Disturbing testimony emerged in a Los Angeles courtroom on Tuesday as police detailed the condition of a teenage girl’s body found in the trunk of a car belonging to American singer D4vd, who is facing murder and child abuse charges.
The 21-year-old musician, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, has been charged in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose remains were discovered in his Tesla in September 2025, just days before what would have been her fifteenth birthday.
During the opening day of a preliminary hearing, Los Angeles Police Detective Joshua Byers described the scene investigators encountered after Burke’s vehicle was impounded and taken to a tow yard. According to the detective, officers immediately detected what he called the “distinctive smell” of human remains when the trunk was opened.
Byers told the court that the body had decomposed extensively, making identification difficult. He said the victim’s head and torso were found inside a large black bag, while her arms and legs had been placed in a separate container.
When questioned about whether the victim could be identified by her appearance, the detective testified that the level of decomposition had rendered her “unrecognizable.” He added that investigators found evidence of insect activity, including maggots and flies, on parts of the remains.
Prosecutors allege that Burke first met Hernandez when she was 11 years old and later began a sexual relationship with her when she was 13. According to court filings, authorities believe the singer killed the teenager after she threatened to expose their alleged relationship, potentially damaging his growing music career.
Body-camera footage presented during the hearing showed Burke insisting that Hernandez had claimed to be 18 years old. “She told me she was 18. Everybody saying she was 13,” he said in the recording.
The victim’s mother had reported Hernandez missing in 2024, when she was 13 years old.
Burke, who appeared in court wearing an orange prison uniform, showed little visible reaction as prosecutors displayed graphic photographs of the remains. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
If convicted, Burke could face life imprisonment or, under certain circumstances, the death penalty.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the preliminary hearing is expected to last between three and five days. The proceedings are intended to determine whether prosecutors have presented sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to trial.
“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 told reporters outside the courthouse.
The case has attracted widespread attention because of the severity of the allegations and Burke’s prominence as a rising figure in the music industry.
