D4vd’s legal fight is now on the calendar. On Monday, an October 19 status conference in Los Angeles set the next court date in his murder case for January 11, 2027. The 21-year-old singer, born David Anthony Burke, is charged with first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and mutilating a body in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
Rivas Hernandez’s dismembered remains were discovered on September 8, 2025, in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to D4vd at a Hollywood tow lot. Prosecutors allege he killed her on April 23, 2025, just two days before his debut album Withered was released, after she threatened to expose their illegal relationship. In July 2026, a judge ruled following a five-day preliminary hearing that there was probable cause for the case to go to trial. D4vd has pleaded not guilty and replaced his private attorneys with a public defender.
The defense maintains that D4vd did not cause Rivas Hernandez’s death, statements echoed by his legal team throughout the proceedings. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office has described the case’s details in stark terms, underscoring the stakes as it heads toward trial.
What do you think the music industry owes its listeners when an artist faces charges this serious? Sound off in the comments.
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Local Lawton
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