D4vd murder case: Singer to face key hearing on charges he killed teen
Los Angeles Times • • entertainment
Key Points:
- A preliminary hearing for David Anthony Burke, aka singer D4vd, is scheduled for June 29 to examine evidence in the murder and dismemberment of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
- Prosecutors allege Burke sexually abused Hernandez for a year before killing her after she threatened to expose the abuse, then dismembered her body using various tools.
- Burke was arrested in April and has pleaded not guilty; prosecutors have presented extensive digital evidence, including child pornography found on his devices.
- Hernandez was reported missing in February 2024, and prosecutors claim Burke paid a student to provide her with a new phone to maintain contact despite her parents’ intervention.
- The hearing is expected to last at least five days, with a status conference set for June 17; Burke’s defense team has not disclosed their strategy.