A US judge determined on Monday that there is sufficient evidence for the singer known as D4vd to stand trial regarding the killing and dismemberment of a 14-year-old girl. The 21-year-old artist, whose legal name is David Burke, faces multiple serious charges, including murder, the continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and the unlawful mutilation of human remains. Burke has entered a plea of not guilty.
Los Angeles Judge Charlaine Olmedo issued the ruling following a five-day preliminary hearing where prosecutors presented evidence detailing the case. Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman stated outside the courtroom that prosecutors are currently weighing whether to seek the death penalty in the case.
The victim, 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, was found in September 2025. Her dismembered and decomposing body was discovered in the back of a Tesla registered to Burke. Prosecutors allege that the two first met when Rivas Hernandez was 11, and that Burke began sexually abusing her when she was 13 and he was 18. Testimony from Los Angeles police detective Corey Farrell indicated that the parents of both Burke and the victim were aware of their relationship, and that her parents had even provided consent for her to travel to London with the singer for a week.
Evidence presented in court included text messages between the two, with Rivas Hernandez mentioning she had fallen pregnant and subsequently had an abortion. Prosecutors described a series of expletive-laden messages sent by the teenager to Burke about 24 hours before her death, in which she expressed jealousy regarding another woman and threatened to expose their illegal relationship. Authorities allege that Burke then paid for an Uber to bring the girl to his home, where he stabbed her to death upon her arrival.
Following the killing, prosecutors claim Burke attempted to conceal the crime. He allegedly sent text messages to the victim asking about her whereabouts to create a cover story. Forensic evidence presented included online order receipts under a fictitious name for items such as chainsaws, a shovel, and an inflatable pool. Prosecutors stated that DNA matching the victim was discovered on blood stains in Burke's garage, where he allegedly dismembered her body. Additionally, he reportedly purchased a portable incinerator, which proved too small for his intended purpose. Burke allegedly kept the remains in his vehicle for weeks before the car was eventually towed to an impound lot in Hollywood.
Prosecutor Beth Silverman told the court that the circumstances of the case do not suggest an accident, while defense counsel argued there was no evidence of a deliberate intention to kill. Burke, who rose to prominence on platforms like TikTok and Soundcloud with his 2022 track "Romantic Homicide," had released his first album, "Withered," and performed at the Coachella music festival in April 2025, just days after authorities say the murder occurred.
Content warning: This article discusses child sexual abuse and murder.
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