The preliminary hearing for singer D4vd, born David Anthony Burke, continued this week in Los Angeles County Superior Court, with the defense using cross-examination to question how investigators handled several pieces of evidence in the case involving 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
Defense attorney Blair Berk pressed lead homicide detective Joshua Byers about a "burn cage" found inside Burke's home during a September 2025 search. Byers testified the item was photographed but never tested for biological evidence or formally collected. Berk also questioned Byers about three chainsaws recovered from the home - two in the garage, one on the second floor - which Byers confirmed tested negative for blood, though he acknowledged investigators did not compare them to marks found on the victim's remains.
Berk further challenged how the cadaver bag containing Rivas Hernandez's remains was preserved, asking why the entire bag wasn't kept as evidence. Byers said investigators, in consultation with a criminalist, chose to retain only certain parts - including the zipper and handles - due to the condition of the remains.
Judge Charlaine Olmedo is expected to rule, after the hearing concludes, whether prosecutors have shown enough evidence for the case to proceed to trial. Burke, 21, has pleaded not guilty to charges including first-degree murder and remains presumed innocent. The hearing, expected to run through the week, resumes with no cameras permitted inside the courtroom.
We continue to hold the Rivas family in prayer as this difficult case moves forward.
Related Article: D4vd's Preliminary Hearing Underway in LA Courtroom, Could Last Up to a Week
