Prosecutors Examine D4vd's $2M Gain Amid Murder Case Concerns
WHO:
The Source - Musician D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke
AP News - Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 14-year-old girl
AP News - Defense attorney Blair Berk
AP News - Criminalist Lauren Wallace with the Los Angeles Police Department
AP News - A police detective involved in the case
WHAT:
AP News - D4vd's lawyers questioned why more DNA testing was not conducted on the chain saws and car involved in the case.
AP News - Defense attorney Blair Berk stated, “If an item has somebody else’s DNA on it, you wouldn’t be able to see that at the time.”
AP News - Lauren Wallace, a criminalist, testified that her team found jugs of fake blood in D4vd's garage, which Berk suggested could have been used in music videos.
AP News - A police detective testified that D4vd made two subsequent visits to the area in May after the alleged murder.
The Source - Prosecutors introduced financial records, travel purchases, and testimony to establish a motive in the murder case against D4vd.
AP News - D4vd has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, sexual abuse of a child, and mutilation of a body.
AP News - Prosecutors allege that D4vd began a sexual relationship with Rivas Hernandez when she was 13 and he was 18.
AP News - Prosecutors claim D4vd stabbed Rivas Hernandez when she arrived at his home on the night of April 23, 2025.
AP News - Rivas Hernandez's dismembered body was found in the trunk of D4vd's Tesla after the car was towed 4 1/2 months later in September.
WHERE:
AP News - D4vd's Hollywood home, where the alleged murder took place.
AP News - A remote part of Santa Barbara County, about 95 miles (152 kilometers) northwest of Hollywood, where D4vd traveled after the alleged murder.
AP News - The location where Rivas Hernandez's passport was found by a highway worker.
WHEN:
AP News - The alleged murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez occurred on April 23, 2025.
AP News - D4vd's debut full-length album, "Withered," was released two days after the alleged murder.
AP News - The preliminary hearing is taking place over several days, with significant developments occurring on the third day.
WHY:
AP News - Prosecutors claim Rivas Hernandez threatened to expose D4vd's relationships with other women and ruin his multimillion-dollar career the night before she was killed.
HOW:
AP News - Wallace testified that indications of blood had been cleaned up in the garage where the chain saws were found.
AP News - D4vd allegedly used a pair of small chain saws found in his garage to dismember Rivas Hernandez's body.
AP News - Initial chemical tests on the chain saws showed no signs of blood, and the handles were not swabbed for DNA.
AP News - Cell-tower tracking of D4vd's phone and a system in his Tesla indicated his location on the night of the murder.
(UPDATED July 24, 2026 02:51 UTC)
In a recent court hearing, D4vd's lawyers questioned the lack of additional DNA testing on the chainsaws and car linked to the case, with defense attorney Blair Berk highlighting that the presence of someone else's DNA wouldn't be visible at the time. Criminalist Lauren Wallace testified that her team discovered jugs of fake blood in D4vd's garage, which Berk suggested might have been used for music videos, while also noting that signs of blood had been cleaned up in the same area. Additionally, a police detective revealed that D4vd made two visits to the location in May following the alleged murder.
--
(UPDATED July 23, 2026 22:24 UTC)
Prosecutors have introduced financial records and testimony to establish a motive in the murder case against musician D4vd, who has pleaded not guilty to charges including murder and sexual abuse of a child. They allege that D4vd began a sexual relationship with 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez when she was 13 and claim he stabbed her when she arrived at his Hollywood home on April 23, 2025, with her dismembered body later found in the trunk of his Tesla. The preliminary hearing is currently underway, with significant developments occurring on the third day, as investigators track D4vd's movements through cell-tower data and his vehicle's systems.