A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has ordered singer D4vd to stand trial on all charges in the killing and dismemberment of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

Judge Charlaine Olmedo ruled that prosecutors cleared the probable-cause threshold after roughly five days of testimony in July, according to LA Magazine. David Anthony Burke, 21, the singer's legal name, now faces trial on charges of first-degree murder, lewd acts upon a child under 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains. All three special-circumstance allegations also survived: lying in wait, murder for financial gain and killing a witness in a criminal investigation.

D4vd, pronounced "David," rose to fame as a teenager with a blend of indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop. His 2022 breakthrough "Romantic Homicide" has more than a billion plays on Spotify.

Burke pleaded not guilty at his Aug. 31 arraignment.

Prosecutors allege Burke groomed and sexually abused Hernandez beginning in 2022, when she was 11, and killed her in April 2025 to prevent her from exposing their relationship and damaging his music career. Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman told the court the teen died within 20 minutes of arriving at Burke's rented Hollywood Hills home on April 23, 2025, Our Weekly reported.

The prosecution's case is circumstantial, built on thousands of text messages, cellphone and Tesla data, DNA evidence, Amazon purchases and graphic autopsy testimony. LAPD Robbery-Homicide Detective Corey Farell testified in July that Burke's iCloud data showed communications with Celeste starting in 2022 and ending April 23, 2025.

Deputy County Medical Examiner Dr. Grant Ho testified that Celeste suffered two penetrating wounds that were life-threatening and would have caused her to bleed out in minutes. He ruled her death a homicide.

Defense attorney Marilyn Bednarski argued there was evidence of a death and dismemberment but not a murder. She challenged the prosecution's theories on all three special circumstances. Bednarski, Blair Berk and Regina Peter withdrew from the case at the Aug. 31 arraignment. Burke is now represented by Deputy Public Defender Walid Kandeel.

Kandeel said in a statement on Aug. 31 that his office recognized the loss of life but that Burke was entitled to a defense that carefully examines the evidence. The switch to a public defender drew scrutiny: testimony at a previous hearing showed Burke earned at least $10 million through his music from 2023 through 2025. The LA County Public Defender's Office told the LA Sentinel it completed a financial evaluation and found Burke eligible for appointed counsel.

District Attorney Nathan Hochman said after the Aug. 31 arraignment that his office was "ready to prove all three charges beyond a reasonable doubt," as Spectrum News reported. The DA's office has not announced whether it will seek the death penalty.

Separately, Celeste's parents, Mercedes Martinez and Jesus Rivas, filed a wrongful death lawsuit Sept. 4 in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The suit, first reported by Rolling Stone, names Burke, his mother Colleen Burke, management company Mogul Vision, managers Josh Marshall and Robert Morgenroth, live-in security guard Sheldon Jacques and three companies: D4VD Entertainment, Headspace Publishing and Skullrose Merchandise. The family's attorney, Patrick Steinfeld, has alleged Burke transferred assets to his mother and manager to shield his estate from civil liability. Those claims have not been established in court.

On Sept. 8, what would have been Celeste's 16th birthday, her family released a statement through Steinfeld calling for the death penalty and saying their hearts were heavy.

Celeste disappeared from Lake Elsinore in February 2024. Her dismembered remains were found Sept. 8, 2025, inside the front trunk of Burke's impounded Tesla at a Hollywood tow yard.

Burke is due back in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Oct. 19 for a status conference. No trial date has been set.