Gruesome testimony, graphic crime scene photos and emotional courtroom moments unfolded Tuesday as D4vd faced a judge on day one of his preliminary hearing in the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
Prosecutors introduced disturbing photos as they made their case to a Los Angeles judge that there is enough evidence for the 21-year-old singer, born David Anthony Burke, to stand trial.
Related: Celeste Rivas’ Family Declines D4vd Documentary Requests
Burke is accused of having a sexual relationship with Rivas Hernandez and killing the 14-year-old, whose decomposed and dismembered remains were found in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to the singer in September 2025.
The “Romantic Homicide” performer was arrested seven months later and charged with murder, lewd acts with a child under 14, and mutilation of human remains. He pleaded not guilty on all counts.
Graphic Testimony
With Rivas Hernandez’s parents seated in the packed courtroom, Los Angeles Police Department Detective Joshua Byers described the chilling discovery investigators made after responding to a report of a foul odor at a Hollywood tow yard.
The detective said investigators determined the Tesla was registered to Burke and obtained a search warrant before opening the front trunk.
“When I arrived on scene, the vehicle was a black Tesla with Texas license plates. There was a partially unzipped body bag with a torso and a head,” Byers testified.
According to the detective, there was also a plastic bag in the trunk containing the teen’s severed arms and legs. He described the condition of the remains in graphic detail.
“There was insect activities, there was maggots, there was decomposition, there was larvae… I don’t know how to describe it, other than liquidy, decaying matter,” Byers told the court.
As the detective recalled the gruesome scene, Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman displayed photos of the teenager’s decomposed body parts on an overhead projector.
Family’s Reaction
Urban Hollywood 411 was in the courtroom as Rivas Hernandez’s parents observed the horrifying images. The teen’s mother lowered her head and began to sob.
Silverman continued by alleging Burke used two aliases — Trayvion Davis and Victoria Mendez — to purchase a cadaver bag, heavy-duty laundry bags, an inflatable pool, chainsaws, a mop and bucket, and a shovel online. According to prosecutors, the items were delivered to Burke’s home.
Earlier in the hearing, Byers testified that investigators recovered blue plastic fragments embedded in the victim’s remains. He also told the court the remains were so badly decomposed that Rivas Hernandez could not initially be identified.
He said the teen’s father contacted police as details about the case spread in the media. The father said he feared the unidentified body could be his missing daughter. The detective said he asked the father to provide contact information for the teen’s dentist.
Outside court Tuesday, an attorney for Rivas Hernandez’s parents said they were “horrified” by the testimony and photos.
Cross-Examination
During cross-examination, Burke’s defense attorney Blair Berk pressed Byers about the LAPD’s handling of the case. At one point, she asked if the department had kept a log of each investigator who entered Burke’s home looking for evidence. The detective answered “no.”
Burke’s legal team previously said the evidence will ultimately clear the singer’s name.
“Let us be clear, the actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez, and he was not the cause of her death,” they said.
Burke was in court Tuesday and did not appear to react during the graphic testimony. His preliminary hearing is expected to continue through the rest of the week.
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