While the promoters were preparing his tour and the label was counting the streaming numbers, in the garage of a house in the Hollywood Hills, according to investigators, a completely different kind of story was unfolding. A preliminary hearing began Tuesday in Los Angeles for 21-year-old D4vd performer accused of killing a 14-year-old schoolgirl whose body was found in the trunk of his own Tesla.
The musician’s real name is David Anthony Burke, xrust explains. Los Angeles prosecutors must convince a judge that the evidence is sufficient to present the case to a jury; the hearing is expected to last three to five days. Burke himself does not admit guilt.
- Chronology of one week that changed everything
- What exactly is the musician accused of? Burke is charged with first-degree aggravated murder, sexual assault of a child and unlawful dismemberment of human remains. Separately, the prosecutor's office claims «aggravating circumstances»: murder for mercenary motives and the elimination of a witness — that is, according to investigators, Burke killed Celeste precisely because she could publicly expose their relationship and destroy his career. It is these two additional points that make the case potentially fatal: given the special circumstances, Burke faces life imprisonment without the right to parole or the death penalty. The District Attorney's Office has not yet decided whether it will seek capital punishment. According to prosecutors, the sexual relationship between the musician and the girl began when she was 13 years old — that is, a year before the murder — and developed in parallel with his meteoric rise in TikTok. Investigators say the couple documented these encounters in photographs that qualify as child sexual abuse material. What was found during the search After the remains were found in the front trunk of the Tesla, investigators went to the garage of Burke's rented home in the Hollywood Hills. There, according to the prosecution, they found traces of blood and an inflatable pool with multiple cuts — prosecutors claim that it was in it that the body was kept «so that the blood did not get on the floor of the garage.» Forensic experts determined that death was caused by multiple penetrating wounds; the body lay in the car for several months before it was found. A separate detail that appears in the case file is that on one of the victim’s fingers there was a tattoo with the name Burke. The fingers themselves, according to investigators, could not be found. Defense position From the very beginning, Blair Burke's lawyer builds her defense around one thesis: the prosecution does not prove that it was her client who caused the girl's death. “We believe that the factual evidence will show that David Burke did not kill Celeste Rivas Hernandez and did not cause her death,” she said at one of the first hearings. The defense also sought to remove the handcuffs from the defendant during the hearings, citing the fact that during the year of court hearings he had never violated the order. Lawyers not involved in the case note that the threshold of proof at this stage of the process is low — the judge only needs to be convinced of the presence of “probable cause”, and not make a verdict on the merits. This is why preliminary hearings rarely end in favor of the defense: the decision to continue the process is more a technical formality than an assessment of guilt. Why this is not a jury trial — and what does Russian specificity have to do with it In the Russian system, there is essentially no analogue to such a stage: in our country, the decision to send the case to court is made by the prosecutor, approving the indictment, without a separate public hearing with the participation of the defense. In the United States, it is during the preliminary hearing that the defense first gets the opportunity to question prosecution witnesses and challenge specific evidence even before the case goes to the jury. If the judge finds the evidence insufficient, some of the charges could be dropped now — although this is rare for cases of this size. From viral Fortnite videos to a contract with Interscope Three years ago, the name D4vd was associated with a completely different story. In 2022, a teenager who posted songs on TikTok recorded on his phone for Fortnite montages unexpectedly racked up millions of plays. The track Romantic Homicide — ironically, with a self-explanatory title — brought him a contract with Interscope Records, one of the largest US labels. He performed at Coachella, prepared his debut album and signed advertising contracts during those weeks when, according to the case file, everything was already completed. What's next The hearing will last until the end of the week: prosecutors intend to call several witnesses, primarily LAPD detectives, who will present the evidence they have collected. If the judge decides there is enough evidence, the case will go to the jury — at which time a decision on the death penalty will likely be known. The family of the deceased has so far declined to comment. Sources: Reuters, CBS News Los Angeles, NBC Los Angeles Xrust Pop star in the dock: D4vd will answer in court for the murder of a 14-year-old fan
- What was found during the search
- Defense position
- Why this is not a jury trial — and what does Russian specificity have to do with it
- From viral Fortnite videos to a contract with Interscope
- What's next
Chronology of one week that changed everything
According to the prosecution, events developed rapidly. On April 23, 2025, Burke allegedly ordered 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez an Uber ride to his home — and that same day, the girl died from multiple stab wounds. No one saw her again.
The next day, April 24, according to prosecutors, he ordered a shovel through Postmates. On April 25 — literally a day apart — his debut studio album “Withered” was released, to which advertising contracts were already attached. A week later, from May 1 to 5, the investigation records purchases under a false name: two chainsaws, a body bag, an inflatable pool. In July, an incinerator was added to the list, according to the prosecution. The car with the body stood abandoned for several months until, on September 8, workers at the impound lot smelled the smell and called the police.
Almost a year passed between the murder and Burke’s arrest — he was detained only in April 2026, after which the hearing was postponed three times.
What exactly is the musician accused of? Burke is charged with first-degree aggravated murder, sexual assault of a child and unlawful dismemberment of human remains. Separately, the prosecutor's office claims «aggravating circumstances»: murder for mercenary motives and the elimination of a witness — that is, according to investigators, Burke killed Celeste precisely because she could publicly expose their relationship and destroy his career.
It is these two additional points that make the case potentially fatal: given the special circumstances, Burke faces life imprisonment without the right to parole or the death penalty. The District Attorney's Office has not yet decided whether it will seek capital punishment.
According to prosecutors, the sexual relationship between the musician and the girl began when she was 13 years old — that is, a year before the murder — and developed in parallel with his meteoric rise in TikTok. Investigators say the couple documented these encounters in photographs that qualify as child sexual abuse material.
What was found during the search
After the remains were found in the front trunk of the Tesla, investigators went to the garage of Burke's rented home in the Hollywood Hills. There, according to the prosecution, they found traces of blood and an inflatable pool with multiple cuts — prosecutors claim that it was in it that the body was kept «so that the blood did not get on the floor of the garage.» Forensic experts determined that death was caused by multiple penetrating wounds; the body lay in the car for several months before it was found.
A separate detail that appears in the case file is that on one of the victim’s fingers there was a tattoo with the name Burke. The fingers themselves, according to investigators, could not be found.
Defense position
From the very beginning, Blair Burke's lawyer builds her defense around one thesis: the prosecution does not prove that it was her client who caused the girl's death. “We believe that the factual evidence will show that David Burke did not kill Celeste Rivas Hernandez and did not cause her death,” she said at one of the first hearings. The defense also sought to remove the handcuffs from the defendant during the hearings, citing the fact that during the year of court hearings he had never violated the order.
Lawyers not involved in the case note that the threshold of proof at this stage of the process is low — the judge only needs to be convinced of the presence of “probable cause”, and not make a verdict on the merits. This is why preliminary hearings rarely end in favor of the defense: the decision to continue the process is more a technical formality than an assessment of guilt.
Why this is not a jury trial — and what does Russian specificity have to do with it
In the Russian system, there is essentially no analogue to such a stage: in our country, the decision to send the case to court is made by the prosecutor, approving the indictment, without a separate public hearing with the participation of the defense. In the United States, it is during the preliminary hearing that the defense first gets the opportunity to question prosecution witnesses and challenge specific evidence even before the case goes to the jury. If the judge finds the evidence insufficient, some of the charges could be dropped now — although this is rare for cases of this size.
From viral Fortnite videos to a contract with Interscope
Three years ago, the name D4vd was associated with a completely different story. In 2022, a teenager who posted songs on TikTok recorded on his phone for Fortnite montages unexpectedly racked up millions of plays. The track Romantic Homicide — ironically, with a self-explanatory title — brought him a contract with Interscope Records, one of the largest US labels. He performed at Coachella, prepared his debut album and signed advertising contracts during those weeks when, according to the case file, everything was already completed.
What's next
The hearing will last until the end of the week: prosecutors intend to call several witnesses, primarily LAPD detectives, who will present the evidence they have collected. If the judge decides there is enough evidence, the case will go to the jury — at which time a decision on the death penalty will likely be known. The family of the deceased has so far declined to comment.
Sources: Reuters, CBS News Los Angeles, NBC Los Angeles
Xrust Pop star in the dock: D4vd will answer in court for the murder of a 14-year-old fan
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