D4vd‘s court case for the alleged murder of teenager Celeste Rivas Hernandez took a disturbing turn Thursday as prosecutors revealed the discovery of “significant” child explicit material on his phone.
Autopsy report suggests Miss Hernandez suffered multiple stab wounds and had her legs, arms, and two of her fingers amputated.
D4vd has pleaded not guilty to the allegations, with prosecutors also claiming he carried out the Gruesome act to protect his budding music career.
D4vd Had Child Abuse Materials On His Phone
D4vd appeared in court on Thursday for a status hearing on his upcoming preliminary hearing, which a judge set for Friday, May 1.
During the court session, prosecutors revealed that the “Romantic Homicide” singer had a “significant amount” of child abuse materials on his iPhone device, although it remains unclear if Hernandez was featured in it.
“He had an iPhone, and it contained a significant amount of child p-rnography. Under the law, child p-rn cannot be obtained without certain precautions in place,” prosecutor Beth Silverman said, per the Daily Mail.
Appearing at the hearing, D4vd, born David Anthony Burke, wore an orange prison jumpsuit with a tan T-shirt underneath. He was chained to his chair and kept a bored look on his face for most of the hearing.
The 21-year-old broke his silence as one of his lawyers, Marilyn Bednarski, asked for his preliminary hearing to start immediately instead of the May 1st date set by a judge.
Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo was explaining to him that he had a right to continue his preliminary hearing before asking his lawyers if she could attend to other cases alongside his, and if he was okay with that.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said.
The Latest Discovery Has Led To A Massive Outcry Online Over The Case
Over on social media, the latest discovery in the murder case further intensified scrutiny of the singer, especially after a long delay in arresting him as a murder suspect, and the fact that his music is gaining more attention.
One person wrote on X, “How tf this guy is getting like 3M streams, y’all are really disgusting creeps for streaming him, we need his accounts gone from streaming platforms.”
Another commented, “And 22M people streaming his music as we speak. It’s not enough words to describe how f-cking disgusting y’all are.”
“This just filled me with rage so bad, life imprisonment is not enough, he friggin’ deserves capital punishment wtf,” an angry X user stated.
One more individual noted, “They gotta put him on suicide watch, we can’t have this guy die, we need him to suffer consequences or get the death penalty.”
Prosecutors Express Eagerness To Send Case To Trial
Alongside the explicit child abuse material, prosecutors also claim they have multiple wire taps on him that’ll take time to share.
During the court session on Thursday, D4vd’s lawyers insisted that they lay out the evidence they have against their client, but that will now happen during a hearing set for next week.
“I cannot turn that type of material over,” deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman said, before adding that the prosecution is willing to work with a tight schedule for the hearing.
“We’ll be ready,” she said. “Today it’s been exactly one year since the death of Celeste. We’re eager to set this case for trial.”
On the matter of exchange of evidence, D4vd’s lawyer, Blair Berk, told a judge, “We believe the actual evidence will show David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez.”
Autopsy Report Reveals Grim Condition Of Hernandez’s Death
D4vd was arrested last week in connection with the murder of Hernandez, whose body was discovered in the front trunk of a Tesla that was registered to the “Sleep Well” singer’s address in Texas.
He’s being charged with first-degree murder with special circumstances, lewd and lascivious sexual acts with a person under 14 years old, and the mutilation of a human body.
On Monday, fresh felony complaints were revealed against the singer, alleging he killed Hernandez for financial gain using a “sharp instrument” in the process. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner revealed that she suffered several penetrating wounds and had different parts of her body mutilated.
“There are two penetrating wounds of the torso with smooth edges that may represent sharp force injuries. The wound on the upper abdomen penetrates the liver, and the wound on the left chest penetrates one of the left intercostal spaces, with disruption of the adjacent ribs’ cortical surfaces. The left lung appears intact,” the report reads.
It further states that “the cause of death is multiple penetrating injuries. The manner of death is classified as homicide.”
D4vd Could Get The Death Penalty If Convicted
The autopsy report also revealed Hernandez had a “Sshhh” tattoo on the inside of her right index finger, similar to the one D4vd has on his finger. The results were initially kept under a security hold as a court order barred coroner officers from releasing their findings.
“After several months, I am grateful this information can now be released, not only to the public, but also to the grieving family enduring loss,” the chief medical examiner, Dr. Odey Ukpo, said in a statement. “It is unfathomable they have had to wait this long to learn what happened to their daughter.”
D4vd is currently held in prison without bail and could get the death penalty or life imprisonment without the possibility of parole if convicted. Prosecutors alleged that D4vd was having sexual relations with Hernandez and killed her after she threatened to go public with it.
Hernandez had been reported missing several times by her family and friends since 2024, with her mom revealing she was dating a guy named David. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges leveled against him during his first court appearance on Monday.