Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - D4vd Defense Delays Preliminary Hearing | Crime Alert 04.30.26

Episode Date: April 30, 2026

It will be several weeks before we learn more about the state's case against singer D4vd, his preliminary hearing on the murder of Celeste Hernandez Rivas delayed to the end of the month. Sydney Silvagni reports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human. Crime alert, hourly update. Breaking Crime News now. I'm Sidney. A Wednesday court appearance has resulted in the delay of a preliminary hearing for singer David, accused of murdering 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The defense is asking for more time to review all of the evidence,

stepping back from their initial proposed date of Friday, May 1st, for Tuesday, May 26th. Defense attorneys expressed concern the extreme amount of media attention the case is receiving may taint the jury pool. Attorneys asked to seal a briefing from the prosecution, but Judge Charlene Olnito denied the request, saying the case is no different from countless others in Los Angeles County involving celebrities. Prosecutors say David killed 14-year-old Celeste Revis Hernandez by stabbing her multiple times, then dismembered her body using chainsaws in his garage. Her body was discovered last year, dismembered and decaying in the trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hachman laid out the severity of the state's case.

Today I am announcing the charges against David Anthony Burke. The musician known as David, spelled D4VD, in connection with the brutal and horrific murder of Celeste, a 14-year-old at that time. These charges include the most serious charges that a DA's office can bring. That is, first-degree murder with special circumstances. The special circumstances being lying in wait, committing this crime for financial gain,

or murdering a witness in an investigation. Burke has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He's currently being held without bail, but the details emerging from the LAPD's robbery homicide Division paint a chilling timeline that began over a year ago. Celeste Rivas Hernandez was first reported missing in April 24 from her home in Lake Elsinore. For months, her family searched for answers while she was classified as a runaway. It wasn't until September 8th, 2025, that the search ended in a North Hollywood impound lot. A Tesla, which had been abandoned on a Hollywood

Hill street for weeks, was towed after neighbors complained of a foul odor when investigators opened the frunk, the front trunk of the electric vehicle, they found two plastic bags. Inside the first was a decomposed head and torso. The second contained further dismembered remains. Forensics later confirmed the nightmare. It was Celeste. District Attorney Hatchman alleges that Burke's motive was cold and calculated, a desperate attempt to protect his lucrative career at Interscope records from the fallout of his illegal relationship with the minor. This murder was committed for financial gain, as the evidence will show in court. The financial gain was for Mr. Burke to maintain his very lucrative musical career that Celeste was threatening. In addition to lying

in wait and for financial gain is murdering a witness to an investigation. In this particular case, as the evidence will come out in court, the witness to the investigation was Celeste. And the investigation was into the lewd and lascivious sexual acts committed by Mr. Burke. It is the subject of count two of this complaint with Celeste while she was under 14 years old. At the time those remains were found, Burke was in the middle of a tour performing in Minneapolis. While the tour was immediately canceled following the identification of the body, it took months for an arrest to be made. LAPD Chief Jim McDonald addressed the public's frustration with the timeline. The condition of her remains delayed the medical examiner's ability to be able to determine cause of death. The substantial amount of time that passed between her death and the discovery meant that crucial evidence had degraded or disappeared. And as detectives worked to uncover the truth, they also had to sift through and debunk a great deal of false information circulating publicly. These challenges were real, and they required patience, precision, and they required patience, precision, and

an unwavering commitment to the facts. Burke was finally taken into custody at a home in the Hollywood Hills. His defense team, however, isn't backing down. In a formal statement, his attorneys claimed they would vigorously defend Burke's innocence, explicitly stating that the evidence will prove Burke was not the cause of Celeste's death. Chief McDonald, however, says the timeline of her disappearance aligns perfectly with her arrival at Burke's residence. Ms. Revis was a reported runaway from Riverside County. During the course of our investigation, detectives learned that she had been involved in a sexual relationship with Mr. Burke when she was a minor and he was an adult.

On April 23, 2025, Ms. Revis arrived at Mr. Burke's home in the Hollywood Hills. That's the last time she was known to be alive. On September 8, 2025, Ms. Revis's dismembered and badly decomposed body was discovered in the front trunk of Mr. Burke's impounded Tesla. As the case moves forward, the district attorney's office is weighing a heavy decision, whether or not to pursue the death penalty. If they decline, Burke still faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. While the legal battle is just beginning, for Celeste's family, the focus remains on the girl behind the headlines. Their legal representative stated they are committing to ensuring Celeste's voice is heard. In his closing remarks at the press conference, D.A. Hachman reiterated his promise to the Rivas Hernandez family,

that the person responsible for this brutal and horrific act would be held accountable. What they have demanded, what we have assured them, that the district attorney's office working with LAPD would give them, is the proof beyond a reasonable doubt on who killed their daughter? And bring that killer to justice. That killer that we have now charged is David Anthony Burke. For the latest crime and justice breaking news, be sure to tune in tomorrow on your favorite podcast app.

With this crime alert, I'm Sidney Solvani. This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.