Overview
- A Los Angeles judge found probable cause on July 27 to send David Anthony Burke, known as D4vd, to trial on charges of first‑degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
- Prosecutors presented forensic, digital and purchase evidence at a five‑day preliminary hearing including text messages and explicit photos, DNA and blood‑detection findings in Burke’s garage, Tesla location logs and records of alleged purchases such as chainsaws and cadaver bags.
- Authorities say Celeste Rivas Hernandez was killed on April 23, 2025, and that her dismembered remains were recovered in the front trunk of Burke’s impounded Tesla in September 2025; an autopsy ruled the death a homicide from multiple stab wounds.
- Burke has pleaded not guilty, remains jailed without bail, and defense lawyers contend the evidence does not prove deliberate intent to kill and advance alternative theories including accidental death or suicide and claims about the family’s knowledge of the relationship.
- Los Angeles prosecutors are still deciding whether to seek the death penalty and the decision will shape pretrial scheduling and potential penalties if Burke is convicted.