The hearing is determining if singer D4vd, legally named David Burke, will face trial for murder, sexual abuse, and mutilation charges following the discovery of the victim’s remains in September 2025.
Autopsy Findings and Defense Challenges
He confirmed that the victim died from two sharp force wounds—one to the abdomen that penetrated the liver and another to the left chest that damaged her ribs. Due to the advanced state of decomposition of the remains, which weighed 71 pounds at the time of the examination, Dr. Ho noted that establishing a precise time of death was difficult.
“It’s extremely difficult to tell.”
Dr. Grant Ho, Deputy Medical Examiner
Forensic Evidence Found at the Hollywood Hills Residence
The prosecution’s case against Burke relies heavily on forensic evidence recovered from his Hollywood Hills home. Lauren Wallace, a criminologist with the Los Angeles Police Department, testified that she discovered red stains on gym-style rubber flooring, a rowing machine, and a Tesla charging plug in the singer’s garage. While Wallace stated she could not definitively confirm the stains were blood through her initial chemical analysis, she noted that the substance reacted to hemoglobin, a protein found in red blood cells.
In a separate filing, the prosecution asserted that DNA analysis had linked samples from the garage to the victim.
Prosecution’s Theory of Financial and Personal Motive
Prosecutors allege that the motive for the killing was tied to Burke’s burgeoning music career. The state contends that Rivas Hernandez, who had been in a long-term sexual relationship with the singer since she was 13, threatened to expose their history, which would have jeopardized these financial interests.
According to court documents, text messages recovered from Burke’s phone referenced sex, pregnancy, and the use of Plan B emergency contraceptives. Prosecutors claim that Burke invited the teen to his home on April 23, 2025, the day she was last seen alive. The charges against Burke include special circumstances of lying in wait, murder for financial gain, and the killing of a witness in a criminal investigation.
Current Status of Legal Proceedings
David Burke, 21, has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child, and mutilation of human remains. The preliminary hearing, which was postponed from its original May schedule, is being held to determine if there is sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to trial. Judge Charlaine Olmedo is presiding over the proceedings, which have included testimony regarding items purchased by the defendant, including shovels and chainsaws, which the prosecution alleges were intended for the disposal of the victim’s body.
The victim’s body was discovered on September 8, 2025, inside the trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke at a Hollywood tow yard. Investigators found the remains dismembered, with the head and torso in one bag and severed limbs in another. The court continues to evaluate whether the evidence presented—ranging from DNA samples to autopsy results—meets the threshold required to move toward a trial date.
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