Judge rules singer D4vd must stand trial in killing of teen girl

Key Points:

• A Los Angeles judge ruled there is sufficient evidence to put singer D4vd (David Burke) on trial for the murder, continuous sexual abuse, and unlawful mutilation of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who allegedly threatened to expose their relationship.
• Prosecutors presented evidence that Burke sexually abused Rivas Hernandez starting when she was 13, stabbed her to death after she threatened to ruin his career, dismembered her body in his garage, and kept her remains in his car for months.
• Defense attorneys argued there is insufficient evidence of deliberate intent to kill, claiming the victim showed malice toward Burke and that the medical examiner’s homicide ruling was inconclusive.
• Prosecutors revealed a timeline showing Rivas Hernandez’s final texts before arriving at Burke’s home, after which her phone went silent, and detailed the discovery of her decomposed body in Burke’s Tesla in the Hollywood Hills.
• D4vd, a rising star with over a billion plays on streaming platforms and a recent Coachella appearance, has pleaded not guilty and remains held without bail; prosecutors are considering seeking the death penalty.