Overview
- A court brief filed Wednesday says David Burke fatally stabbed 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez after she threatened to expose their relationship and then bought chainsaws, a body bag and an inflatable pool used to dismember her, with blue plastic fragments and her DNA found in his garage.
- Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo declined a defense request to seal the filing and set a preliminary hearing for May 26 after the defense sought more time to review new discovery.
- Prosecutors say searches of Burke’s phone and iCloud turned up a significant cache of child sexual abuse material, part of roughly 40 terabytes of digital evidence they plan to disclose.
- The medical examiner last week ruled the death a homicide from multiple penetrating wounds, and investigators in September 2025 found her dismembered remains in two bags in the front trunk of Burke’s Tesla.
- Burke has pleaded not guilty to murder, sexual abuse and mutilation charges, remains in custody without bail, and could face life without parole or the death penalty if convicted.