A crucial moment in the case against indie-pop singer D4vd arrived on July 24, 2026, as the medical examiner who conducted the autopsy on 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez prepared to deliver testimony at a preliminary hearing in Los Angeles. The hearing will determine whether the musician, whose legal name is David Burke, will stand trial for the teenager’s death.
Dr. Grant Ho from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office was scheduled to present the disturbing details surrounding the young victim’s death. The April 2026 autopsy report revealed that Rivas Hernandez died from homicide caused by penetrating wounds to her upper body, setting the stage for what prosecutors hope will be a compelling case against the rising music star.
Gruesome Discovery Shocked Investigators
The dismembered and decomposing remains of the teenager were discovered inside a Tesla that had been towed from the Hollywood Hills area in September 2025, approximately four and a half months after authorities believe she was killed. The extended time between death and discovery created significant challenges for forensic examiners.
According to the autopsy report, the body had undergone extensive postmortem changes that limited the examination. The decomposition was so severe that medical examiners could not even determine basic physical characteristics such as the victim’s eye color. Despite these challenges, investigators were able to establish the cause and manner of death.
The forensic evidence presented thus far includes:
- Penetrating wounds to the upper body identified as the cause of death
- One wound on the upper abdomen that penetrated the liver
- Another wound on the left chest that damaged her ribs
- A tube top with apparent cuts in three locations
- DNA evidence from blood samples found in Burke’s garage matching the victim
Prosecution Alleges Pattern of Abuse
Prosecutors have painted a disturbing picture of the relationship between Burke and the teenage victim. According to court documents, the state alleges that Burke began sexually abusing Rivas Hernandez when she was just 13 years old and he was 18. The prosecution claims the singer killed the girl when she threatened to expose their long sexual history, which would have devastated his burgeoning music career.
A police analyst who testified earlier in the preliminary hearing stated that blood samples collected from apparent stains in Burke’s garage matched the DNA profile of Rivas Hernandez. Prosecutors allege the singer dismembered the body in that location before disposing of the remains.
Burke has entered not guilty pleas to charges of murder, sexual abuse of a child, and mutilation of a body. His defense attorneys have maintained his innocence and have been working to challenge the forensic evidence presented by prosecutors.
The defense team may focus on some uncertain language contained in the autopsy report. The document states that wounds found on the body “may represent sharp force injuries,” potentially providing an opening for the defense to question the findings.
Medical Examiner Criticizes Investigation Delays
Los Angeles County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey C. Ukpo issued a statement alongside the autopsy report expressing frustration with law enforcement’s decision to keep the results sealed for several months.
“It’s so important for us to release the information that she did not die from something natural, she did not die from drugs, she was stabbed. And then we start to look back at what made her vulnerable to be in that situation.”
Dr. Ukpo called the delay “unfathomable,” noting that the grieving family was forced to wait an extended period to learn what had happened to their daughter. In a June 2026 interview with The Associated Press, the chief medical examiner elaborated on his concerns, stating that keeping such information sealed “goes completely against our mission.”
Rising Star With Dark Artistic Imagery
D4vd rose to prominence as an indie-pop artist whose music and substantial online presence attracted a massive following among young listeners. His artistic content frequently featured dark and violent imagery, often presented through an alter-ego character he created named Itami.
The singer’s breakthrough single released in 2022 was titled “Romantic Homicide,” a track that has accumulated more than a billion plays on Spotify. Several of his other songs have achieved similar streaming milestones on the platform, establishing him as a significant figure in the contemporary music scene before his arrest.
Toxicology testing conducted on Rivas Hernandez’s liver detected low levels of alcohol, though the autopsy report noted this may have been produced postmortem by bacterial activity and did not appear to be a contributing factor in her death. The hearing continues as prosecutors work to establish sufficient evidence to bring Burke to trial for the teenager’s killing.
