The parents of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the 14-year-old girl found dead and dismembered in a Tesla belonging to aspiring singer David "D4vd" Burke, had an ongoing relationship with her accused killer that her parents knew about, according to court testimony.They took steps to separate the two, prosecutors have said, including taking her phone away and calling police when she ran away from home.At one point, he allegedly paid a high schooler $1,000 to deliver her a new phone, according to prosecutors.Los Angeles Police Department Detective Corey Ferrel testified about damning text message communications Monday as Burke's week-long preliminary hearing neared an end, FOX 11 Los Angeles reported.RISING SINGER DISMEMBERED TEEN WHO THREATENED TO EXPOSE HIM IN KIDDIE POOL WITH CHAINSAW: DADavid "D4vd" Burke pictured outside Amiri, during the Paris Fashion week Men's Spring/Summer 2026 on June 26, 2025 in Paris, France.
Burke has been charged with a 14-year-old girl's murder in Los Angeles.(Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)But Burke's defense team countered that Celeste's family had consented to at least some of their time together, presenting a permission slip signed by her parents allowing Celeste to travel to London with Burke, according to the outlet.
And Celeste's sister reportedly went with her and Burke on a trip to Las Vegas.In some text messages, Celeste told Burke she was 16 and 18 years old.The judge ultimately accepted the prosecution's case and cleared a path to trial.
Burke could face the death penalty if convicted, although California has a moratorium on carrying out capital punishment.Prosecutors have not yet made the decision on whether they will seek it.Burke is accused of killing Celeste two days before his debut album was released — after prosecutors say she threatened to expose him as a child molester when he turned his attention toward other females.Photographs, intimate notes, and flowers are among the items left at a memorial on Thursday for slain...