Justice Sought for Celeste Rivas in D4vd Murder Case

WHO:

AP News - Lauren Wallace, a criminologist with the Los Angeles Police Department, testified about evidence found in D4vd's garage.

AP News - Chelsea Murillo, another criminalist in LAPD’s forensic science division, examined the Tesla containing Rivas Hernandez’s remains.

6abc Philadelphia - Aysia Collins stated she met D4vd while modeling and has since turned her back on him following his arrest.

6abc Philadelphia - Jesus Rivas and Mercedes Martinez are the parents of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

Billboard - D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, is now 21 years old.

6abc Philadelphia - Aysia Collins, a former friend of D4vd, stated she completely turned her back on him following his arrest.

6abc Philadelphia - Benjamin Gregor, a money manager for D4vd, testified that he had only heard the first name of Celeste Rivas Hernandez before her body was found.

6abc Philadelphia - Rob Morgenroth, D4vd's manager, was mentioned as the source from whom Gregor heard Rivas Hernandez's first name.

6abc Philadelphia - A California Highway Patrol officer testified that a road worker found Rivas Hernandez's passport in January in a rural section of Santa Barbara County.

6abc Philadelphia - D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke, is charged with the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 14-year-old girl.

6abc Philadelphia - Aysia Collins, a former friend of D4vd, is seeking justice for Celeste Rivas.

6abc Philadelphia - Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman is prosecuting the case.

6abc Philadelphia - Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo is presiding over the preliminary hearing.

6abc Philadelphia - Benjamin Gregor, a money manager for D4vd, testified in court.

WHAT:

AP News - Prosecutors allege Burke stood to make up to $19 million if Interscope Records picked up options for future records.

The Guardian - Prosecutors allege Burke purchased shovels, chainsaws, and an inflatable pool to destroy Rivas Hernandez's remains.

The Guardian - Prosecutors assert that Burke dismembered Rivas Hernandez's body in his garage and kept it in the front trunk of his Tesla.

6abc Philadelphia - Prosecutors allege that D4vd took Rivas Hernandez to nightclubs in London and Texas using fake IDs.

6abc Philadelphia - Prosecutors claim Burke stood to make up to $19 million if Interscope Records picked up options for future records.

Billboard - Interscope Records paid Burke and affiliated entities more than $7.2 million from 2022 to 2025, which included legal fees and a trust for underage entertainers.

6abc Philadelphia - Prosecutors allege Burke sent a car to pick up Rivas Hernandez on April 23, 2025, and they exchanged messages until her phone went dead after her arrival at his home.

The Guardian - Law enforcement detected possible bloodstains on items including a green tarp, black rubber mats, and a crumpled inflatable pool at D4vd’s former Hollywood Hills home.

The Guardian - Linear cuts consistent with a sharp object were found on the rubber mats in the garage.

The Guardian - A criminalist observed damage to the inflatable pool, stating, "It appeared that it had been cut."

The Guardian - A layer of dust on the exterior of the Tesla Model X suggested it had been outside for a prolonged period, and maggots and flies were found in the front trunk.

Billboard - Interscope Records paid Burke and affiliated entities more than $7.2 million from 2022 to 2025, which included legal fees and a trust for underage entertainers.

6abc Philadelphia - Prosecutors allege Burke sent a car to pick up Rivas Hernandez on April 23, 2025, and they exchanged messages until her phone went dead after her arrival at his home.

6abc Philadelphia - Prosecutors allege that D4vd took Rivas Hernandez to London and Texas, where they used fake IDs to enter nightclubs.

6abc Philadelphia - D4vd's music earned him at least $10 million between 2023 and 2025, with his top songs having more than a billion plays.

6abc Philadelphia - Prosecutors allege that Burke made two trips to the area where Rivas Hernandez's passport was found, once in April 2025 immediately after the killing and again about six weeks later.

6abc Philadelphia - D4vd is charged with murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14, and mutilation of a body.

6abc Philadelphia - Prosecutors allege that D4vd fatally stabbed Rivas Hernandez to prevent her from revealing their relationship.

6abc Philadelphia - Rivas Hernandez's dismembered body was found in the trunk of a car.

6abc Philadelphia - D4vd made at least $10 million from his music between 2023 and 2025.

WHERE:

AP News - Rivas Hernandez's passport was found in a brushy dirt area in a rural section of Santa Barbara County, about 95 miles (150 kilometers) northwest of Burke’s Hollywood home.

6abc Philadelphia - Rivas Hernandez was picked up from her hometown of Lake Elsinore, California, approximately 80 miles outside Los Angeles.

6abc Philadelphia - The preliminary hearing is taking place in a Los Angeles court.

6abc Philadelphia - Rivas Hernandez was picked up from her hometown of Lake Elsinore, California, approximately 80 miles outside Los Angeles.

6abc Philadelphia - Rivas Hernandez's passport was found in a rural section of Santa Barbara County, about 95 miles northwest of Burke's Hollywood home.

WHEN:

AP News - The preliminary hearing is expected to last from three to five days.

6abc Philadelphia - The preliminary hearing is expected to last another three days.

6abc Philadelphia - The preliminary hearing is expected to last from three to five days.

6abc Philadelphia - Rivas Hernandez was picked up on April 23, 2025.

6abc Philadelphia - The body was discovered in September 2025, 4 1/2 months after her death.

6abc Philadelphia - D4vd's relationship with Rivas Hernandez reportedly began when she was 13 and he was 18.

WHY:

The Guardian - Prosecutors allege that Rivas Hernandez threatened to expose Burke’s relationship with her after an argument.

6abc Philadelphia - Prosecutors allege that Rivas Hernandez threatened to expose D4vd's relationship with her after an argument.

The Guardian - Prosecutors accuse Burke of stabbing Rivas Hernandez, 14, to death to silence her from divulging the sexual nature of their relationship and jeopardizing his career.

6abc Philadelphia - Prosecutors claim that Rivas Hernandez threatened to expose D4vd's relationship with her, which could have harmed his career.

HOW:

AP News - Wallace testified that she found apparent blood stains on rubber mats on the floor of the garage in Burke’s Hollywood home, as well as slits likely from a sharp object on the mats.

6abc Philadelphia - A California Highway Patrol officer testified that a road worker found Rivas Hernandez's passport in January 2026 in a dirt embankment off State Route 154 in Santa Barbara.

The Guardian - A California Highway Patrol officer testified that a road worker found Rivas Hernandez's passport in January 2026 in a dirt embankment off State Route 154 in Santa Barbara.

The Guardian - Two chainsaws found in Burke's garage tested negative for blood, while possible traces of blood were found in the Tesla's third row.

6abc Philadelphia - Detective Joshua Byers testified that a body bag matching one ordered by Burke contained a head and torso, with arms and legs underneath in garbage bags when found in the trunk of his Tesla.

6abc Philadelphia - Detective Joshua Byers testified that a body bag matching one ordered by Burke contained a head and torso, with arms and legs underneath in garbage bags, when found in the trunk of his Tesla.

6abc Philadelphia - D4vd allegedly ordered a body bag, chainsaws, an inflatable pool, and a shovel online, which were found in his garage.

6abc Philadelphia - Prosecutors assert that D4vd dismembered Rivas Hernandez's body in his garage and kept it in the front trunk of his Tesla.

(UPDATED July 23, 2026 17:22 UTC)

In a shocking case, criminologist Lauren Wallace testified about evidence found in the garage of Burke's Hollywood home, where apparent blood stains and slits likely from a sharp object were discovered. Prosecutors allege that Burke dismembered Rivas Hernandez's body and kept it in the front trunk of his Tesla, with evidence including shovels and chainsaws purchased for the gruesome task, while Rivas Hernandez's passport was located in a rural area of Santa Barbara County. The preliminary hearing is expected to last from three to five days as the prosecution outlines their case, which includes claims that Rivas Hernandez threatened to expose Burke’s relationship with her after an argument.

(UPDATED July 23, 2026 10:42 UTC)

In a developing case, Aysia Collins has stated that she met D4vd while modeling but has since distanced herself from him following his arrest. Prosecutors allege that D4vd took Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the daughter of Jesus Rivas and Mercedes Martinez, to nightclubs in London and Texas using fake IDs, and they claim that Rivas Hernandez threatened to expose D4vd's relationship with her after an argument. A California Highway Patrol officer testified that Rivas Hernandez's passport was discovered in January 2026 in a dirt embankment off State Route 154 in Santa Barbara, and the preliminary hearing is expected to last another three days.

(UPDATED July 23, 2026 04:04 UTC)

D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, has just turned 21 years old, while a former friend, Aysia Collins, has publicly distanced herself from him following his arrest. Prosecutors allege that Burke sent a car to pick up 14-year-old Rivas Hernandez on April 23, 2025, and that they exchanged messages until her phone went dead after arriving at his home, with accusations now claiming he fatally stabbed her to prevent her from revealing details about their relationship. A preliminary hearing is expected to last from three to five days, and a California Highway Patrol officer testified that a road worker discovered Hernandez's passport in January 2026 in a dirt embankment off State Route 154 in Santa Barbara.

(UPDATED July 23, 2026 02:52 UTC)

Law enforcement has discovered possible bloodstains on various items, including a green tarp and black rubber mats, at D4vd’s former Hollywood Hills home, with linear cuts on the mats suggesting the use of a sharp object. Additionally, a criminalist noted damage to an inflatable pool, indicating it appeared to have been cut, while a Tesla Model X showed signs of prolonged outdoor exposure, with maggots and flies found in the front trunk. In a separate case, prosecutors allege that Burke sent a car to pick up Rivas Hernandez on April 23, 2025, and they exchanged messages until her phone went dead after arriving at his home.

(UPDATED July 23, 2026 00:18 UTC)

In a recent testimony, Benjamin Gregor, a money manager for D4vd, revealed that he only heard the first name of Celeste Rivas Hernandez before her body was discovered, with D4vd's manager Rob Morgenroth being the source of that information. Prosecutors allege that D4vd took Rivas Hernandez to London and Texas, where they used fake IDs to gain entry into nightclubs, while his music reportedly earned him over $10 million between 2023 and 2025, with top songs exceeding a billion plays. Detective Joshua Byers testified that a body bag matching one ordered by Burke was found in the trunk of his Tesla, containing a head and torso, with arms and legs discovered in separate garbage bags.

(UPDATED July 22, 2026 23:22 UTC)

A California Highway Patrol officer testified that a road worker discovered Rivas Hernandez's passport in January in a rural area of Santa Barbara County. Prosecutors allege that Burke made two trips to that location, the first occurring in April 2025, right after the killing, and the second about six weeks later. Additionally, Detective Joshua Byers revealed that a body bag matching one ordered by Burke was found in the trunk of his Tesla, containing a head and torso, with the arms and legs placed in garbage bags underneath.

(UPDATED July 22, 2026 22:24 UTC)

D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke, is facing serious charges including murder and continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 in connection with the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose dismembered body was discovered in the trunk of a car. Prosecutors allege that D4vd fatally stabbed Rivas Hernandez to prevent her from revealing their relationship, which reportedly began when she was just 13 years old. The preliminary hearing is currently underway in a Los Angeles court, presided over by Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo, with Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman leading the prosecution.