The California singer accused of grooming a 14-year-old girl only to murder her when she threatened to expose him and then dismembering her remains with a chainsaw appeared in front of a Los Angeles judge Tuesday for the first day of a preliminary hearing expected to clear the way for the case to go to trial.
David Burke, who performs under the name "D4vd," is accused of killing a teen girl named Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose unrecognizable remains prosecutors say were found chopped up and decomposing in the trunk of his Tesla, abandoned 400 feet up the street from his home in Hollywood Hills.
Two of her fingers, which contained identifying tattoos, were never recovered.
Burke faces charges of murder, child sex abuse and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
Prior to the hearing, which is expected to take about three to five days, Celeste's parents, Jesus Rivas and Mercedes Martinez, were spotted entering the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
There were no cameras allowed in the courtroom Tuesday as prosecutors displayed gruesome images and shared brutal details with the court.
A Los Angeles homicide detective took the stand to discuss the grisly scene, with Celeste's parents opting to remain in the gallery when given a chance to leave before his testimony, according to debut album dropped. Burke allegedly ordered Celeste an Uber and is accused of concocting a "plan to cover up the murder" that involved sending text messages to her phone asking where she was — allegedly after he'd already stabbed her to death.
The morning after the murder, Burke sat for a radio interview about his forthcoming album, prosecutors have said previously.
During the interview on "The Zach Sang Show," he discussed "losing relationships" and how he could turn the losses into songs, including one named "Romantic Homicide."
"But you saying expecting it to end in a devastating, tragic, sad way so it can inspire art? But are you manifesting that in a certain way?" the interviewer asked.
"I really hope I’m not because it feels that way," Burke replied.
He also explained how to pronounce "D4vd" in the episode, which is still on YouTube.