A preliminary listening to for the homicide case towards singer D4vd, authorized title David Anthony Burke, has been delayed till the top of June as a result of quantity of latest proof within the case, prosecutors mentioned.
Burke appeared in court docket for a standing listening to on Tuesday when the choice to delay the listening to till June 29 was introduced, the Los Angeles Occasions reviews.
Deputy District Lawyer Beth Silverman advised the court docket that prosecutors have already turned over greater than 10 terabytes of digital proof, together with supplies discovered as a part of a collection of search warrants that have been executed on the 21-year-old singer’s cellphone and iCloud account.
Silverman mentioned prosecutors are persevering with to add proof and added that the general discovery may exceed 40 terabytes.
Burke has been charged with homicide within the loss of life of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose decomposed physique was discovered within the trunk of a Tesla registered to the singer final 12 months.
He pleaded not responsible to the fees final month and is being held with out bond forward of his trial.
When requested if he agreed to the brand new preliminary listening to date of June 29, Burke replied: “Sure, your honour.”
Burke is due again in court docket for a standing convention on June 17 earlier than the June 29 preliminary listening to, which is predicted to final 5 to 6 days.
Burke’s preliminary listening to was beforehand rescheduled for Could 26 after it had initially been set to start on Could 1.
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The listening to comes after prosecutors alleged final month that Burke killed 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez by stabbing her a number of instances.
The Los Angeles County District Lawyer’s Workplace shared what it mentioned the proof would present in a doc that supplied the primary detailed allegations of efforts to dismember Rivas’s physique and eliminate proof, in accordance with The Related Press.
The court docket submitting, considered and obtained by The Related Press, alleges that Burke started a sexual relationship together with her when she was 13 and he was 18, and killed her when she threatened to disclose their inappropriate relationship.
“Understanding he needed to silence the sufferer earlier than she ruined his music profession as she had threatened, very quickly after her arrival at his dwelling, defendant stabbed the sufferer to loss of life a number of instances and stood by whereas she bled out,” the filings allege.
Prosecutors obtained textual content messages between the 2 from April 22, 2025, the evening earlier than all her cellphone exercise went quiet they usually consider she was killed.
“The messages reveal the sufferer’s jealousy over defendant’s relationships with different ladies, as defendant led her to consider that they had a future collectively. She turned extraordinarily upset and threatened to reveal damaging details about her relationship with defendant to finish his profession and destroy his life,” the doc says.
The doc alleges that Burke purchased two chainsaws on-line that he used to chop aside her physique in an inflatable pool. They mentioned Rivas’s DNA was present in his storage, the place they allege the dismemberment occurred.
“Defendant took horrifying measures to destroy and discard the sufferer’s physique,” prosecutors mentioned within the transient.
Rivas’s loss of life was dominated a murder within the report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Workplace that had been blocked from launch for months.
The post-mortem was restricted by “intensive postmortem modifications” to the physique that was dismembered and decomposing when it was present in two luggage within the trunk of a Tesla parked within the Hollywood Hills in September 2025.
The examination revealed “two penetrating wounds of the torso with clean edges that will signify sharp drive accidents.” One wound on the higher stomach penetrated the liver. One other, on the left chest, broken her ribs. The tube high she was sporting seemed to be lower in three locations.
A choose had ordered the report sealed late final 12 months on the request of regulation enforcement, however prosecutors agreed to permit its launch in April.
The Los Angeles County District Lawyer’s Workplace beforehand introduced that Burke was charged with first-degree homicide, lewd and lascivious acts with a person below 14 and mutilating a physique within the killing of Rivas. She was reported lacking by her household in 2024, when she was 13. Authorities say she was 14 when she died.
The homicide prices included particular circumstances — mendacity in wait, committing a criminal offense for monetary acquire and murdering the witness in an investigation — that would carry the loss of life penalty. Prosecutors haven’t introduced whether or not they are going to search it.
Los Angeles County District Lawyer Nathan Hochman mentioned Rivas was final heard from on April 23, 2025, after she went to Burke’s dwelling and “she was by no means heard from once more.”
“A dad or mum’s nightmare is a scenario the place your daughter goes out one evening and by no means comes again,” Hochman mentioned.
“Celeste was only a little one, below 14 years previous, when David Burke allegedly engaged in repeated lewd and lascivious sexual relations together with her,” Hochman continued. “However Burke’s actions didn’t allegedly cease there. When she threatened to reveal his legal conduct and devastate his musical profession, Burke allegedly murdered her, lower up her physique and stuffed her physique in two luggage that have been positioned within the entrance trunk of his automobile.
“There the dismembered physique sat for over 4 months, decomposing till it was discovered at a tow yard on Sept. 8, 2025. This horrific and grotesque homicide dedicated by the charged sexual predator is surprising and appalling. To Celeste’s family members, we’ll get the justice you search and deserve.”
— with information from The Related Press
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