Text messages recovered from singer D4vd's iPhone revealed that 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez had been pregnant and undergone an abortion before her death, according to evidence presented on July 24, 2026 — the fourth day of a preliminary hearing in a Los Angeles court. The hearing will determine whether David Anthony Burke, 19 at the time of the alleged crimes, will stand trial on charges of murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child, and mutilation of remains.

A preliminary hearing is a proceeding in which a judge decides whether enough evidence exists to send a case to trial. Burke, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, rose to fame on TikTok with the viral hits "Romantic Homicide" and "Here With Me." He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman filed seven criminal counts against him following his arrest in April 2026.

The text exchanges, presented through LAPD Detective Corey Farell's testimony, painted a detailed picture of the relationship between Burke and Celeste. iCloud data recovered from Burke's iPhone showed communications dating back to August 8, 2022, when she was 11 and he was 17. Prosecutors allege 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 the teen for "putting her through this." She responded that neither of them was capable of caring for a baby, calling the abortion "for the best." Burke asked Celeste via text whether the baby was his, and she replied "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 a separate June 2024 text, Burke wrote: "Let's let this abortion be the last one til we have the real one…" BBC

The texts also revealed that the pair discussed moving in together in conversations they dubbed "Operation Awesome." Prosecutors said Burke had brought Celeste to London and Texas to meet members of his family. The two "broke up" in November 2024 but stayed in contact, according to a prosecutors' memo.

Celeste Rivas Hernandez was reported missing by her family and was last seen at Burke's Hollywood Hills home 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 worldwide tour was subsequently cancelled, and he largely retreated from public life and social media.

Forensic evidence presented at the hearing has been extensive. LAPD Detective Farell testified that DNA from blood found in Burke's Hollywood Hills home and garage matched Celeste Rivas Hernandez. A detective also testified that Burke ordered chainsaws and body bags in connection with the case. AP News Prosecutors allege Burke used a chainsaw to dismember 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 emotional and left the courtroom with her husband. The family was described as "shocked" by details revealed in earlier court filings. LA Times

The cause of death was released by the LA County Medical Examiner on April 22, 2026, after months of investigation. At the hearing, Dr. Grant Ho of the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner testified that it was "extremely difficult to tell" exactly when Celeste died due to the state of decomposition.

The defense has seized on that uncertainty. Burke's lawyers questioned whether Celeste could have harmed herself, citing the ambiguity around the time of death. They also pressed detectives on why additional DNA testing was not conducted on chainsaws and the vehicle. ABC7

Prosecutors allege Burke killed Celeste after she threatened to reveal he had been abusing a minor and destroy his career. They further allege the two argued the night before her death over his relationships with other women.

If convicted, Burke could face the death penalty. Reuters

The preliminary hearing has now spanned four days of testimony across July 2026, with prosecutors methodically building their case through digital evidence, forensic findings, and detective testimony. The defense, for its part, has focused on gaps in the forensic chain — what lawyers call the unbroken sequence of custody and handling of evidence — challenging the completeness of DNA testing and exploiting the medical examiner's inability to pin down a precise time of death. The judge will ultimately decide whether the evidence meets the standard for binding Burke over for trial.

The broader context here is a case that hinges heavily on digital traces: text messages, iCloud backups, and online purchase records fill in a timeline that physical evidence alone could not fully reconstruct. The decomposition of Celeste's body, which prevented a precise time-of-death determination, has given the defense its most substantive opening. How much that opening widens will depend on whether the defense can convince the judge that the gaps in forensic testing raise reasonable doubt about the chain of evidence — not about whether a crime occurred, but about whether the prosecution has connected every link to Burke specifically.