D4vd's Preliminary Hearing Opens With Body Camera Footage, Graphic Testimony

The first day of D4vd's preliminary hearing offered a closer look at the evidence prosecutors say supports their murder case against the singer. This includes body camera footage from the early stages of the investigation and testimony about the discovery of a missing California teen's remains.

David Anthony Burke, the 21-year-old artist known as D4vd, appeared Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Yahoo News reports that prosecutors began presenting evidence against him. Burke has pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree murder, lewd acts involving a child under 14, and the mutilation of human remains.

Among the evidence presented was body camera footage recorded in February 2024, after 13-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was reported missing. In the video, D4vd told investigators he had met the teen only once and believed she was 18 years old. According to testimony, he also allowed deputies to search the Hollywood Hills home where he was staying, and investigators found nothing linking Rivas Hernandez to the residence at that time.

Prosecutors contend Burke's statements conflicted with evidence they later uncovered. They allege the two had maintained an ongoing relationship before Rivas Hernandez's death in April 2025 and claim she was killed after threatening to disclose it. Those allegations have not been proven in court, and Burke's attorneys have denied that he was responsible for her death.

The hearing also included testimony from a Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective, who described recovering Rivas Hernandez's remains from a Tesla registered to Burke after the vehicle was towed to an impound lot in September 2025. Prosecutors introduced photographs documenting the discovery as part of their case. Those images were jarring, as they showed the young teen's mutilated remains.

The preliminary hearing is expected to continue for several days as prosecutors outline additional evidence. At its conclusion, a judge will determine whether there is sufficient evidence for the case to move forward to trial. Burke remains in custody without bail.