The fourth day of singer D4vd’s preliminary hearing included some of the most disturbing testimony yet.
Prosecutors called LAPD Robbery-Homicide Det. Corey Farrell to the stand. The seasoned investigator said he reviewed hundreds of text messages, images and videos that allegedly documented a sexual relationship between the singer and teenager Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
Farrell said the LAPD recovered the texts from an iCloud account belonging to D4vd, 21, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke.
Alleged Pregnancy
One shocking moment came when prosecutors displayed messages about an alleged pregnancy and abortion. Rivas Hernandez was 13 years old at the time.
According to Farrell, the messages were exchanged in January 2024 and showed the teen told Burke neither one of them was ready to raise a child. The detective testified the two later discussed an appointment to terminate the pregnancy.
“Wen u gonna get it done,” Burke allegedly wrote.
“Two days,” Rivas Hernandez replied, according to the messages shown in court. Farrell testified that Burke wrote a text saying his mother had always told him to ask if “it is mine.”
“Of course, it’s yours David,” Rivas Hernandez responded.
The detective said the two made plans to move in together as part of what they called “Operation Awesome” in February 2024. Rivas Hernandez was reported missing from her home in Lake Elsinore, California a short time later.
Explicit Evidence
The courtroom was stunned when Farrell described explicit images allegedly recovered from Burke’s iCloud account.
Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman warned Rivas Hernandez’s parents that the testimony would be “too much,” and suggested they leave the courtroom.
Because the material allegedly depicted child abuse, prosecutors did not display the images on the courtroom monitor. Instead, they had printouts of the images and the LAPD detective described what they showed.
Farrell testified the evidence included 48 pictures of Burke and Rivas Hernandez naked or engaged in sex acts. The images and videos were allegedly taken between November 2023 and March 2025. The detective also told the court Burke’s cellphone lock screen was a photo of the two embracing while topless.
Prosecutors also showed less explicit photos of the pair kissing and lying in bed together. Rivas Hernandez’s mother began to cry and her father looked down.
Medical Examiner Takes Stand
Earlier Friday, Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Grant Ho testified it was “extremely difficult” to determine how long Rivas Hernandez had been dead when her body was found.
Ho said her remains were “severely decomposed” when they were discovered inside the front trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke in September 2025.
The medical examiner told the court the teen had likely been deceased for weeks or months. He noted that a power saw was “potentially” used to remove her arms and legs, and said her left pinky finger and left ring finger had also been removed.
Ho said the teen’s left eye was “absent.” People in the courtroom gasped when graphic images from the autopsy were shown on the monitor.
Prosecutors allege Burke killed Rivas Hernandez to protect his multi-million-dollar music career after she threatened to expose their illegal sexual relationship. Prosecutors have said the two had a heated argument the night before her death.
Rivas Hernandez took an Uber to Burke’s home in the Hollywood Hills on April 23, 2025. It was the last day she was seen alive.
The preliminary hearing is expected to conclude Monday. A Los Angeles County judge will decide if there is sufficient evidence for Burke to stand trial.
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