D4vd Case Update: What does the newly revealed text show? Court hears pregnancy, abortion details
Text messages shown in a Los Angeles court show that 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez She became pregnant and had an abortion more than a year ago, and prosecutors say she was killed by singer D4VD, whose legal name is David Burke. The evidence was revealed at Burke’s preliminary hearing on Friday.
Based on this hearing, the judge will decide whether there is enough evidence to support D4VD’s case to proceed to trial.
Burke has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, child sexual abuse and mutilation. However, prosecutors said he began abusing Rivas when she was 13 and he was 18. They claim he later killed her after she threatened to reveal their relationship, which they believed could damage his burgeoning music career.
But Burke’s lawyers insist he is innocent.
What did the text messages reveal?
Prosecutors disclosed iCloud data discovered from the defendant’s iPhone, including text messages between him and Rivas on August 8, 2022, when Burke was 17 and she was 11.
Prosecutors then introduced text messages Burke and Rivas exchanged in January 2024. In one conversation, Burke apologized for “putting her through this.”
Rivas responded that neither of them had the ability to raise a child and said that terminating the pregnancy “would be the best, wouldn’t it?”
Burke then asked, “My mother also always told me, if I ever find myself in this situation, just ask this question… This is mine, right?” She replied, “Of course it’s yours David.”
Prosecutors argued the messages illuminated the nature of their relationship long before her death.
They also talked about abortion and birth control, as Rivas appeared to have had at least two abortions and birth control during their roughly two and a half years of dating. They became a source of embarrassment to her, even if they occasionally joked about them.
In another instance, she texted him: “I killed my baby for you. I will do anything to get it back… taking the innocent life of a real baby.”
The court also viewed photos recovered from Burke’s iPhone, including intimate images of the pair. Prosecutors said evidence supported their allegation that the relationship began when Rivas was a minor.
In court, the victim’s parents became emotional as investigators described the material. Her mother left the court in tears. Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman briefly comforted the family before proceedings continued.
Read more: Prosecutors launch gruesome argument against pop star D4vd in murder case
What details did the autopsy reveal?
Earlier Friday, Los Angeles County Medical Examiner Dr. Grant Ho testified about the autopsy. He said Rivas suffered two sharp force injuries, one of which punctured her liver and another that damaged her ribs.
Ho testified that the injuries could lead to death from blood loss within minutes or even as long as an hour. Prosecutors accused Burke of “standing by while she bled out.”
The medical examiner said the decomposition of the body severely limited the examination. He could not determine the exact time of death, whether a fight had occurred or where the fatal injuries were caused.
Ho also testified that toxicology tests were inconclusive. Liver samples initially indicated the possible presence of methamphetamine and benzodiazepines. However, additional testing ruled out benzodiazepines, while the results for methamphetamine remained inconclusive. He said there was insufficient evidence to suggest drugs caused the teen’s death.
Defense attorney Marilyn Bednarski questioned whether decomposition affected the toxicology results and suggested alternative explanations, including overdose or self-harm. Ho responded that he could not support the conclusion of an overdose.
He also pointed out that self-stab wounds usually show signs of hesitation, which were absent in this case. However, he said he could not completely rule out all possibilities.
At a previous hearing, investigators confirmed that DNA extracted from apparent blood stains in Burke’s garage matched Rivas. Prosecutors allege Burke dismembered her body before it was discovered in the trunk of a Tesla towed from the Hollywood Hills in September 2025, about five months after authorities believe she was killed.
Prosecutors also argued that Burke had a strong incentive to hide the relationship as his music career accelerated. Financial witnesses testified earlier that he earned at least $10 million between 2023 and 2025. Performing under the stage name D4VD.
