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New photos shown during D4vd's (real name David Burke) preliminary hearing in Celeste Rivas Hernandez's murder case revealed that the teen's face was "unrecognizable" when her remains were found.
Reporter Brian Entin took to X to share notes from the first half of the hearing on Tuesday, July 21, including that detectives said they couldn't see Rivas Hernandez's face when her body was removed from the vehicle. "There was quite a bit of decomposition and skin slippage, so it was unrecognizable," he said.
D4vd, 21, reportedly showed no emotion as prosecutors presented gruesome photos of Rivas Hernandez's severely decomposed remains after they were found in the front trunk of his Tesla in September 2025, according to Rolling Stone.
The photos showed Rivas Hernandez' limbless torso in one black plastic bag, while her dismembered arms and legs were in another bag. Prosecutors also shared a photo of her knee, which reportedly had flecks of blue plastic on it that was allegedly from the inflatable pool prosecutors believe D4vd used while dismembering her body.
Friend of Singer D4vd Gives Grand Jury Testimony in Celeste Rivas Case
Prosecutors also shared a close-up of Rivas Hernandez's left hand that showed her ring and pinky fingers had been cut off, as well as another photo that revealed her "Shhh…" tattoo on her right index finger.
Meanwhile, TMZ reported that Rivas Hernandez's family, including her parents Mercedes Martínez and Jesus Rivas, were in the room. The family reportedly wouldn't look away as the upsetting photos were revealed.
The preliminary hearing in D4vd's murder case began on Tuesday and is expected to continue for several days. Once the hearing concludes, a judge will determine if prosecutors presented enough evidence for the case to move forward to trial.
D4vd was arrested in April, which was seven months after Rivas Hernandez's dismembered body was found inside the front trunk of a vehicle at a Los Angeles tow yard on September 8, 2025.
"Detectives from Los Angeles Police Department, Robbery-Homicide Division have arrested David Burke, a 21-year-old resident of Los Angeles, for the murder of Celeste Rivas. Burke is being held without bail," the LAPD said in a statement at the time of D4vd's arrest. "The case will be presented to the District Attorney's office on Monday for filing consideration."
Following his arrest, D4vd's attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter addressed the situation while issuing a statement to TMZ.
Who Disposed of Celeste Rivas' Body? Dv4d's Entourage Could Be Questioned
"Let us be clear - the actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death," the statement read. "There has been no indictment returned by any grand jury in this case and no criminal complaint filed."
D4vd was ultimately charged with first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains. He has since pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
Rivas Hernandez, 14, was last seen on April 23, 2025, and D4vd was linked to the crime when it was revealed that the car Rivas Hernandez's remains were found in was registered to the singer.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office determined that Rivas Hernandez died from "multiple penetrating injuries caused by object(s)," according to a press release obtained by Us on April 22.
Additionally, a medical examiner's report obtained by Us showed that the victim suffered "two penetrating wounds" in her torso, as well as "bilateral dismemberment" of her "upper and lower extremities" and "multiple additional skin defects."
Prior to the preliminary hearing, prosecutors said that Rivas Hernandez went to D4vd's home and was stabbed multiple times, according to court documents viewed by KTLA. Prosecutors then claimed that D4vd stood by as she bled to death.
Prosecutors also said they believe that D4vd killed Rivas Hernandez after she threatened to expose their sexual relationship, which could have ruined his music career.
