D4vd faces graphic preliminary hearing in Celeste Rivas case
Prosecutors are expected to present DNA, footage, messages and phone records as a judge weighs whether the murder case should go to trial.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
D4vd’s preliminary hearing is getting underway, with prosecutors expected to put a graphic case before a judge as they try to show there is enough evidence to send the singer to trial, according to TMZ.
The artist, whose real name is David Burke, was arrested in April and charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. He has pleaded not guilty and has remained in custody since his arrest, TMZ reported.
Burke is also charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains, according to TMZ.
The hearing is expected to stretch across the week after earlier delays. Prosecutors can call witnesses, and Burke’s defense team will be allowed to question them. Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo will decide whether prosecutors have shown enough proof for the case to continue toward trial.
What prosecutors say they have
According to TMZ, prosecutors say their evidence includes DNA, surveillance video, text messages and phone records. Some of the prosecution’s claims have already appeared in court documents, the outlet reported.
In those filings, prosecutors alleged Burke and Celeste began a sexual relationship when she was 13. Prosecutors also claimed Celeste threatened to reveal the relationship and damage his music career, according to TMZ.
The allegations become far more disturbing from there. Prosecutors claimed Burke invited Celeste to his Hollywood Hills home and killed her, then dismembered her body with a chainsaw he had purchased online, TMZ reported. Prosecutors further alleged her body was placed in an inflatable pool and that her limbs were removed.
According to TMZ, prosecutors claimed Celeste’s remains were put into two body bags and left in the front trunk of Burke’s Tesla.
Body found after Tesla was towed
Celeste’s body was found in the Tesla after the vehicle was towed to a Hollywood impound, TMZ reported. Burke was arrested seven months after the discovery.
Since the arrest, TMZ reported that people described as Burke’s friends, including Aysia Collins and Neo Langston, have distanced themselves from him.
Prosecutors have not yet decided whether they will seek the death penalty, according to TMZ.
The preliminary hearing is not a trial, and Burke has denied the charges through his not guilty plea. The immediate question for the court is whether the prosecution’s evidence is strong enough for the case to move forward.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.