A California recording artist accused of grooming a 14-year-old girl before allegedly killing her when she threatened to reveal their relationship appeared before a Los Angeles judge Tuesday as a preliminary hearing got underway. The proceeding is expected to determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence to move the high-profile murder case toward trial.
David Burke, known professionally as “D4vd,” is accused in the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a teenage girl whose badly decomposed remains prosecutors say were discovered dismembered in the trunk of his Tesla. Authorities allege the vehicle had been abandoned roughly 400 feet from Burke’s Hollywood Hills residence.
Investigators said two of Celeste’s fingers, which bore tattoos that could have helped identify her, have not been found.
Burke is facing charges that include murder, child sexual abuse and the unlawful mutilation of human remains.
Singer D4vd was arrested in Los Angeles in connection with the killing of a 14-year-old girl whose remains were found in a Tesla trunk, police say. (Timothy Norris/Getty Images for Coachella)
Before the hearing began, Celeste’s parents, Jesus Rivas and Mercedes Martinez, were seen arriving at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The preliminary hearing is expected to last between three and five days.
Cameras were not permitted inside the courtroom Tuesday as prosecutors presented disturbing images and outlined graphic allegations tied to the case.
According to FOX 11 Los Angeles, a Los Angeles homicide detective testified about the condition of the scene and the evidence recovered. Celeste’s parents were offered the opportunity to step out before the testimony began but chose to remain seated in the gallery.
Photographs, intimate notes and flowers are among the items left at a memorial for slain teen Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who was found dead in the trunk of a Tesla in a Hollywood tow yard on Sept. 25, 2025, in Lake Elsinore, Calif. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“There were maggots,” LAPD Det. Joshua Byers testified, according to the California Post. “There were flies. I don’t know how to describe the other liquid matter.”
Martinez looked like she might faint as a supporter leaned over to help her, according to the FOX LA report. Burke, shackled to a chair, reportedly showed no visible reaction.
The parents of Celeste Rivas, Jesus Rivas and Mercedes Martinez, arrive to the Hall of Justice in Los Angeles, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. Their daughter’s alleged killer, D4vd, is in a pretrial hearing for the murder case. (Jef Steinberg/Splash for INC News)
Prosecutors allege that Burke first met Celeste when she was 11 and began molesting her in November 2023, when she was 13 and he was 18.
ALSO READ: Internet Star Accused of $2,500 Grocery Store Shoplifting
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman told reporters outside the courthouse that a decision on whether to seek the death penalty has not yet been made.
The charges against Burke are death penalty eligible. If prosecutors don’t seek capital punishment, which is under a moratorium in California, Burke would face a maximum sentence of life without parole if convicted.
Hochman added that while prosecutors will present some evidence throughout the preliminary hearing, they would have more to show at trial.
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman addresses the media outside the Foltz courthouse in Los Angeles July 21, 2026. Hip-hop star D4vd is facing a pretrial hearing for the murder of Celeste Rivas. (Jeff Steinberg/Splash for INC News)
Prosecutors expect to call 10 witnesses, including members of the police department and coroner’s office.
Burke and Celeste spent “a significant amount of time” together in 2024, when Burke allegedly flew the child to Las Vegas, London and Texas and introduced her to his family, prosecutors have alleged in court filings. In November of that year, however, they “broke up.”
“[Text] messages reveal the victim’s jealousy over defendant’s relationships with other women, as defendant led her to believe they had a future together,” prosecutors wrote. “She became extremely upset and threatened to disclose damaging information about her relationship with defendant to end his career and destroy his life.”
That was two days before his debut album dropped. Burke allegedly ordered Celeste an Uber and is accused of concocting a “plan to cover up the murder” that involved sending text messages to her phone asking where she was — allegedly after he’d already stabbed her to death.
A mugshot of D4vd, who is facing a first-degree murder charge in the death of a 14-year-old girl. (Los Angeles County District Attorney)
The morning after the murder, Burke sat for a radio interview about his forthcoming album, prosecutors have said previously.
During the interview on “The Zach Sang Show,” he discussed “losing relationships” and how he could turn the losses into songs, including one named “Romantic Homicide.”
“But you saying expecting it to end in a devastating, tragic, sad way so it can inspire art? But are you manifesting that in a certain way?” the interviewer asked.
“I really hope I’m not because it feels that way,” Burke replied.
He also explained how to pronounce “D4vd” in the episode, which is still on YouTube.
