Story perspectives

D4vd faces murder hearing after dismembered body found in Tesla

7/24/2026

Summary

Story summary

David Anthony Burke (D4vd) faces a murder hearing after prosecutors allege he stabbed Celeste Rivas Hernandez on April 23, 2025.
Prosecutors say DNA on garage items matched Hernandez’s DNA “one septillion times.”
Hernandez’s dismembered remains, weighing 71 pounds and found on September 8, 2025 in Burke’s Tesla, were reported by the autopsy to have penetrating injuries.
Burke has pleaded not guilty and remains jailed without bail.
Burke’s lawyers are challenging the forensic collection.

History

Historical Context

The 1995 O.J. Simpson trial introduced DNA as the centerpiece of a high-profile murder case, presenting 108 exhibits—including 61 blood drops—with match probabilities as low as one-in-9.7 billion. That forensic spotlight forced courts to tighten evidence handling, a legacy echoed in the 2025 D4vd hearing where DNA on a garage tool is claimed to match Celeste Rivas Hernandez “one septillion times.”

1 of 2

Story summary

David Anthony Burke (D4vd) faces a murder hearing after prosecutors allege he stabbed Celeste Rivas Hernandez on April 23, 2025.
Prosecutors say DNA on garage items matched Hernandez’s DNA “one septillion times.”
Hernandez’s dismembered remains, weighing 71 pounds and found on September 8, 2025 in Burke’s Tesla, were reported by the autopsy to have penetrating injuries.
Burke has pleaded not guilty and remains jailed without bail.
Burke’s lawyers are challenging the forensic collection.

1 / 2