LAPD Detective Testifies Singer D4vd's Phone Contained Explicit Images and Abortion-Related Texts
During a preliminary hearing, a Los Angeles detective said singer David Burke's phone held sexually explicit photos of the teen victim and messages discussing pregnancy and abortion, as the judge considers whether to move the case to trial.
A Los Angeles Police Department detective testified that singer David Burke, known as D4vd, had explicit photographs on his phone that allegedly showed sexual activity with 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The detective also described a series of text messages between Burke and the girl that referenced pregnancy and abortion, including a message that read, "let this abortion be the last one till we have the real one."
Prosecutors allege Burke began a sexual relationship with Rivas Hernandez when she was 13 and he was 18, and later killed her after she threatened to expose the relationship. Burke faces charges of murder, sexual abuse of a child and mutilation of a body, and has pleaded not guilty.
The medical examiner testified that the victim's body, discovered in a Tesla in the Hollywood Hills, was heavily decomposed and showed signs of dismemberment, with arms, legs and two fingers removed. The examiner could not identify the tool used due to the condition of the remains.
The preliminary hearing will determine whether the prosecution has presented sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to trial.