Full Breakdown
Preliminary Hearing Highlights Texts About Abortion, DNA Evidence and Dismemberment in D4vd Murder Case
7/25/2026, 12:54:38 PM
Core Event: Charges and Preliminary Hearing
Los Angeles County prosecutors have charged David Anthony Burke—known as the singer D4vd—with capital murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains. The charges, filed on April 20, also include special-circumstance allegations of lying in wait, murder for financial gain and killing a witness. A preliminary hearing is under way to determine probable cause.
Background & Context: Relationship and Alleged Abuse
Court evidence shows Burke met Celeste Rivas Hernandez when she was 11 in August 2022. Text messages from Burke’s phone trace a sexual relationship that began in November 2023, when Hernandez was 13 and Burke was 18-19, and continued through March 2025. The messages discuss sexual activity, plans for marriage and repeated references to pregnancy and abortion.
Data & Statistics
- Ages: Hernandez was 14 at death; 13 during the documented relationship.
- Text timeline: Messages span from August 2022 to April 23, 2025.
- Abortion reference: On June 10, 2024, Hernandez asked, “What if the first abortion didn’t work.”
- DNA evidence: LAPD criminalist Samantha Tosch testified DNA from blood-stained items in Burke’s garage—including a rowing machine, a green tarp and a Tesla charger—was “one septillion times more likely” to belong to Hernandez than to an unknown individual.
- Physical evidence: Blue plastic fragments matching an inflatable pool found in the garage were identified on the victim’s remains. Prosecutors allege Burke purchased two chainsaws, shovels, cadaver bags and the pool under the alias “Trayvion Davis.”
Official Statements & Responses
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman asserted that Burke killed Hernandez to protect his music career, which she allegedly threatened to expose. Hochman said the “lying-in-wait” allegation stems from Burke’s invitation to the teen to come to his Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025. The “financial-gain” allegation is tied to the claim that Hernandez was a key witness in an investigation of Burke’s alleged sexual relationship with a minor.
Burke’s defense team, led by attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter, maintains that their client is innocent.
Verbatim Quotes
- “What if the first abortion didn’t work.” — Celeste
- “You could see various limbs of a body ... arms and legs that had been severed,” — Detective Joshua Byers
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Medical examiner Dr. Grant Ho testified that Hernandez suffered multiple penetrating injuries—one to the abdomen and another to the left chest—likely sustained before death. He could not determine an exact time of death, noting decomposition prevented precise dating and suggesting she may have been deceased for “at least weeks,” possibly as early as April 25. No murder weapon has been recovered, and the defense has questioned whether the injuries could have been self-inflicted or the result of a struggle.
What’s Next
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo will rule on whether the prosecution has met the burden of probable cause. If the case proceeds, further testimony is expected from LAPD Detective Corey Farell, the final prosecution witness. Surveillance video is scheduled to confirm Burke was the last person to drive the Tesla on July 29, 2025, before departing Los Angeles on a concert tour. The next hearing is set for Monday.
