Judge orders D4vd to stand trial in murder and abuse case involving 14-year-old girl
A Los Angeles judges has ruled that singer D4vd will stand trial on charges including murder, continuous sexul abuse of a child under the age
A Los Angeles judges has ruled that singer D4vd will stand trial on charges including murder, continuous sexul abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains, after prosecutors presentened five days of evience in a preliminary hearing. Judge orders singer D4vd to stand trial in murder case Prosecutors alleged that 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was murdered after she threatened to expose her and D4vd's relationship, which would damage his career. Judge Charlaine Olmedo on Monday found that prosecutors had presented sufficient evidence during a five-day preliminary hearing to establish probable cause for a trial on charges of murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains. "The people have met their burden on all counts," Olmedo said, ordering that Burke remain in custody without bail. D4vd, whose real name is David Burke, has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The 21-year-old singer, whose career was rapidly rising before the allegations emerged, showed no visible reaction as the ruling was delivered. His defence lawyers declined to comment outside court. Olmedo noted that the probable cause standard required at a preliminary hearing is significantly lower than the burden of proof at trial. Prosecutors, however, maintained that the evidence against Burke was overwhelming. "Based on the mountains of evidence presented," Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman said, "all of the allegations have been proved way beyond the standard required." Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said prosecutors are still considering whether to seek the death penalty.
Burke is scheduled to be arraigned on August 31. Prosecutors concluded their case on Monday by reconstructing the final hours of Rivas Hernandez's life, alleging that her phone stopped transmitting shortly after she arrived at Burke's Hollywood home on April 23, 2025. According to prosecutors, she travelled to the house in an Uber arranged by Burke and sent her final text message shortly before arriving: "girly pop i’m almost there open ur door if ur home." They allege Burke fatally stabbed the teenager after she entered the house. Prosecutors told the court that the pair had argued over text messages the previous night about Burke's relationship with another woman. During the exchange, Rivas Hernandez allegedly threatened to expose him, writing that she would tell her father "so many lies" about Burke and "i will end ur career and ur life." According to prosecutors, Burke met Rivas Hernandez when she was 11 and began sexually abusing her when she was 13 and he was 18. They allege he killed her after she threatened to report the relationship before dismembering her body in his garage using chainsaws. Prosecutors said they have records showing Burke purchased chain saws and plastic wading pools allegedly used in the dismemberment, while DNA matching Rivas Hernandez was found on bloodstains recovered from the garage during a search. They further alleged that Burke kept the body in the boot of a Tesla registered in his name for several months before it was discovered after the vehicle was towed from the Hollywood Hills in September 2025.
The BriefWire