LOS ANGELES – A California courtroom erupted in shock on Thursday as prosecutors revealed horrifying text messages showing that 13-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was pregnant and seeking an abortion with the defendant, singer D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, before her brutal murder and dismemberment. The new evidence, presented during a preliminary hearing, paints a devastating portrait of a relationship that began when the victim was just 11 years old, ending in a grotesque crime scene inside a Tesla.
The graphic testimony came from LAPD Detective Corey Frell, who reviewed thousands of messages between Burke and the teenager from August 2022 through April 2025. In one exchange, Celeste told Burke, “I killed my first kid for you.” Burke responded with instructions about tracking her menstrual cycle and discussing abortion appointments.
“When are you going to get it done?” he wrote. Celeste replied, “Two days.”
The prosecution detailed multiple pregnancy scares, with texts about Plan B, abortion pills, and even an “abortion gift” – a Balenciaga purse the victim had requested.
Medical Examiner Dr. George Hoe then delivered a clinical but chilling account of the autopsy. Celeste’s body was so decomposed that it had lost a third of its normal weight, weighing just 71 pounds at the time of examination.
Dr. Hoe confirmed the cause of death as “multiple penetrating injuries,” including a 1. 5-inch stab wound that pierced her diaphragm and liver.
He noted two dismemberment sites – one below the thigh and one at the knee – consistent with a power saw. Blue plastic fragments were found embedded in the right knee, matching the color of a kiddie pool allegedly used in the garage.
The courtroom was shown photos of Celeste’s decomposed torso, her severed fingers, and the full reassembled corpse on an examiner’s table. Her left hand had its ring and pinky fingers amputated. The right index finger, bearing the tattoo “shh” – a matching mark also found on Burke’s hand – had been chopped off.
Prosecutors argued this was an attempt to hide her identity. Dr. Hoe testified that the dismemberment likely occurred postmortem and that the body had been stored in the front trunk of Burke’s Tesla, where temperatures were hot enough to accelerate decomposition and attract flies.
Family members of the victim were forced to leave the courtroom during the most graphic portions of testimony. Celeste’s mother and father, who have remained silent throughout the proceedings, sat in the front row until the photos became unbearable. Their civil attorney, addressing reporters outside the courthouse, said, “Celeste was a beautiful 14-year-old girl full of life and energy.
The family knows their life has been forever changed.”
The text messages revealed a pattern of manipulation and control. In August 2024, when Celeste was 13, Burke wrote, “I’m just going to say one last thing. You’re enough for me.
All I want. You used to come over only past 11 p. m.
and we would drink and have sex and go on walks.” He also discussed marrying her in Italy and booking a trip to Las Vegas, all while acknowledging she was underage. In one exchange, Celeste worried about being recognized because of missing posters her family had distributed.
Burke urged her not to “overcomplicate” things.
Prosecutor Beth Silverman asked Dr. Hoe directly: “What is the manner of death?” Without hesitation, the medical examiner replied, “Homicide.”
He later clarified that toxicology showed only trace ethanol in the liver, likely from decomposition, and that drugs like methamphetamine were inconclusive – not a factor in her death.
Defense attorneys attempted to challenge the findings, suggesting the stab wounds could have been self-inflicted. Dr. Hoe conceded he could not determine who caused the wounds, but he emphasized that the depth and location of the injuries – penetrating the diaphragm and liver – would have caused fatal bleeding within minutes.
A five-liter blood loss would be expected in an adult, but Celeste’s smaller body would have bled out even faster.
The hearing also uncovered that Burke had a fake North Carolina driver’s license making him 21, photographs of the couple engaged in sexual acts, and a trove of explicit images. The court could not view some photos due to child pornography laws, but Detective Frell described dozens of images showing genitalia, oral sex, and intercourse. Burke showed no emotional reaction throughout the proceedings, even as his own messages were read aloud.
Among the most damning texts: Celeste saying she was “manifesting her period” because she “doesn’t want kids.” Burke replied, “I need to make sure you’re on top of your shit.” In February 2024, after one abortion, he wrote, “Let’s see this last abortion be the last one.
If it ends up being twins, cool, because we want two kids.” The same month, Celeste was reported missing by her family.
The preliminary hearing is expected to continue for one or two more days. Legal analysts say the prosecution has presented overwhelming evidence to establish probable cause for first-degree murder, child sexual abuse, and related charges. Former federal prosecutor Nemo Romani, speaking to reporters, said, “David is done.
Those text messages – ‘I killed my kid for you’ – are incredibly powerful. The jury will never unsee that.”
Celeste’s family has been present every day, clinging to each other for support. They have not spoken publicly, but their attorney said they are “pleased with the evidence being presented” and trust the legal system. Outside the courtroom, the family’s grief is palpable.
Friends have started a memorial fund and a social media campaign demanding justice.
As the hearing nears its end, the full horror of what happened to a young girl – a child who was pregnant at 13, manipulated for years, and then brutally killed – continues to unravel. The blue fragments, the dismembered fingers, the graphic photos on Burke’s phone, and the chilling words from the text messages all point to a premeditated, predatory relationship that ended in the worst possible way.
Investigators are also probing whether anyone else knew about the body in the Tesla. Burke’s security guard, Sheldon, and other members of his entourage have been mentioned. The smell of decomposition was so strong, witnesses said, that it filled the hallway outside Burke’s garage.
Eleven air fresheners were found in the vehicle. “There is no way other people did not know,” said Romani.
The case has drawn national attention because of Burke’s celebrity as a rising music star with a hit song “Romantic Homicide.” His music career is now on hold indefinitely. His attorney has not commented on the proceedings, but the defense team is expected to challenge the medical examiner’s findings and argue that the relationship was consensual in terms of age of consent laws in other states – though California law is clear: any sexual activity with a minor under 14 is illegal, and sex with a 13-year-old is statutory rape even if the minor consents.
The court will reconvene Monday morning for additional testimony. The judge is expected to rule on whether there is sufficient evidence to hold Burke for trial. Given the weight of the autopsy findings, the text messages, and the explicit photographs, legal experts say a trial is almost certain.
For the family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the waiting continues. They sit quietly in the front row, clutching photos of their daughter, and they will stay until the final gavel falls. As the civil attorney put it, “Their heart has a hole that will never be replaced.”
