D4vd Murder Case Horror: Prosecutors Showed Graphic Photos of Teen Victim Celeste Rivas Hernandez's Decomposed Remains During Hearing
Photos from the crime scene of Celeste Rivas Hernandez were shown in court.
July 22 2026, Published 2:10 p.m. ET
As D4vd, also known as David Burke, prepares for trial, the judge viewed gruesome images from the crime scene of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
The 21-year-old rapper was charged with first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. During a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, July 21, prosecutors showed graphic photos from Hernandez's crime scene, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Prosecutors Show Gruesome Photos From Crime Scene
The photos were taken at the tow yard where Hernandez's body was found.
The goal of the hearing was to convince Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo that there was enough evidence to move forward with the trial. Prosecutors must establish probable cause.
Hernandez's body was found in the trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke, mutilated and dismembered last fall. Before the discovery, the teen had been missing for months, according to her family.
Prosecutors alleged Burke was responsible, showing the judge the photos. They alleged the music star tried to destroy evidence via his destruction of her corpse.
Celeste Rivas Hernandez's Family Reacts to Pictures
The victim's family was not set to testify during D4vd's preliminary hearing
The photos were not released to the public, but those in the courtroom were reportedly left shaken. According to Lawyer Herald, "People in attendance reacted audibly as the images were shown."
It wasn't just the general public, though. Hernandez's family was also in the room for the difficult reveal. Her mother "covered her mouth" while prosecutors showed the photos.
Hernandez's parents are not set to testify during the preliminary hearing. However, it's unclear if they'll be called to the stand for his potential trial.
Celeste Rivas Hernandez Body Found in Fall 2025
Hernandez was missing for several months prior.
Hernandez's body was found on September 8, 2025, after a foul odor was reported coming from a Tesla in a tow yard. The vehicle was later identified as belonging to Burke, who was away on tour in Minnesota at the time.
Her body was identified days later, and investigators executed a search warrant on the musician's home. The Los Angeles Police Department allegedly found evidence, including a positive DNA sample, linking Burke to Hernandez.
The condition of her body became widely speculated. Early reports suggested the cadaver was partially frozen and dismembered. However, police initially denied the gruesome details.
The Los Angeles Medical Examiner's Office was bound by a court order to remain quiet.
"The Department’s mission is to have full transparency with the community by providing information about our cases to empower people to make changes that save lives,” said Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey Ukpo in a statement.
"Since becoming the department head, I've worked on eradicating the practice of placing security holds on Medical Examiner cases simply by law enforcement request. The practice of security holds is virtually unheard of in other counties and has not been proven to improve outcomes in the legal system. We are dedicated to serving our community with full transparency; however, the law precludes us from doing so while the court order remains in this case."
The details about Hernandez's body were later revealed through court documents. The coroner did not publicly rule her death a homicide until after Burke's arrest.
D4vd Arrested in April 2026
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Prosecutors were criticized for their slow process.
However, Burke was not immediately arrested. Instead, a multi-month investigation ensued. While Burke was initially cooperative with police, he was identified early as a target in the case.
A grand jury was called together to investigate Burke. The justice system received criticism for its lengthy and slow process.
He was not arrested until April 16, 2026.
