During the preliminary hearing, a Los Angeles police detective said the body was so badly decomposed that facial features could not be identified. The hearing is meant to give prosecutors a chance to present evidence while Burke’s attorneys can challenge the state’s case, and the judge will decide whether there is enough probable cause to proceed to trial.
Prosecutors allege Burke met Rivas online in 2022 when she was 11 and later began a sexual relationship with her. They say he murdered her on April 23, 2025, to cover up sexual abuse, and then dismembered her body after the killing. Burke has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
According to Rolling Stone, investigators also played body-camera video from a 2024 visit to Burke’s West Hollywood residence after Rivas was reported missing by her family. In that video, Burke told deputies he had met Rivas on Discord and Instagram and said she told him she was 18.
Prosecutors have also claimed Burke bought chainsaws and an inflatable pool after the killing and later stored the remains in the Tesla while he went on tour. The vehicle was eventually impounded after the tow yard manager reported a foul smell and flies coming from the car, according to the filing described by Rolling Stone.
