Air fresheners discovered in singer's Tesla during murder preliminary hearing
A criminalist testified that more than a dozen air fresheners were found inside the Tesla Model X used by singer David Anthony Burke, whose preliminary hearing concerns the murder and dismemberment of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
Los Angeles prosecutors presented evidence that a Tesla Model X owned by singer David Anthony Burke contained at least 11 air fresheners when the vehicle was examined following the discovery of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s remains. Criminalist Chelsea Murillo of the LAPD said most of the fresheners were recovered from the center console and rear-seat pockets, and she noted a strong odor resembling decomposition while processing the car on Sept. 9, 2025.
Murillo testified that she also detected stains in the rear trunk that glowed after application of Bluestar, a luminol-type reagent used to reveal blood. Swabs taken from those areas later tested positive for blood and for the victim’s DNA, though only two of the samples collected after the body bags were removed yielded DNA, and neither originated from the passenger compartment.
Another LAPD criminalist, Lauren Wallace, described similar Bluestar tests conducted in Burke’s rental home garage, where the reagent illuminated on floor mats, a brick floor and a rowing machine, indicating possible blood traces. Wallace also noted a patch that glowed on an inflatable pool allegedly used by Burke during the alleged dismemberment.
Burke, 21, has pleaded not guilty to murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains. He is being held in an orange jail uniform at the defense table. Prosecutors allege that Burke lured Rivas to his Hollywood Hills residence on April 23, 2025, stabbed her, and later dismembered her body, concealing the remains in the Tesla before abandoning the vehicle.
Financial testimony from Interscope senior vice president Louis Poimiroo highlighted the singer’s earnings, noting payments of $3.9 million in 2023 and $2.3 million in 2025, and confirming that the label terminated Burke’s contract at the end of 2025.
Law enforcement officers also testified about additional evidence, including a tattoo of the name “Celeste” on Burke’s left ring finger, purchase records for chainsaws and other equipment, and vehicle telemetry showing the Tesla’s location from late July to early September 2025.
The preliminary hearing, which began on July 22, is expected to continue for several days before a judge decides whether the case will proceed to trial. If convicted, Burke faces life imprisonment without parole or the death penalty.