HOLLYWOOD HILLS—On May 12, singer D4vd, whose real name is David Burke, appeared in court in Los Angeles for a hearing as part of his upcoming trial. He is accused of murdering teenager Celeste Rivas Hernandez from Lake Elsinore who disappeared in April 2024. Her remains were found in a Tesla registered to D4vd in September 2025. During the hearing, he waived a hearing scheduled for later in May that was a status conference.
The upcoming hearing, which was scheduled for May 1, was rescheduled for May 26. It is a preliminary evidentiary hearing where the judge would determine whether the prosecutors have enough evidence for the case to go to trial. The court has postponed that hearing until June 29. D4vd’s attorneys requested additional time to prepare their defense due to delays in receiving the evidence the prosecution would present at the upcoming hearing, according to reports.
Assistant District Attorney Beth Silverman of the Major Crimes Division, who is the prosecutor overseeing the case explained the delay stemmed from the volume of evidence the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office gathered during its investigation into the death and disappearance of Hernandez, including evidence from D4vd’s personal electronic devices. The District Attorney’s Office gave defense attorneys 40 of the 100 terabytes of evidence it possessed. The court has scheduled D4vd to appear for another status hearing on June 17.
D4vd faces multiple charges including one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child under age 14, one count of murder, and one count of unlawful mutilation of human remains. Those charges come with special circumstances that includes allegations he committed the murder for financial gain and that he murdered a witness. The District Attorney’s Office claims that Celeste was going to testify against D4vd for abuse that occurred during the alleged sexual relationship between them. The singer also faces a special circumstance of lying in wait. In addition, he faces a specific allegation that he committed the crime with a sharp object.
The prosecution alleged in court documents that D4vd purchased two chainsaws, an inflatable pool from Amazon, and fragments from the pool were discovered in the wounds on victim’s body and he purchased a body bag.
A conviction could lead to the singer facing life in prison without parole or the death penalty. The LA County District Attorney’s Office has not decided whether to pursue the death penalty if convicted of the accusations. He pleaded not guilty to the charges he faces.
The Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Office believes she died around April 23, 2025.
