Singer D4vd faces murder charge after teen girl's body found decomposed in car trunk
A police detective testified in Los Angeles that the body of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was unrecognisable when found in D4vd's car. The singer faces murder and child abuse charges.
Detective describes decomposed body of teen found in singer D4vd's Tesla
The body of a teenage girl discovered in the trunk of US singer D4vd's car had decomposed to the point of being "unrecognisable," a Los Angeles police detective testified in court on Tuesday, Jamaica Observer reports.
D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, is 21 years old and faces multiple charges, including murder, in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Her body was found in Burke's Tesla last September — within days of what would have been her 15th birthday.
Los Angeles Police Detective Joshua Byers took the stand on the first day of the preliminary hearing. He told the court that when officers opened the trunk of Burke's vehicle at a tow yard, he immediately recognised the "very distinctive smell" of a corpse. Grim photographs of the girl's dismembered remains were presented to the court, showing a large black bag containing her head and torso.
When asked whether any facial features were identifiable, Byers said: "No, there was quite a bit of decomposition to where skin slippage… made it unrecognisable." A second bag contained her arms and legs, where, Byers testified, "there was insect activity. There was maggots. There was various stages of flies."
Burke attended the hearing in an orange prison jumpsuit and did not react when the photographs were displayed.
Prosecutors allege the singer first met the girl when she was 11 years old and began a sexual relationship with her at age 13. Body camera footage played in court showed Burke telling sheriff's deputies: "She told me she was 18. Everybody saying she was 13." The victim's mother had reported her missing in 2024, when she was 13.
According to charging documents, prosecutors allege Burke killed Hernandez after she threatened to expose their long-standing and illegal sexual relationship, which they say she feared would damage his music career.
Burke has entered denials on one count each of murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains. A conviction could result in life imprisonment or the death penalty.
Los Angeles chief prosecutor Nathan Hochman told reporters the preliminary hearing — in which a judge will determine whether the case proceeds to trial — is expected to last three to five days. "We believe we will more than accomplish the evidentiary burden of probable cause at this point to hold David to answer on these three felony charges," Hochman said.
Source: Jamaica Observer