EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes graphic and disturbing details.
Los Angeles —
A preliminary hearing has revealed new details on some of the evidence prosecutors say they have gathered against d4vd in the killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez: testimony of blood stains on various items from his garage, chainsaw purchases and explicit text messages with the girl.
The 21-year-old singer, whose legal name is David Burke, is accused of killing the girl after she threatened to expose their relationship and damage his lucrative career as a rising music star. Testimony on Friday included text messages between them that prosecutors say show a sexual relationship with the victim who was just 13 at the time, and that Celeste had an abortion the year before she was killed. A judge is weighing whether there’s enough to move forward with a trial.
Celeste’s dismembered body was found in the trunk of d4vd’s Tesla in September 2025, which was parked near his rented Los Angeles home. The musician has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and mutilating human remains.
