OAN Staff Lillian Mann
8:38 AM –Wednesday, May 13, 2026
The preliminary hearing for the murder trial of David Burke, known professionally as “d4vd,” was delayed due to a significant amount of disturbing evidence that emerged recently, according to prosecutors.
The decision to delay the 21-year-old’s hearing was made on Tuesday after the extremely grim details were released last month as part of Burke’s alleged murder and dismemberment of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas.
Trending: LeBron James Yet Again Swept Out of the NBA Playoffs
Burke, who prosecutors say sexually abused the teen for a year before stabbing her to death and mutilating her corpse last year, is scheduled to appear at a hearing on June 29th, attorneys said during a brief court appearance Tuesday morning.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has also filed special-circumstance allegations — including murder of a witness and murder for financial gain — that could make Burke eligible for the death penalty.
Prosecutors explained they had a significant amount of evidence to investigate, which made continuing with the trial unrealistic. The evidence reportedly included lab reports, police reports, photographs, numerous videos, arrest reports and forensic evidence.
Court documents alleged Burke had groomed Rivas over an extended period of time and eventually mutilated her body with a chainsaw, evidence which the singer’s legal team pushed to have sealed.
According to the filings, Burke had ordered an Uber to pick up Rivas from her family home in Lake Elsinore, California, and transport her to his Hollywood Hills home on the evening of April 23, 2025, after she threatened to go public about the singer’s ongoing sexual assault.
Prosecutors reported that Burke had stabbed Rivas to death in the garage of his home and watched as she bled to death.
Further evidence showed that Burke ordered a shovel from Home Depot the following day to be delivered to his home. About a week later, prosecutors allege he ordered two chainsaws from Amazon, along with a body bag, heavy-duty laundry bags, a blue inflatable pool and a “burn cage” allegedly intended to destroy evidence of the girl’s body.
Investigators said Burke then “took horrifying measures to destroy and discard the victim’s body.”
The documents alleged that Burke placed Rivas’ body into the inflatable pool following the stabbing, and used the chainsaw to cut off her limbs.
He also allegedly amputated her left ring and pinky fingers because her ring finger, which had a tattoo of Burke’s name. The fingers were not recovered.
Prosecutors found images of Rivas on Burke’s phone, which showed her naked and performing sex acts, according to the document. Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman said in court last month that search warrants led to the discovery of “a significant amount of child pornography” on Burke’s devices.
Patrick Steinfeld, Rivas’ family attorney, shared that informing the teenage girl’s family of the news was the “most difficult thing” he’s ever had to do in 37 years as a lawyer.
“Last night I had the heartbreaking responsibility of informing the Rivas Hernandez family of the horrifying allegations submitted in court yesterday that David Anthony Burke allegedly stabbed Celeste, ‘stood by while she bled’ to death, used a chainsaw to cut off her limbs, and bought a ‘burn cage’ with the plan to ‘incinerate the evidence,’” Steinfeld recounted in a statement.
When asked whether he agreed to the new June 29th date, Burke responded, “Yes, Your Honor.”
Burke has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges in connection with Celeste’s death, including first-degree murder, murder of a child under 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
Rivas’ decomposed remains were recovered from the singer’s Tesla in a Hollywood Hills impound in September 2025.
Later, on April 16, 2026, Burke was arrested after Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers raided the Hollywood Hills home where the singer resided.
The possibility of the death penalty remains under consideration for Burke, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news alerts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
What do YOU think? Click here to jump to the comments!
Join the conversation!
Please share your thoughts about this article below. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion!