INSIDE THIS REPORT

• D4vd’s lawyers questioned whether Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s fatal wounds could have been self-inflicted.
• A medical examiner testified that the injuries lacked the hesitation marks commonly associated with self-inflicted stabbing wounds.
• Prosecutors presented DNA, digital records and evidence of purchases allegedly connected to the dismemberment and concealment of Celeste’s remains.

By Samuel López | USA Herald

LOS ANGELES — Attorneys defending singer D4vd suggested that 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez may have inflicted her own fatal wounds, testing an alternative-death theory as prosecutors continued presenting graphic medical and forensic evidence during a preliminary hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court.

D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, child sexual-abuse charges and unlawful mutilation of human remains. His attorneys maintain that he did not kill Celeste and was not responsible for her death.

During Friday’s testimony, the defense questioned Los Angeles County Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Grant Ho about whether Celeste’s two penetrating wounds could have been self-inflicted.

Ho testified that self-inflicted sharp-force injuries commonly include superficial “hesitation marks.” Investigators did not find such marks on Celeste’s body, according to published reports of the proceeding.

The medical examiner nevertheless faced significant forensic limitations. Celeste’s remains were severely decomposed when discovered, preventing Ho from determining a precise date of death or identifying the exact instrument used to inflict the fatal wounds.

Ho concluded that Celeste died from multiple penetrating injuries and classified her death as a homicide. One wound entered her abdomen and penetrated her liver, while another struck her chest and damaged her ribs. He testified that she could have remained alive for minutes while losing blood. ABC7 reported that Ho could not exclude a longer period.

The defense questioning does not necessarily mean Burke’s attorneys will present suicide as their final trial theory. At a preliminary hearing, defense lawyers frequently test the prosecution’s witnesses, identify scientific limitations and preserve testimony that may later be used for impeachment.

Still, the questions offered the clearest indication yet that the defense may attempt to separate Burke from the act that caused Celeste’s death, even if prosecutors can connect him to her, the Hollywood Hills residence and the later concealment of her remains.

The absence of hesitation wounds supports the prosecution’s homicide theory, but it does not independently identify the person who inflicted the injuries. That distinction will be central if the case proceeds to trial.

Prosecutors allege Burke arranged for Celeste to travel by Uber from her Lake Elsinore home to his Hollywood Hills residence on April 23, 2025. They contend he stabbed her after she threatened to expose an unlawful sexual relationship that could have destroyed his rapidly rising music career.

Celeste’s dismembered remains were discovered nearly five months later, on September 8, 2025, inside the front trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke. Her head and torso were reportedly inside a body bag, while portions of her arms and legs were placed in separate bags.

Ho testified that Celeste’s extremities had been severed with some form of power tool. Her legs reportedly showed multiple dismemberment sites, and two fingers had been removed, including one bearing a “David” tattoo.

Prosecutors contend those injuries were inflicted after death as part of an effort to conceal Celeste’s identity and dispose of her body.

The state’s case also includes evidence of online purchases allegedly made by Burke after Celeste disappeared. LAPD Detective Joshua Byers testified that Burke ordered chainsaws, cadaver bags, a shovel, an inflatable pool, heavy-duty laundry bags and other items using an alias but paying with his own cards.

Investigators recovered several of those items from the Hollywood Hills property. Prosecutors also presented evidence that blue plastic fragments recovered with Celeste’s remains were consistent with material from the inflatable pool.

The forensic evidence extends beyond the purchases. LAPD criminalist Samantha Tosch testified that DNA recovered from apparent bloodstains on a rowing machine, green tarp, rubber mat and Tesla charger in Burke’s garage was overwhelmingly more likely to have originated from Celeste than from an unknown person.

The defense challenged the scope of the investigation, emphasizing that some potentially important items were not tested and that the DNA analysis could not establish exactly when or how the genetic material was deposited. The criminalist also could not conclusively state that every tested sample was blood.

Those limitations may provide the defense with arguments at trial, but prosecutors are not currently required to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Judge Charlaine Olmedo must decide only whether there is sufficient evidence to establish probable cause and order Burke to stand trial.

Prosecutors have additionally introduced digital evidence concerning the alleged relationship between Burke and Celeste. An LAPD detective testified that Burke’s phone contained sexually explicit images and messages discussing sex, pregnancy and an abortion when Celeste was 13. Prosecutors contend the material establishes both the underlying sexual offenses and Burke’s alleged financial motive for silencing her.

Burke faces a capital murder charge carrying special-circumstance allegations of lying in wait, murder for financial gain and killing a witness in a criminal investigation. He is also charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child, lewd acts involving a child under 14 and mutilation of human remains.

If convicted of special-circumstance murder, Burke could be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has said his office will decide later whether to seek the death penalty. Burke remains jailed without bail.

The preliminary hearing is scheduled to resume Monday. Burke remains presumed innocent unless and until prosecutors prove every charged offense beyond a reasonable doubt.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Samuel López is a Senior Legal Analyst, investigative journalist and legal researcher with more than two decades of experience analyzing litigation, court proceedings and complex legal controversies. His reporting focuses on high-profile civil and criminal cases, emerging legal issues and the real-world consequences of judicial decisions.

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