Los Angeles Court Begins Hearing in D4vd Murder Case

D4vd has begun a preliminary hearing expected to last a week, during which a judge will decide whether prosecutors have presented enough evidence for the first degree murder charge and other accusations to move forward.

The 21 year old singer behind Romantic Homicide, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, was charged in April with the killing of Celeste Rivas. Prosecutors allege that he acted after she threatened to reveal their unlawful relationship and damage his music career.

According to Rolling Stone, prosecutors opened the proceedings on Tuesday by presenting graphic images from the crime scene.

Authorities allege that D4vd first met Rivas when she was 11. They claim a sexual relationship began when she was 13 and he was 18. Prosecutors say he arranged an Uber to take her to his Los Angeles home on 23 April 2025 before allegedly killing her later that evening. His first album, Withered, was released two days afterward.

D4vd has entered a not guilty plea to every charge against him.

“Let us be clear,” the singer’s attorneys said in a statement after his arrest in April, “the actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death.”

Proceedings are scheduled to resume on Wednesday. The judge must examine the prosecution’s case and decide whether probable cause exists to believe D4vd may have committed the alleged crimes.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, District Attorney Nathan Hochman said prosecutors plan to call more than 10 witnesses, including coroners and law enforcement officers.

“At the end of the presentation of all this evidence, the question will be, will D4vd be held to answer on the three felony charges,” Hochman explained. “We believe we will more than accomplish the evidentiary burden of probable cause at this point.”

The murder count against D4vd carries a “special circumstances” enhancement, meaning he could receive life imprisonment without the possibility of parole or the death penalty if convicted.