Text messages found on singer D4vd's phone showed that 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez had been pregnant and had an abortion before she died. This evidence was presented on July 24, 2026, during a court hearing in Los Angeles. The hearing will decide whether David Anthony Burke, who was 19 at the time of the alleged crimes, will go to trial. He is charged with murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child, and mutilation of remains.

Burke became famous on TikTok with the viral songs "Romantic Homicide" and "Here With Me." He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman filed seven criminal charges against him after his arrest in April 2026.

A preliminary hearing is a court session where a judge decides if there is enough evidence for a full trial. It is not the trial itself. No verdict is given at this stage.

The text messages were presented through the testimony of LAPD Detective Corey Farell. Data recovered from Burke's iPhone showed messages going back to August 8, 2022, when Celeste was 11 and Burke was 17. Prosecutors say Burke met Celeste online when she was 11 and began sexually abusing her when she was 13 and he was 18.

In a January 2024 text exchange, Burke apologized to Celeste for "putting her through this." She replied that neither of them was able to care for a baby and called the abortion "for the best." Burke asked her by text whether the baby was his, and she answered, "of course its yours David," according to detective testimony. In June 2024, when Celeste was 13, she texted him: "What [if] the first abortion didn't work?" In another June 2024 text, Burke wrote: "Let's let this abortion be the last one til we have the real one…" BBC

The texts also showed the two discussed moving in together, calling their plan "Operation Awesome." Prosecutors said Burke brought Celeste to London and Texas to meet his family. The two "broke up" in November 2024 but stayed in contact, according to a prosecutors' memo.

Celeste's family reported her missing. She was last seen at Burke's home in the Hollywood Hills on April 3, 2025. Her body was found in the front trunk of Burke's Tesla in September 2025, the day after she would have turned 15. Burke was on tour at the time. His tour was cancelled, and he mostly stopped appearing in public and on social media.

At the hearing, LAPD Detective Farell testified that DNA from blood found in Burke's home and garage matched Celeste. A detective also testified that Burke had ordered chainsaws and body bags. AP News Prosecutors say Burke used a chainsaw to cut apart the body. LA Times Prosecutors have said Celeste was stabbed to death. Reuters

The iPhone also contained photos of Celeste during the alleged sexual abuse, according to prosecutors and Detective Farell. When details of those photos were described in court, Celeste's mother, Mercedes Rivas Hernandez, became visibly upset and left the courtroom with her husband. The family was described as "shocked" by details revealed in earlier court filings. LA Times

The LA County Medical Examiner released the cause of death on April 22, 2026, after months of investigation. At the hearing, Dr. Grant Ho testified that it was "extremely difficult to tell" exactly when Celeste died because her body had broken down too much over time.

Burke's lawyers have focused on that uncertainty. They questioned whether Celeste could have harmed herself, pointing to the unclear time of death. They also asked detectives why more DNA testing was not done on the chainsaws and the car. ABC7

Prosecutors say Burke killed Celeste after she threatened to reveal that he had been abusing a minor, which could destroy his career. They also say the two argued the night before her death about his relationships with other women.

If convicted, Burke could face the death penalty. Reuters

The hearing has now lasted four days of testimony in July 2026. Prosecutors have been building their case step by step using digital evidence, forensic findings, and detective testimony. The defense has focused on gaps in the evidence, questioning whether DNA testing was complete and pointing out that the medical examiner could not determine exactly when Celeste died. The judge will decide whether the evidence is strong enough to send Burke to trial.

What stands out about this case is how much of it rests on digital evidence. Text messages, phone data, and online purchase records are doing much of the work that physical evidence alone could not do. The condition of Celeste's body meant that some traditional forensic tools, like pinpointing a time of death, were not available to prosecutors. That gap has given the defense its strongest argument so far.