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— A preliminary hearing for singer D4vd, who is charged with killing 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, began Tuesday with a judge hearing evidence over whether prosecutors have probable cause to send the case to trial.

The singer, whose real name is David Burke, is charged with first-degree murder with special circumstances, lewd and lascivious acts with an individual under 14 and mutilating a body.

Burke has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The preliminary hearing will take three to seven days where prosecutors will lay out their case against Burke in an effort to convince the judge there is probable cause to advance to a trial.

Rivas Hernandez’s parents and other family members attended the preliminary hearing Tuesday.

D4vd management team member revealed he and Burke’s mom moved money after tour was canceled

The prosecution called Benjamin Greger, a member of Burke’s management team through Mogul Vision.

Greger, who handled Burke’s finances along with his mother Colleen, told prosecutors he moved money around in the singer’s account after his tour was canceled and he was arrested.

Greger said he and Colleen were trying to come up with $2 million for bail. He also testified he told Colleen to move the title from Burke’s name to hers to protect the estate from a civil suit if Rivas Hernandez’s family came after it.

Detective reveals graphic details of body found inside Tesla registered to D4vd  

The prosecution called LAPD Detective Joshua Byers, a homicide detective assigned to the department’s Robbery-Homicide Division.

Byers testified that he responded to a Los Angeles Police Department tow yard on Sept. 8, 2025, after workers discovered human remains inside the front trunk of an impounded black Tesla registered to David Anthony Burke at a Cypress, Texas, address.

Byers testified that investigators found two bags inside the Tesla’s front trunk. One black cadaver bag contained the victim’s head and torso, with the arms and legs removed, and a partially open black garbage bag containing the victim’s severed arms and legs. Byers testified the legs had also been cut at the knees, creating multiple limb sections.

Byers said the remains were in an advanced state of decomposition, with liquefied tissue, maggots and flies. He also said investigators found blue plastic or fiber embedded in the cut surfaces of the severed limbs, which he described as unusual.

He further testified that the victim’s right hand had a tattoo that said “shhhh.”

Before displaying graphic crime-scene photos of the remains found in the Tesla, the prosecutor warned Rivas Hernandez’s family to look away if they did not want to see them.

The family became emotional and cried as the images were shown and Byers described the condition of the remains.

Detective testifies Burke purchased portable ‘burn box’

Byers testified that investigators recovered a receipt from the store Ross Dress for Less dated July 29, 2025, from the Tesla and obtained surveillance footage showing him making a purchase there.

Additional surveillance and Tesla navigation data tracked the vehicle traveling to and from Burke’s Hollywood Hills home before it remained parked until it was towed Sept. 5, he testified.

He said search warrants for Burke’s iCloud records showed his iPhone 16 Pro Max, named “tranquilizer,” last disconnected from the Tesla on July 29, the same day as the Ross purchase. He testified that investigators have not recovered that phone.

During a search of Burke’s home on September 17, 2025, detectives found an unopened portable “burn box,” which Amazon records showed was shipped to Burke’s address under the alias “Victoria Mendez.”

When the prosecutor asked what that was, he described it as “a mini crematorium used to burn items to nothing.”

Byers said investigators linked additional aliases to Burke, including “Trayvion Davis,” and testified one of Burke’s email accounts was used to purchase United Airlines tickets for both Burke and Celeste Rivas Hernandez to travel to Texas and London.

He also said under the “Trayvion Davis” alias, Burke ordered a chainsaw, plastic pool, body bags and heavy-duty laundry bags. All the items were found during the search of his home by investigators, Byers noted. Burke also ordered a mat on Amazon that could burn up to 3000 degrees, which was never found.

Deputies went to D4vd’s house looking for Celeste Rivas Hernandez 

The prosecution’s first witness was Senior Deputy Juan Gonzalez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Gonzalez testified that he went to Burke’s home on Feb. 17, 2024, to check whether Rivas Hernandez was there after she was reported missing. He testified that Burke said she was not with him and that the last time they spoke was Feb. 13, 2024. Burke also told the deputy the last time he had seen her was Nov. 12, 2023.

Burke answered the door dressed casually, wearing a bonnet, eating food and offering deputies beer from his refrigerator, he testified.

Prosecutors played about 10 minutes of body-camera footage from the encounter. In the video, Burke told deputies he met Rivas Hernandez on Discord about three years earlier and had met her in person only once, on Nov. 12, 2023.

During cross-examination, Gonzalez testified Burke was cooperative throughout the encounter and provided Rivas Hernandez’s full name, phone number and details about his prior conversations with police. Gonzalez also told defense attorneys Burke told deputies that Rivas Hernandez had claimed she was 18 years old.

Could D4vd get the death penalty? 

Prosecutors allege Burke killed Rivas Hernandez to protect his music career and are considering whether to seek the death penalty.

Hochman told KTLA the decision will be made after prosecutors weigh aggravating and mitigating factors and consult with Burke’s attorneys, the victim’s family and senior prosecutors experienced in capital cases.

D4vd song taken down after 8 hours
A song that appeared to be by D4vd briefly appeared on Spotify before being removed about eight hours later, reported TMZ.

The track, titled “Marcescence,” remained listed on D4vd’s Spotify page but was no longer playable after it was taken down.

Grand jury convening multiple times in D4vd case favors defense: TMZ producer
The song’s artwork showed D4vd appearing to take a mirror selfie.

What happened to Celeste Rivas Hernandez?
Investigators say Burke met Rivas Hernandez when she was 11 and began a sexual relationship with her when she was 13 and he was 18. Prosecutors allege he killed her to prevent her from revealing the relationship.

Authorities also say they found a significant amount of child sexual abuse material in Burke’s iCloud account. Investigators later searched his rental property and seized electronics and other evidence.

Tate brothers appear in court
Burke was on tour when Rivas Hernandez’s body was identified in September 2025, but the tour was suspended.

He was arrested on April 16, 2026.

“The evidence that’s going to be presented is going to be very thorough,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman told NewsNation local affiliate KTLA ahead of the hearing. “It will track Celeste’s movements on that particular night back in April 2025, all the way through September 2025, when her body was found dismembered in multiple bags in the front trunk of a Tesla.”

Defense attorneys for Burke have said that “evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death.”

Source: https://www.newsnationnow.com/crime/d4vd-murder-case-key-evidence-hearing/