Aug 12, 2026 · 16 min · 12 segments
A Los Angeles judge just ruled that musician D4vd will stand trial for the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. In today’s episode Lynden Blake traces D4vd's suspicious online purchase…
Lynden BlakeHostDavid GelmanGuest
Prosecutors say the alleged communication between David Anthony Burke, who professionally went under the name D4VD, which is pronounced David, His relationship with Celeste began back in 2022 when she was just 11 years old.
They say that a sexual relationship started in late 2023 when she was 13 and he was 18.
Celeste's remains were discovered in September 2025, dismembered, and packed into two body bags stacked on top of each other in the front trunk of David's Tesla.
Investigators estimate that she'd been dead for roughly four months before they found her body.
At the conclusion of the preliminary hearing, Judge Charlene Olmedo ruled that the case had enough evidence to move to trial.
The preliminary hearing ran for five days, well beyond the roughly three days investigators had expected heading in.
The extra time, though, gave both sides room to put more on the record than most hearings at this stage.
David faces first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child, and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
On top of all of that, prosecutors added three special circumstance allegations, murder of a witness, murder for financial gain, and murder by lying in wait.
His arraignment, scheduled for August 31st, with the trial likely to follow two to three months after that.
District Attorney Nathan Hockman has not said whether his office will pursue the death penalty.
Prosecutors say the alleged communication between David Anthony Burke, who professionally went under the name D4VD, which is pronounced David, His relationship with Celeste began back in 2022 when she was just 11 years old.
They say that a sexual relationship started in late 2023 when she was 13 and he was 18.
Celeste's remains were discovered in September 2025, dismembered, and packed into two body bags stacked on top of each other in the front trunk of David's Tesla.
Investigators estimate that she'd been dead for roughly four months before they found her body.
At the conclusion of the preliminary hearing, Judge Charlene Olmedo ruled that the case had enough evidence to move to trial.
The preliminary hearing ran for five days, well beyond the roughly three days investigators had expected heading in.
The extra time, though, gave both sides room to put more on the record than most hearings at this stage.
David faces first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child, and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
On top of all of that, prosecutors added three special circumstance allegations, murder of a witness, murder for financial gain, and murder by lying in wait.
His arraignment, scheduled for August 31st, with the trial likely to follow two to three months after that.
District Attorney Nathan Hockman has not said whether his office will pursue the death penalty.
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3 of 3
Death Penalty As Negotiation Tool
Prosecutors may use the death penalty strategically
Why Circumstantial Evidence Matters
The case relies heavily on indirect evidence
Defense Strategy Remains Unclear
The defense has not revealed its strategy
1 min 18 sec of audio in all
7 of 25
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