Prosecutors Present Digital and Physical Evidence in D4vd Murder Preliminary Hearing

Dozens of reporters gathered outside the Clara Foltz Criminal Justice Center on Tuesday for the preliminary hearing of singer David Anthony Burke, known as D4vd. Burke, 21, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, lewd acts on a child under 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains. Prosecutors allege he killed, dismembered and placed the victim’s remains in the front trunk of his Tesla, where they were later found at a Hollywood tow yard.

Judge Charlaine Olmedo allowed Burke to sit without handcuffs, though he remained restrained by a waist chain attached to his chair. Prosecutors displayed graphic crime-scene photographs on monitors, which several reporters looked away from while Burke kept his gaze on the screen.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Senior Deputy Juan Gonzalez testified that he conducted a welfare check at Burke’s West Hollywood home after investigators reported Celeste missing. Gonzalez said Burke told deputies he met Celeste through social media and Discord, believed she was 18 because she claimed so, and voluntarily showed a yearbook photo and a missing-person flyer while consenting to a home search.

LAPD Robbery-Homicide Detective Joshua Byers described responding to the tow yard on Sept. 8, 2025, after a strong odor was reported. A search warrant revealed a partially unzipped black body bag in the Tesla’s front trunk containing dismembered remains. Byers also presented iCloud data indicating Burke’s iPhone 16 Pro Max last disconnected from the vehicle on July 29, 2025; the phone has not been recovered.

Byers recounted that Celeste’s father, Jesus Rivas, contacted police after seeing media coverage of the discovery. Dental records helped the medical examiner identify the remains. The detective also outlined digital evidence obtained from Apple, Tesla and other companies, including navigation records showing trips to Santa Barbara, Lake Cachuma and the Santa Ynez Valley in May 2025, and surveillance footage of the Tesla on Doheny Drive on July 29, 2025.

Further evidence presented included photographs of Burke’s Tesla taken after a neighbor reported it stationary, and a search of Burke’s Doheny Place residence on Sept. 17, 2025. Detectives found a red Tesla registered to Burke’s manager, a light-blue iPhone 15 linked to Burke, and an unopened Amazon package described as a “mini crematorium” for burning documents. Additional records showed airline tickets purchased for both Burke and Celeste for trips to Texas and London.

The hearing paused for a midday break, with the court set to continue reviewing the extensive evidence in the coming days.