Singer D4vd court hearing postponed. What to know about the murder case
Editor's note: This story contains graphic descriptions that some readers may find disturbing.
Singer D4vd's preliminary hearing in the death of teen Celeste Rivas Hernandez is being postponed for the third time.
The 21-year-old singer, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, faces several criminal felony charges, including first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge granted a continuance for the evidentiary hearing, which will see lawyers present bombshell evidence and was set to begin later this month, during a status conference on Wednesday, June 17. The hearing, rescheduled for July 21, is expected to span multiple days to determine that prosecutors have probable cause to take the case to trial.
The hearing was initially supposed to take place May 1 before being pushed to May 26 and again delayed until June 29. Prosecutors revealed on May 12 that their discovery potentially contained more than 40 terabytes worth of evidence.
According to prosecutors, Rivas Hernandez's remains were found in the trunk of a car registered under Burke's name in September. She was 14 at the time of her death.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office revealed on April 20 that the special circumstances for Burke's first-degree murder charge include "lying in wait, committing this crime for financial gain or murdering a witness in an investigation."
Is D4vd in jail? Singer arrested on suspicion of murder in death of teen
Los Angeles police arrested Burke on April 16, and he is being held in custody without bail. He pleaded not guilty to all charges, with his attorneys vowing to "vigorously defend David's innocence."
Prosecutors allege Burke killed Rivas Hernandez and dismembered her in his garage, during which he removed a tattoo of his name from her body, citing blood evidence and DNA analysis.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office outlined the evidence they plan to present at Burke's preliminary hearing. According to an April 29 filing obtained by USA TODAY, prosecution will exhibit evidence of Burke's alleged sexual relationship with the teenager, along with his efforts to cover up her death and the events that occurred on the day she died.
Celese Rivas Hernandez cause of death
The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner announced on April 22 that Rivas Hernandez's official cause of death was "two penetrating wounds" to her right abdomen and left chest.
D4vd, Celeste Rivas Hernandez timeline: What authorities say happened
Rivas Hernandez and Burke were allegedly in a romantic relationship dating back to 2022, when she was 11 and he was 16. Prosecutors allege Burke killed Rivas Hernandez because she threatened to expose the relationship and damage his career ahead of the April 2025 release of his debut album.
Although Rivas Hernandez's remains were found on Sept. 8, authorities said they believe she died five months prior on April 23. The Tesla in which she was discovered had been impounded in a Los Angeles tow yard.
In February 2024, Rivas Hernandez was reported missing by her family. When police contacted Burke, he "claimed he had spoken to" Rivas Hernandez days earlier, "but stated he was unaware she was a minor or that she had been reported missing," according to the district attorney's office filing.
Los Angeles Sheriff's Department deputies then made contact with Burke at during a welfare check at his home, where he allegedly said he met Rivas Hernandez once in November 2023, the same time prosecutors allege the relationship turned sexual. At the time, Rivas Hernandez was 13 and Burke was 18.
Rivas Hernandez returned home two days later, and her parents confiscated her phone. However, prosecutors allege Burke purchased a new phone and paid Rivas Hernandez's classmate $1,000 to give it to her so they could stay in contact.
The pair broke up in November 2024, per the filing, after Burke allegedly took Rivas Hernandez on trips around the country and abroad. Text messages obtained by investigators "suggest they also continued to have sexual relations," the district attorney's office said.
On April 22, 2025, Rivas Hernandez and Burke got into an argument via text, and one day later, "all cellular activity ceased," the documents stated. On the evening of April 23, 2025, Burke booked an Uber from Rivas Hernandez's family home to his house, and about 20 minutes after she arrived, Burke allegedly messaged her asking where she was.
The district attorney's office characterized Burke's behavior as evidence of "premeditated plan to cover up the murder, as she was already dead by this time."
From April 24 to July 7, prosecutors allege Burke bought supplies to conceal evidence of Rivas Hernandez's death. They also said law enforcement later found Rivas Hernandez's "genetic profile" in Burke's garage.
Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY