Prosecutors Present Text Messages and Forensic Evidence in D4vd Murder Trial
Los Angeles prosecutors detailed alleged text exchanges between singer David Anthony Burke and teen Celeste Rivas, alongside forensic findings, as the case moves toward trial.
Los Angeles prosecutors introduced cell-phone records showing multiple text messages between singer David Anthony Burke, known as D4vd, and 13-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The messages, extracted from a phone seized at Burke’s residence, discuss an abortion Rivas reportedly had in January 2024 and contain language described by the prosecution as controlling and sexually explicit.
During a hearing, LAPD Detective Corey Farrell read excerpts of the texts and described photographs of alleged sexual activity at Burke’s home, which the prosecutor said were too graphic to display in the courtroom. Rivas’s mother, Mercedes Martínez, left the courtroom after hearing the description of one image.
Prosecutors also presented forensic testimony. Medical examiner Dr. Grant Ho confirmed that Rivas died from multiple penetrating injuries but stated he could not determine the exact circumstances of the wounds. Criminalist Samantha Tosch testified that DNA from Rivas was found on several items in Burke’s garage, while Burke’s DNA was identified on an outer trash bag recovered from the same location. Additional evidence included cell-tower data placing Burke’s phone and his Tesla in a remote area of Santa Barbara County on three occasions after the alleged killing.
Burke, who has pleaded not guilty to murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains, maintains his innocence. The hearing concluded with the court set to decide whether the case will proceed to trial.