Graphic Phone Evidence Upends Rising Star

A Los Angeles judge has ruled that singer D4vd must stand trial for the murder and sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl whose dismembered body was found in his car.

Quick Take

Judge Charlene Olmedo ruled after a five-day preliminary hearing that prosecutors showed enough evidence for a trial.
David Anthony Burke, known as D4vd, faces first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child, and unlawful mutilation of human remains charges.
Prosecutors say Burke’s phone held sexually explicit photos and years of messages tied to Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
Investigators allege Burke bought tools online, including chainsaws, to dispose of her body.
Arraignment is now set, moving the case from pretrial hearings toward a full jury trial.

Judge Sends Case To Trial After Five Days Of Testimony

Judge Olmedo ruled Burke must stand trial after hearing testimony from a dozen witnesses over five days. Los Angeles prosecutors showed photos, videos, and forensic evidence during the hearing. This ruling only means the judge found enough evidence to proceed, not that Burke is guilty. A full trial jury will decide that later.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the charges against Burke earlier this year. Burke, 21, whose stage name is D4vd, pleaded not guilty. He faces first-degree murder with special circumstances, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains.

Digital Evidence Central To The Prosecution’s Case

A Los Angeles Police Department detective testified that Burke’s phone held a large amount of sexually explicit photos of Rivas Hernandez. Prosecutors say text messages and images document a sexual relationship starting when she was 13 and he was 18. The messages reportedly span from 2022 through 2025, right up until her death.

Court filings describe messages between Burke and Rivas Hernandez discussing an abortion in the weeks before she died. Prosecutors also laid out a 21-minute timeline they say shows how the killing happened. The defense pushed back during the hearing, arguing her family knew about and accepted the relationship.

Body Found Dismembered In Impounded Tesla

Rivas Hernandez went missing in the spring of 2025. Her decomposed and dismembered body was found in September 2025 inside a Tesla that had been impounded and linked to Burke. Prosecutors allege Burke bought tools online, including chainsaws, to help dispose of her remains after killing her.

Court documents suggest a possible motive tied to Burke’s finances and rising music career. Testimony during the hearing focused on his earnings and the risk that exposure of the relationship could have hurt his public image. Prosecutors argue this gave Burke a reason to silence Rivas Hernandez permanently.

What Happens Next For Burke And The Case

Burke’s arraignment is scheduled for August 31, moving the case toward a full jury trial. The preliminary hearing standard only requires prosecutors to show probable cause, a much lower bar than the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard a trial jury will apply. The public record so far remains a pretrial filing, not a verdict.

Cases involving a celebrity defendant and a child victim often draw heavy public attention before a trial even starts. That attention can blur the line between a legal finding of probable cause and an actual determination of guilt. Burke remains legally presumed innocent until a jury decides otherwise at trial.

This case highlights a pattern many Americans already distrust: courts and media moving fast on graphic details while the legal process itself grinds slowly toward final judgment. Rivas Hernandez’s family has said they feel relieved the case is moving forward, but a true resolution still sits months or years away.

🚨Update: Preliminary Hearing Concludes in D4vd Case;

Arraignment Set for August 31
A Los Angeles judge has ruled that prosecutors presented sufficient evidence during the preliminary hearing for the case against D4vd to proceed to trial.

What’s Next?

The case will… pic.twitter.com/wU0LmAv9ig

— Amy Leigh (@IAmyLeigh) July 28, 2026

The trial will test whether the evidence gathered so far, including digital messages, forensic data, and testimony about alleged purchases, holds up under a jury’s full scrutiny. Until then, the case stands as an open, closely watched example of how the justice system handles allegations against high-profile figures.