A California judge ruled Monday that singer D4vd will face trial for the murder of his underage girlfriend, Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
Superior Court of Los Angeles County Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo set D4vd’s (David Anthony Burke) arraignment for August 31, following a five-day preliminary hearing, CBS News reports.
Burke reportedly showed no emotion as the judge made the ruling.
As Criminal Enterprise reported, Burke allegedly murdered Celeste, 14, and dismembered her at his rental home in the Bird Streets neighborhood of Hollywood Hills, on April 23, 2025.
Burke was charged in April 2026 with:
- First-degree murder
- Lewd act upon a child under the age of 14
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office stated that Burke also faces facing special circumstances charges include:
- Lying in wait
- Murder for financial gain
- Killing a witness in a criminal investigation
On Monday, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said during a press conference that prosecutors plan to “prove [Burke’s guilt] beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Hochman added that only a small fraction of evidence was presented at the preliminary hearing.
On September 8, 2025, Los Angeles police found Celeste’s partial remains in the trunk of Burke’s Tesla, located in a Hollywood tow yard.
The incident spurred from a tumultuous relationship between the pair, which ended when Celeste reportedly confronted Burke in April 2025 about seeing other women.
On April 22, 2025, a night before her death, Celeste sent a text message to Burke, threatening to expose their relationship. At the time, Burke was 20 and Celeste was 14.
“i will end ur career and ur life,” she wrote, according to AP News.
On April 23, 2025, Burke ordered her Celeste an Uber ride from Lake Elsinore (her home town) to his Hollywood Hills home. Her cellphone went silent after she arrived at Burke’s residence.
Investigators believe Burke murdered Celeste some time after 10:10 p.m. that night.
“Knowing he had to silence the victim before she ruined his music career as she had threatened, very soon after her arrival at his home, defendant stabbed the victim to death multiple times and stood by while she bled out,” court documents read.
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Investigators said Burke bought two chain saws online and took measures to conceal the death by dismembering her in an inflatable pool, inside the garage of the rental home.
Investigators found the victim’s DNA inside the garage, the filing stated.
Burke also purchased two tote bags, a body bag, the inflatable pool, and a laundry bag online, under the name “Victoria Mendez.”
The defendant is accused of driving around with the body in the trunk for months before abandoning it near his residence.
The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner stated that Celeste had “two penetrating wounds” on her chest and abdomen. Her cause of death has been officially listed as a homicide.
Burke’s defense lawyer, Marilyn Bednarski, argued that Burke never showed “homicidal malice” toward Celeste and that text messages between the pair showed “no threat, no evidence of a history of violence.”
She also argued that the medical examiner’s ruling had been inconclusive and did not prove Celeste had been murdered.
The trial could start within 60 days after the arraignment. Burke has pleaded not guilty.
Check back for updates.
[Featured image: Celeste Rivas Hernandez/LAPD]
