Forensic experts testify in preliminary hearing for D4vd
A preliminary hearing for David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, is underway, with testimony from forensic experts detailing physical and DNA evidence allegedly linking him to the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Burke has pleaded not guilty to charges of capital murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
Forensic Testimony on Vehicle and Garage Evidence
Los Angeles Police Department criminalist Chelsea Murillo testified that at least 11 air fresheners were found inside Burke's Tesla Model X, alongside the decomposing remains of the victim. According to Murillo, one air freshener was located under a pile of maggots in the front trunk. She reported a strong odor of decomposition and stated that stains found in the rear trunk tested positive for blood and matched the victim's DNA.
Another LAPD criminalist, Lauren Wallace, testified regarding evidence collected from Burke's garage. Using Bluestar, a reagent that indicates the presence of blood, Wallace detected reactions on several items, including floor mats, a rowing machine, a tarp, and wipes. She also noted that an inflatable pool had a patch that glowed blue, suggesting possible blood traces.
DNA Evidence and Physical Matching
A police criminalist testified that DNA testing on evidence from Burke's Hollywood Hills home produced a profile consistent with Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Items including a rowing machine, a green tarp, and a Tesla charger plug from the garage contained apparent blood stains. The DNA match was estimated as one septillion times more likely if the sample came from the victim than from an unknown person.
Additional testimony indicated that blue fragments found on the victim's remains matched damage to the inflatable pool recovered from the garage. The prosecution alleges the pool was used during the dismemberment of the body.
Discovery of Remains and Timeline
The victim's body was discovered in the front trunk of Burke's Tesla in September 2025. The vehicle had been towed days earlier while parked near his home. On January 7, 2026, a California Highway Patrol officer testified that Celeste's passport was found off a highway in Santa Barbara.
According to court proceedings, the victim met Burke in January 2022 when she was 11. A sexual relationship is alleged to have begun in November 2023, when she was 13 and Burke was 18. Prosecutors allege Burke killed Rivas to cover up sexual abuse and to protect his career. The murder charge includes special circumstance allegations of lying in wait, murder for financial gain, and killing a witness.
Contractual and Legal Context
Louis Poimiroo, from Interscope Records, testified that the label made payments to Burke totaling millions of dollars and terminated his contract at the end of 2025.
Prosecutors allege Burke used an alias to purchase tools including a shovel, chainsaws, body bags, and an inflatable pool, and that he dismembered the body using a chainsaw inside the pool.
Defense attorneys stated: "David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez, and he was not the cause of her death."
The preliminary hearing continues with testimony from a deputy medical examiner.