LOS ANGELES: The D4vd preliminary hearing opened Tuesday as prosecutors presented evidence against the singer in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, has pleaded not guilty to murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains. His lawyer has said Burke did not cause the teenager’s death.
Los Angeles Police Department Detective Joshua Byers testified about finding Hernandez’s decomposed and dismembered remains inside a Tesla registered to Burke at a Hollywood tow yard on September 8, 2025. Prosecutors also displayed graphic photographs during the hearing.
🚨🎥 Day 1 of D4vd's preliminary hearing was dramatic, as photos of Celeste Rivas' decomposed body were shown in court while her devastated family looked on.
TMZ's Harvey Levin breaks down everything that unfolded. pic.twitter.com/mIQOio4eNB
— TMZ (@TMZ) July 22, 2026The court viewed body-camera footage from a February 2024 missing-person inquiry. In the recording, Burke told deputies that he had met Hernandez online and believed she was 18, according to Associated Press reporting.
Prosecutors allege that Burke had an unlawful relationship with Hernandez and killed her after she threatened to disclose it. They also presented records that they said linked him to purchases of body bags, chainsaws and an inflatable pool. Those claims have not been proven at trial.
Read: D4vd Brother Post Draws Attention Amid Case
The hearing is expected to last about four days. Judge Charlaine Olmedo will decide whether prosecutors have shown sufficient probable cause for the case to proceed to trial.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said his office had not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty
