A judge has ruled that singer d4vd must stand trial in the killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
On Monday (July 27), following a five-day preliminary, Los Angeles Judge Charlaine Olmedo ordered that the 21-year-old artist (real name David Burke) is to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains, according to The Associated Press.
Evidence was presented by the prosecution that showed probable cause for the charges, including “grisly autopsy photos, explicit descriptions and depictions of sexual abuse and a stark picture of the final texts she sent minutes before she died and her phone went permanently silent.”
One text message sent by Hernandez was to d4vd the night before her death, threatening to expose their relationship just before his album release.
“i will end ur career and ur life,” Hernandez wrote in the text message.
Hernandez’s body was found dismembered and decomposing inside the trunk of his abandoned Tesla in September 2025. She was first reported missing in 2024 at the age of 13.
d4vd has pleaded not guilty to all charges, with his lawyers arguing that the first-degree murder evidence provided is insufficient. No arguments, however, were made against the other two charges.
The District Attorney’s office said the evidence presented was only a “small fraction” of what they have. They are also deciding whether to seek the death penalty, for which d4vd is eligible in the state of California.
“Based on the mountains of evidence presented all of the allegations have been proved way beyond the standard required,” Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman said to the press.
The prosecution has asked for d4vd to continue being held without bail. An arraignment is set to be held on August 31, with a trial expecting to start within the following two months.
The Hernandez family issued a statement read by attorney Patrick Steinfeld outside of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.
“The family’s relieved that it’s done with,” he told reporters. “They’re going to take a break and they appreciate the hard work the district attorney’s office has done, as well as the investigation by LAPD investigators.”