D4vd Murder Case to Move Forward With Key Hearing After Delays

D4vd’s murder case will move forward on July 21, now that a long-awaited preliminary hearing is scheduled to begin after months of delays.

The announcement came during a status conference in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday, July 7, after the prosecution and defense told the judge they were ready to proceed with the case.

Reason for the Delays
The preliminary hearing was initially set for May 1, 2026. It was pushed three times after the defense requested more time to review “40 terabytes” of evidence prosecutors said LAPD detectives collected during a months-long investigation into the killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

D4vd, born David Anthony Burke, is charged with first-degree murder, lewd and lascivious acts with a person under 14, and mutilating a body. The murder charge includes special-circumstance allegations, making Burke eligible for the death penalty if convicted.

The alt-pop singer pleaded not guilty to all charges following his arrest on April 16, 2026. He remains jailed without bail.

Burke’s attorneys previously said, “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.”

During the preliminary hearing, Judge Charlaine Olmedo will decide if prosecutors have presented enough evidence for Burke to stand trial.

The hearing is expected to include witness testimony over multiple days and could reveal new details about the case. Prosecutors have alleged Burke killed the teenager after she threatened to expose their illegal relationship.

Investigation Into Leaks
In another new development, multiple media outlets reported an investigation is underway into alleged leaks from the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner about Celeste’s autopsy.

SEIU 721, the union representing employees in the office issued a statement on Tuesday to local news station Fox 11:

“SEIU 721 cannot respond to these allegations due to the ongoing nature of this case. However, we can say – unequivocally – that our union remains firmly committed to safeguarding the privacy of all victims. Patient privacy is an issue we take seriously, especially since so many of our union members are in the healthcare field and working with patients either directly or indirectly. Our union will be following this matter closely as the facts become clearer.”

Rivas’ body was found on Sept. 8, 2025, after LAPD officers were called to a tow yard in Hollywood about a strong odor coming from an impounded Tesla registered to Burke. Officers found a dismembered and decomposed body inside plastic bags in the front trunk.

Security Hold 
In November 2025, the medical examiner’s office placed a “security hold” on information about the teen’s death after the LAPD obtained a court order preventing the office from releasing any new information on the case.

Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Odey Ukpo, slammed the LAPD for getting a court order and said the practice is “unheard of in other counties.”

Now it appears the reason for that hold was to halt alleged leaks to the media.

As previously reported, the LAPD sought the court order shortly after TMZ reported Rivas’ body had been “partially frozen” and “decapitated” before being placed inside the Tesla. Rolling Stone published a similar account, saying the body had been “refrigerated” before it was disposed of.

A senior LAPD official disputed the reports in a statement to People, saying, “Celeste’s body was not frozen… She was not decapitated.”

Details From Autopsy 
The 26-page autopsy report was unsealed following Burke’s arrest.

The autopsy said Rivas’ body was found in “a black body bag and a black trash bag” inside the Tesla. The medical examiner listed her cause of death as “multiple penetrating injuries,” saying she suffered two stab wounds from an unidentified object.

In response to the medical examiner’s report, Celeste’s family released a statement to Urban Hollywood 411 through attorney Patrick Steinfeld.

“The Rivas Hernandez family is absolutely devastated by the findings contained in the Medical Examiner’s Report involving the horrible and gruesome death of their beloved daughter,” the statement read.