Child pornography is among the important thing evidence Los Angeles prosecutors say will bolster their case towards alt-pop singer d4vd, who has been charged with murder and extended sexual abuse of a center school-aged lady whose stays have been discovered in the trunk of his automotive final 12 months.
The 21-year-old entertainer, who was arrested on April 16, has pleaded not responsible to first-degree murder with particular circumstances, steady sexual abuse of a kid beneath 14 years outdated and mutilating human stays.
D4vd, whose authorized title is David Anthony Burke, is accused of killing 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez – who was last seen alive going to his residence in April 2025 – when she threatened to show his sexual relationship together with her and break his profession, in line with a prison criticism filed Monday.
Celeste was killed by a number of penetration wounds, in line with an post-mortem report launched Wednesday by the Los Angeles County health worker’s workplace.
During a court docket listening to Thursday, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman stated evidence towards the singer contains “a significant amount of child pornography” on Burke’s iPhone, a wiretap and as much as 40 terabytes of knowledge obtained by numerous regulation enforcement companies.
The digitization and switch of that evidence – which incorporates police paperwork, sheriff’s division knowledge, body-worn digital camera movies, forensic reviews, automobile reviews and pictures, and chemical processing – was mentioned in court docket.
Under the regulation, little one pornography evidence can’t be obtained with out adhering to a selected protocol from the court docket, Silverman stated. Her workplace has begun handing over the investigative findings to d4vd’s attorneys, who stated Monday that they had acquired “almost no discovery” associated to the case.
As Burke sat in court docket, clad in a shiny orange jumpsuit, the protection requested to postpone the preliminary listening to as a result of it’s ready on evidence from the district legal professional’s workplace. The listening to is now set for May 1.
Blair Berk – one among d4vd’s attorneys – stated beforehand in an announcement, “The actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death. We will vigorously defend David’s innocence.”
Ahead of the costs towards Burke, particulars of how Celeste died and who was beneath investigation remained hidden as authorities convened a grand jury and shielded investigative findings from the general public.
But an post-mortem report, which had beforehand been sealed by a choose, was lastly launched Wednesday. It revealed Celeste died from “multiple penetrating injuries.”
The lady’s dismembered physique was discovered in September in the entrance trunk of d4vd’s Tesla, which had been towed from the Hollywood Hills to a police impound lot.
Celeste’s stays have been in a zippered physique bag and she or he had two wounds that “may represent sharp force injuries” – one to her chest and one other to her stomach, in line with the Los Angeles County health worker’s workplace. Additional pores and skin abrasions are famous, although the health worker couldn’t decide the causes due to the extreme decomposition of the physique.
Her legs and arms had been dismembered, and a number of blue plastic fragments have been “embedded in the cut surfaces,” and submitted into evidence, the report particulars. Two fingers had additionally been faraway from her left hand.
Board Certified Forensic Pathologist Dr. Priya Banerjee, who reviewed the report that was made public and isn’t concerned with the case, stated the accidents described have been most in line with stabbing and the lady was probably dismembered after she died.
“This is a very difficult case because of the decomposition,” Banerjee stated. “It looks like likely a knife made [the wounds] but I can see why they use the wording they did, given the condition of the body.”
A tattoo studying “Shhh….” was documented on the within of her proper index finger, in line with the health worker’s report, just like the tattoo d4vd has on his finger.
Alcohol was additionally detected in her system, although the health worker notes it’s unclear whether or not it’s current due to ingestion or decomposition.
Celeste, who was in seventh grade, had been linked to Burke across the time of her disappearance in 2024. The pair had appeared collectively on a Twitch stream that January, and d4vd had been photographed blocks from the lady’s residence in Lake Elsinore, California, someday between January and March 2024, NCS has reported.
Around that point, Celeste’s household and buddies grew to become more and more frightened about her security and whereabouts, urgently pleading for assist from their neighbors, the general public and police. She was reported missing three times between February and April 2024, culminating in a ultimate lacking particular person report back to police on April 5 of that 12 months.
The lady remained alive for no less than a 12 months after being reported lacking, although it’s unclear the place she was staying or who was conscious of her location.
Celeste was final identified to be alive on April 23, 2025, when d4vd summoned her to his residence in the Hollywood Hills, District Attorney Nathan Hochman stated.
“She was never heard from again,” the district legal professional stated.
Several months handed earlier than Celeste’s physique was discovered in the singer’s automotive in September 2025. The black Tesla had apparently been deserted on a avenue not removed from the house the place d4vd was renting, neighbors stated. After sitting untouched, the automotive was impounded and towed to so much in Hollywood, the place an worker alerted police to a foul odor emanating from the automobile.
Seven extra months handed as investigators remained tight-lipped and fielded criticism for the shortage of an arrest in the case. Legal analysts have advised NCS the investigation might have been prolonged by several factors, together with severely decomposed evidence, delicate allegations involving a minor and a handful of reluctant witnesses.
The murder cost the singer faces carries three particular circumstances: mendacity in wait, committing a murder for monetary acquire and murdering “a witness to a crime.”
Prosecutors accuse d4vd of partaking in “continuous sexual abuse” of Celeste beginning in September 2023 till September 2024, they usually say Celeste witnessed “lewd and lascivious sexual acts” the singer dedicated.
Hochman accused d4vd of killing the lady “to maintain his very lucrative musical career that Celeste was threatening” on April 23.
Celeste’s household was overwhelmed and devastated to listen to particulars of the allegations towards d4vd throughout his arraignment on Monday, their legal professional, Patrick Steinfeld, advised NCS.
“Celeste was a beautiful, strong girl who loved to sing and dance,” the household stated in an announcement.
“We love her very much and she always told us that she loved us,” they added. “We miss her deeply. All we want is Justice for Celeste.”
NCS’s Lauren Mascarenhas, Alaa Elassar, Zoe Sottile, Norma Galeana and Kyung Lah contributed to this report.