A Los Angeles judge ruled on Monday that there is sufficient evidence for indie-pop singer David Anthony Burke, known as D4vd, to stand trial for the murder and dismemberment of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The decision capped a five-day preliminary hearing in which prosecutors detailed the circumstances surrounding the killing.
Prosecutors allege that the 21-year-old singer had a clandestine sexual relationship with Hernandez that began when she was 13 and he was 18. Authorities claim Burke killed the girl after she threatened to expose their relationship, which could have destroyed his rising career just days before his debut album was scheduled to drop.
The charges against Burke include murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains. Prosecutors allege that Burke fatally stabbed Hernandez in 2025, dismembered her body, and drove around with her decomposing remains in his car. The investigation began in September when Hernandez's remains were found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke's address.
Burke has denied the charges of murder, sexual abuse, and mutilation. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment or the death penalty.