6 Disturbing Takeaways From D4vd's Preliminary Hearing
6 Disturbing Takeaways From D4vd's Preliminary Hearing
D4vd's preliminary hearing revealed troubling details about his alleged involvement in the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Here's what we know.
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 sufficient evidence to move the case to trial.
Prosecutors allege Burke murdered and dismembered Hernandez before her remains were discovered by LAPD investigators inside two separate bags in Burke’s impounded Tesla on Sept. 8, 2025.
d4vd final preliminary hearing: What happened?
According to the Associated Press, Judge Olmedo found probable cause to proceed on charges of first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child, and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
The judge held Burke to answer for first-degree murder with the special circumstances of lying in wait, committing the crime for financial gain, and murdering a witness to an investigation. He was also held to answer for the unlawful mutilation of Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s remains and for engaging in continuous lewd and lascivious acts with a 13-year-old.
Here are six major revelations from the preliminary hearing.
1. Prosecutors say the relationship began when Celeste was 12.
Outside the courthouse Monday, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said prosecutors presented disturbing crime scene photos, forensic evidence, and text messages, including messages from the night investigators believe Hernandez was killed, to convince Judge Olmedo that Burke should stand trial.
Prosecutors allege Burke began communicating with Hernandez when she was 12 years old and that the relationship turned sexual when she was 13.
Hochman said investigators believe Burke is responsible for Hernandez’s murder based on a timeline of interactions that spanned several years.
“In the intervening time where she had these interactions with Mr. Burke, he engaged in this sexual conduct with a 13-year-old repeatedly over and over again. This came out in text messages that were presented, in videos and photographs that were presented to the judge that showed this sexual activity.”
Hochman said Deputy District Attorney Silverman carefully laid out that timeline during the hearing.
“Miss Silverman methodically tracked the timeline of their interactions during 2022, 23, 24, 25 that eventually led to the time where Celeste Rivas Hernandez went over to Mr. Burke’s house in the Hollywood Hills on April 23rd, 2025 and has never been heard of again.”
2. Investigators believe Hernandez had an abortion at 13.
Earlier in the hearing on July 24, LAPD Detective Corey Farrell testified about dozens of sexually explicit photographs involving Burke and Hernandez, as well as years of text messages documenting their alleged relationship.
Farrell also testified that investigators recovered conversations indicating Hernandez became pregnant in 2024 at age 13 and later had an abortion, court records obtained by ABC 7 New York and E! Newsnoted.
According to courtroom reporting from TMZ, the relationship between Burke and Celeste became increasingly strained over time. In one exchange, Celeste wrote, “I don’t want anything to do with you in person anymore.” Prosecutors say that by April 2025, she had become upset over Burke’s relationships with other women and threatened to expose information she believed could damage his career.
3. Prosecutors reconstructed Hernandez’s final hours. An argument between her and d4vd took place.
On the final day of the preliminary hearing on July 27, prosecutors presented a minute-by-minute timeline of Hernandez’s last known movements.
According to prosecutors, text messages showed Burke and Hernandez argued before she came to his Hollywood Hills home. The dispute allegedly centered on Burke’s friendship with another woman, with Hernandez threatening to expose him.
On April 23, 2025, prosecutors say Hernandez texted Burke that he had “one more chance” to tell her the truth, according to court records obtained by E! News.
According to ABC7 News, she later sent him another message saying she would tell her father lies about him and warned, “i will end ur career and ur life.”
Prosecutors said Burke ordered an Uber to bring Hernandez to his home shortly after 10 p.m.
While riding to the house, Hernandez sent what investigators say was her final text:
“Girly pop I’m almost there open ur door if ur home.”
Burke replied:
“Got you.”
He then added:
“Gate open, door unlocked.”
Prosecutors allege Hernandez arrived around 10:10 p.m. and died within the next 20 minutes. Investigators say she never sent another message.
Later that night, Burke allegedly texted her phone:
“Bro, you’re scaring me.”
Then, around midnight, he sent another message:
“Where are you, please?”
Prosecutors argued those messages were part of a premeditated effort to create a defense after Hernandez had already died.
4. Prosecutors believe Hernandez was killed shortly after arriving at the singer’s home.
According to prosecutors, Burke stabbed Hernandez to death shortly after she entered his home.
Detective Farrell read text messages recovered through search warrants served on Burke’s iPhone and iCloud accounts as prosecutors sought to establish the timeline leading up to her death.
5. Defense says there is no evidence of intent to kill.
After prosecutors rested their case, Burke’s attorneys argued there was not enough evidence to support a murder charge.
“There’s no evidence that Mr. Burke harbored a deliberate intent to kill Miss Hernandez,” defense attorney Marilyn Bednarski said.
She argued that the communications between Burke and Hernandez showed “no threat, no evidence of a history of violence” and that Burke had “the opposite of homicidal malice” toward her.
6. d4vd could face the death penalty.
If convicted of first-degree murder with the alleged special circumstances, Burke could face the death penalty, according to legal affairs and trial reporter Meghann Cuniff. However, Hochman said during Monday’s press conference that prosecutors have not yet decided whether they will seek capital punishment.
Judge Olmedo ordered Burke held without bail and scheduled his arraignment for Aug. 31. A trial date could be set as early as 60 days after the arraignment.
