A week-long preliminary hearing is underway for musician D4vd, who faces murder and other charges in the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Prosecutors allege he killed her to prevent her from exposing their illegal sexual relationship that began when she was a minor. Graphic evidence, including photos of dismembered body parts, was presented to the judge.
The preliminary hearing for singer D4vd, whose real name is David Burke, began on Tuesday in Los Angeles County, where prosecutors presented graphic evidence in the case involving the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
The hearing, expected to last a week, will determine whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial on charges of first-degree murder, child sexual abuse, and mutilation of a body. Prosecutors allege that D4vd, now 20, began a sexual relationship with Rivas when she was 13 and he was 18.
According to the District Attorney's Office, after an argument in April 2025 during which Rivas threatened to expose their illegal relationship and thereby ruin his music career, D4vd arranged for an Uber to bring her to his home. That night, prosecutors claim, he stabbed her to death. Following the killing, D4vd allegedly purchased two chainsaws online and used them to dismember Rivas' body in an inflatable pool in his garage.
The dismembered body parts were later discovered in D4vd's car in September, when he was on tour. During the hearing, the prosecution showed photographs of Rivas' torso in one black plastic bag and her arms and legs in another. An LAPD detective testified that the state of decomposition and skin slippage made facial identification impossible. Rivas' family members were present in the courtroom, as was D4vd.
D4vd has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His defense attorneys have stated they will "vigorously defend" him, asserting that the evidence will show he did not murder Rivas and was not the cause of her death. The judge's role in this preliminary hearing is to assess whether there is probable cause to believe D4vd could be guilty, a lower standard than the "beyond a reasonable doubt" required for conviction at a full trial.
Prosecutors, led by Deputy District Attorney Michael Hochman, indicated they would call more than 10 witnesses, including police officers and coroners, and that D4vd's lawyers would have the opportunity to cross-examine them. Hochman emphasized that this hearing represents only a subset of the evidence the prosecution intends to present at a future jury trial, should the case be bound over. He expressed confidence that the evidentiary burden of probable cause would be met.
The murder charge against D4vd includes a "special circumstances" enhancement due to the alleged underlying crime of child sexual abuse, which makes the potential penalty death or life in prison without parole. The District Attorney's office has not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty
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