Singer-songwriter David “d4vd” Burke is facing murder charges in the death of teenager Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose body was found inside his Tesla in Los Angeles, California, in 2025. Prosecutors are revealing the disturbing evidence they have accumulated thus far in the case at Burke’s preliminary hearing, which began on Tuesday.
Murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez
Rivas Hernandez was reported missing on three separate occasions in 2024, but she did return home at one point. Her final missing persons report was filed on April 23, 2025, by her family after she did not return home to Lake Elsinore, California. That was the last time they ever saw her.
The 21-year-old music artist has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, continued lewd and lascivious acts with an individual under the age of 14, and mutilating a human body. Rivas Hernandez’s body was found in the storage compartment of Burke’s Tesla on what would have been her 15th birthday.
Investigators collected blood and DNA samples from Burke’s garage, where prosecutors allege the dismembering took place, and from his Tesla, where the remains were found months after the fact.
Preliminary Hearing
The courtroom remains filled throughout the week, with the preliminary hearings expected to conclude on Friday. Prosecutors say they are only presenting a portion of the evidence they have recovered against Burke, while Rivas Hernandez’s family sits in the gallery.
The victim’s family has also filed a wrongful death lawsuit, which their representing attorney sat with them through Wednesday’s proceeding, along with a victim’s advocate with the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.
Burke remains shackled throughout the hearing, despite his attorneys’ strong objections, but he has been allowed to remove his handcuffs so that he may take notes. However, the thick yellow legal pad in front of him appears blank.
First Piece of Evidence
A California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer testified on Wednesday that authorities found Rivas Hernandez’s U.S. passport card on the side of Highway 154 on January 7, 2026, months after her remains were discovered. The card was found in a dirt-covered area approximately 10 feet from the highway.
The Caltrans worker was the one to initially find the card and Googled the name on it, and once he discovered the girl had been missing, the worker called CHP and turned it over to authorities.
Human Remains Found
Criminalist Chelsea Murillo testified that after the victim’s remains were found inside Burke’s Tesla on September 8, 2025, by a tow yard worker, she processed the car, removing body bags, but still leaving the strong smell of the decomposition, and saw insects moving around the front storage area.
Photos were presented in court showing multiple air fresheners throughout the vehicle. Murillo said there had been at least 11 in the car, between the center console, the front trunk, and the rear seats.
Motive Behind The Killing
Prosecutors have suggested that Burke engaged in a sexual relationship with the victim when she was only 13 years old, and that his motive for killing her was because she threatened to reveal it to the public, ruining his reputation and career.
They also threw out financial motive, saying that Burke wanted to silence the victim. Prosecutors called Benjamin Greger, a former talent manager for Burke who managed his finances. Greger testified that Burke’s approximate gross earnings were between $10 million and $11.5 million from 2023 to 2025.
Defense Challenges Evidence
Burke’s defense is challenging the evidence presented by the prosecution, which was collected by the case’s investigators. They are questioning why certain items, such as the “burn cage” allegedly purchased by the defendant, were not tested for DNA. They also noted that two chainsaws and an electric saw in Burke’s home tested negative for blood.
