D4vd Preliminary Hearing: Day Three

Summary

Fame Under Fire – Day Three (July 24, 2026)

Podcast: Fame Under Fire
Host: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty (BBC Sounds)
Guest/Reporter: Sam Mulick
Theme: Breaking Down Day Three of the Preliminary Hearing in the D4vd/David Burke Murder Case

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Episode Overview

Day three of the preliminary hearing in the high-profile murder case against singer David Burke (stage name D4vd) is discussed in depth. The case centers around the alleged murder, unlawful dismemberment, and continuous sexual abuse of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Host Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty and court reporter Sam Mulick walk listeners through major evidentiary moments from inside the courtroom, offering factual updates, analysis of legal strategies, and reflections on the emotional atmosphere as the prosecution and defense spar over crucial DNA, forensics, and movement evidence.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Medical Examiner Testimony – Harrowing Forensics [02:12]

• Final Witness of the Day: A staff member from the LA County Medical Examiner’s office appeared with only five minutes left, offering brief but powerful testimony.
  • Details: Celeste’s body was “markedly decomposed,” weighing only 71 pounds and measuring 5’2”. Her extremities had been dismembered.
  • Impact on Investigation: The advanced decomposition complicated the determination of the cause of death.
  • Quote:

    “He made sure to note that the body was markedly decomposed. Those were his words. Which interfered with their investigation.”
    — Sam Mulick [02:12]

• No Cross-Examination Yet: The defense didn't have time for cross-examination; this is anticipated to be a critical point next session.

Notable Moment:
Celeste’s family had already left the courtroom before the medical examiner testified about the graphic state of her remains. Their absence during this harrowing testimony underscored the emotional toll.

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2. DNA Evidence – Connecting Celeste to Burke’s Tesla and Garage [04:35]

• Forensic Testimony (Samantha Tosh, Criminalist)
  • Key Evidence:
    • DNA from red stains in the Tesla’s trunk matched Celeste’s, with a likelihood “at least one septillion times more” than from another individual.
    • Eleven locations in Burke’s garage—including a black rubber mat, Tesla charger plug, rowing machine, hand wipes in the trash—had Celeste’s DNA.
    • DNA on garbage bags indicated contributions from two possible males, including David Burke.
  • Emotional Scene:

    “I saw her mother look down, put her face down. I couldn't really see more than her just not being able to look when her daughter's name was presented again and again... confirmed again and again by the criminalist on the stand.”
    — Sam Mulick [07:08]

• Defense Strategy:
  • Attorney Blair Burke attempted to discredit the DNA evidence’s reliability, referencing secondary transfer and the inability to determine timing from DNA.
  • Comparison:

    “If she were to shake someone's hand, put her hand on the table, and then the potential of two people's DNA could then appear on the table.”
    — Paraphrasing Blair Burke’s argument [08:15]

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3. Blue Inflatable Pool & Forensic Linking [10:30]

• LAPD Criminalist Lisa Lejendro’s Testimony:

  • Used stereomicroscopy to show blue fragments found on Celeste’s leggings and body matched precisely with fragments from the blue inflatable pool found in Burke’s garage—like “puzzle pieces.”
  • Context: The prosecution alleges the pool was used for unlawful dismemberment; proving the fragments’ match supports this claim.

• Emotional Resonance:

  • Hearing what Celeste was wearing (brand names, clothing details) deeply affected those listening.
  • Quote:

    “Kind of hearing about what Celeste was wearing seems to hit particularly emotionally hard.”
    — Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty [12:44]

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4. Chainsaw Evidence – Prosecution & Defense Clash [14:07]

• Issue: Chainsaws allegedly used in the dismemberment were tested for blood but results were negative. The defense emphasized that given these results, the chainsaws weren’t swabbed for DNA.
  • Expert Comment:

    “If a chainsaw was used to dismember a body, there is no way to clean it, that there would be no trace of blood.”
    — Recalled by Sam Mulick [14:25]

• Current Status: No physical or DNA evidence links Burke directly to the chainsaws.

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5. Digital Forensics & Movements [15:42]

• Prosecution’s Case:
  • Surveillance and digital records indicated trips by Burke and his Tesla to Santa Barbara, including close to where Celeste’s photo ID was later found on the highway.
  • Phone and Tesla location logs were used to reconstruct movements.
• Defense Challenge:
  • Questioned the precision of the digital tracking, seeking to cast doubt on the data and the prosecution's claims of certainty.
  • Quote:

    “I cannot identify exact latitude and longitude… what I am presenting is something more accurate than a general area.”
    — LAPD Detective (via Sam Mulick) [16:21]

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6. Pending Evidence about David and Celeste’s Relationship [17:43]

• So far, details about the “continuous sexual abuse” charges and the relationship dynamic haven’t surfaced.
• The prosecution is expected, per DA statements, to introduce text messages and other communications showing inappropriate behavior as the hearing continues.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On DNA Evidence’s Weight:

  “It means that the DNA was at least one septillion times more likely to have come from Celeste than from another person. Basically meaning... for all intents and purposes, is a DNA match.”
  — Sam Mulick [05:12]

• Family’s Reaction:

  “Her mother looked down, put her face down... not being able to look when her daughter's name was presented again and again...”
  — Sam Mulick [07:08]

• Defense’s DNA Critique:

  “DNA testing does not reveal when or how or how long the DNA sample had been on an object.”
  — Summarizing Blair Burke’s cross-examination [08:45]

• Behavior in the Courtroom:

  “I noticed [David] smiling. I noticed him nodding, having kind of a just a positive demeanor at this point while he was conferring with his attorney.”
  — Sam Mulick [09:42]

• On Chainsaw Evidence:

  “If a chainsaw was used to dismember a body, there is no way to clean it [so] that there would be no trace of blood.”
  — Paraphrased witness statement per Sam Mulick [14:25]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:49] – Start of detailed evidence breakdown
• [02:12] – Medical examiner’s initial statements
• [04:35] – Samantha Tosh’s DNA forensic testimony
• [10:30] – Blue inflatable pool analysis
• [14:07] – Chainsaw and negative forensic evidence
• [15:42] – Digital forensics: Tesla and phone tracking
• [17:43] – Discussion on forthcoming evidence about David and Celeste’s relationship
• [18:11] – Preview of what’s coming on day four

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Looking Ahead

• Upcoming Testimony: Cross-examination of the medical examiner and, potentially, introduction of digital communications and further evidence about the alleged relationship and abuse.
• Legal Stakes: The preliminary hearing is about proving probable cause, not establishing guilt—David Burke continues to deny all charges.
• Cultural Context: The case’s intense scrutiny on social media is shaping public perception, with every detail—from forensic evidence to courtroom demeanor—being dissected both inside and outside the legal arena.

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For listeners: this episode expertly distills complex forensic and legal testimony, providing a sobering, fact-led window into a case that is both shocking and of major public interest. The analysis remains objective, focusing on what was said and shown in court, while also capturing the intense human drama behind the headlines.

Transcript

[Anoushka Mutandadawati]

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[Anoushka Mutandadawati]

Hello and welcome back to Fame Under Fire from BBC Sounds with me, Anoushka Mutandadawati. It's day three of the preliminary hearing of singer David, who is accused of the murder, unlawful dismemberment and continuous sexual abuse of 14 year old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose body was found decomposing in the front trunk of a Tesla linked to him. Warning. The details of this case are graphic and some listeners may find them upsetting. Now, David has entered a not guilty plea on all charges charges and his attorneys have previously told us that, quote, the actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke, that's his real name, did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death. We will vigorously defend David's innocence. Joining me now is our reporter Sam Mulick, who's been inside the courtroom in Los Angeles all day. Hi, Sam.

[Sam Mulick]

Hi, Anushka.

[Anoushka Mutandadawati]

So we're going to get into the evidence that was presented today, including, which I think is a big takeaway, the fact that DNA was found in David's Tesla and garage that matched Celeste and her DNA was found at 11 different locations in his garage. But today, actually, I want to start with the final witness, which is someone from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office and somebody we've been keen to hear from since this began. Sam, can you walk me through what they had to say?

[Sam Mulick]

So the final witness of today with just five minutes left in the day's proceedings was someone from the medical examiner's office who investigated Celeste's body, or more accurately, what was remaining of Celeste's body. And he only had time for a few details, but the details were quite significant. And one thing that he said is that when they were analyzing the body is that it only weighed 71 pounds. I believe he said that it measured 5 foot, 2 inches. And he made sure to note that the body was markedly decomposed. Those were his words. Which interfered with their investigation. He didn't have time to go into details yet about the specifics, but he did mention that her extremities were dismembered. So this is what we are going to hear first thing tomorrow.

[Anoushka Mutandadawati]

And everybody's been keen to hear from somebody from the coroner's office because there was such a delay in determining the cause of death. And we're hearing because of the state of decomposition that Celeste's body was in, that it made it particularly difficult. There was no cross examination of them. I'm assuming there was no time.

[Sam Mulick]

No, there were only a few minutes left in the day's proceedings. But the cross examination I'm sure will be happening tomorrow.

[Anoushka Mutandadawati]

Yeah, although it was only five minutes, it's pretty harrowing stuff to hear. Was Celeste's family still in the courtroom when this was said?

[Sam Mulick]

They were not present at that moment. They were there earlier in the day when other evidence was presented, but they had left with LA County District Attorney Nathan Hockman, who made a brief appearance, and then Hockman left with the family before the medical examiner staff member could make his testimony.

[Anoushka Mutandadawati]

Yeah, it will be interesting to see what happens with that witness as they go into cross examination, because if you listen to our resident trial attorney, Sean Kent, he feels like this is going to be a key sticking point for the defense to really interrogate how strong that cause of death is. I'm sure we'll see some of that tomorrow. But I want to talk about the next witness. This is a criminalist, Samantha Tosh. She's a science expert who collects and analyzes physical evidence from crime scenes. Also known as a forensic scientist or forensic investigator. Sam, we heard a lot about the possibility of blood inside David's residence yesterday. Can you tell me what Samantha had to say today?

[Sam Mulick]

Yeah. So this was one of the more compelling parts of the day. So Tosh had the opportunity of analyzing the Tesla and the evidence found in David's garage. And yesterday, as. As was presented in court that the red stains in the lower trunk of the Tesla revealed the possibility of bl. Now we're going a step further, and Tosh presented evidence that DNA samples collected from those red stains in the Tesla matched as a single source profile consistent with Celeste. And she went into detail, broke down exactly what that means. But essentially it means that the DNA was at least one septillion times more likely to have come from Celeste than from another person. Basically meaning there's no kind of such thing as perfect mathematical science. But this, for all intents and purposes, is a DNA match to Celeste found in David's Tesla.

[Anoushka Mutandadawati]

And talk to me about what was found in the garage.

[Sam Mulick]

So Tash also presented evidence of what was found in the garage and went through a variety of things and kept identifying that DNA samples collected from multiple items also presented either single source profile matches or a slightly less degree of match, but still in the quadrillions, which is zeros upon zeros, more likely to have come from Celeste than from another person. So among those, as we talked about yesterday, was the black rubber mat. Tash had the chance to look at the red stain on the black rubber mat, determine that Celeste's DNA matched the red stain, also from the Tesla Charger plug in the garage, from the Rowing machine, and also from the hand wipes that were found in the trash bag in the garage. So as we're sitting there in court, after each item is presented, the Charger plug, the Rowing machine, the hand wipes, the prosecution then asks, what was the result of your analysis? And Tosh says it was a single source profile consistent with Celeste Rivas Hernandez. At that point I was sitting a couple rows behind Celeste's family and at this point again in the proceedings, I saw her mother look down, put her face down. I couldn't really see more than her just not being able to look when her daughter's name was presented again and again and again and confirmed again and again and again by the criminalist on the stand.

[Anoushka Mutandadawati]

Well, this really is new information to us because we know what the prosecution's theory is. They've been very upfront about that in their pre court briefings and the press conferences that they have given. But this is the first time we've heard about DNA evidence linking the site of the garage to the Tesla before it was just them saying he ordered this blue inflatable rubber pawl, the chainsaws, etc, and then this is what happened. But now that link appears to be stronger. Was there a cross examination done by the defense?

[Sam Mulick]

Yes, there was a cross examination. Before I talk about the cross examination, I think one other interesting thing to mention is that the garbage bags in the garage were also tested for DNA which came back as consistent for two possible males, including David Anthony Burke. And in total, Tosh said that she found 11 locations where the DNA sample was consistent with Celeste. But, yes, today we really did get a better look as to what the defense's approach in the cross examination and in attempting to poke holes in the prosecution's argument. And, you know, essentially after each witness and with Tosh, the defense attorney, Blair Burke, made an attempt to demonstrate the inconsistency and lack of reliability with DNA testing. At one point, Ms. Burke used the example that if she were to shake someone's hand, put her hand on the table, and then the potential of two people's DNA could then appear on the table. And so this was kind of her strategy in trying to discredit DNA. She also made a point to mention that DNA testing does not reveal when or how or how long the DNA sample had been on an object. She really is trying to emphasize that it is not a certain science. It is not conclusive from her perspective.

[Anoushka Mutandadawati]

And what was David's reaction to all of this?

[Sam Mulick]

Again, we saw David in the court today, Pay full attention to the proceedings and be attentive, be silent, and watch. Again, there was really no reaction. There was one point earlier in the proceedings, right after the lunch break when we resumed court, that David came back out, sat in his chair, and we saw him have a lengthier conversation with Ms. Burke. Because most of their interactions are fairly short, fairly pointed, but this one, we could see them kind of having a back and forth. I did notice David smiling. I noticed him nodding, having kind of a. Just a positive demeanor at this point while he was conferring with his attorney.

[Anoushka Mutandadawati]

Well, that's the thing with a preliminary hearing that's getting so much attention. The way that the defendant behaves is going to be scrutinized whichever way they choose to carry and hold themselves. And we're seeing this all over social media. David's reactions to things are being analyzed by, I mean, content creators, news influencers, whatever you want to call it. Have you witnessed David at all looking at the family?

[Sam Mulick]

Not once.

[Anoushka Mutandadawati]

And then again, we have this focus on the blue inflatable pool. We have an LAPD criminalist, Lisa Lejendro, who examined the pool and fragments of the blue material that was collected from Celeste's body. What can you tell me about that?

[Sam Mulick]

Yeah, so this was another interesting part of the day when Lehendro went through her analysis of the evidence, including the pool, and she broke down, how she was able to identify the cuts made in the pool, and she was Describing them as straight or scalloped is the word that she used, meaning inconsistent, jagged edges. And she went into detail as to how she used a stereomicroscope to establish a physical fit of different fragments of the pool, basically meaning that smaller tears of the pool that were recovered were placed next to the bigger pool as puzzle pieces, showing that. Trying to demonstrate evidence that the pool was cut apart, fragments fell off, and that, you know, these blue fragments that fell out of the pool are legitimately from the pool. And so trying to, you know, establish that this physical fit is an exact match, like a puzzle piece, the puzzle

[Anoushka Mutandadawati]

piece to what was found on Celeste's body.

[Sam Mulick]

So that is exactly what the prosecution is trying to demonstrate. So at another part of the day, the clothing that was removed from the corpse, which included a Forever 21 tube top, Skechers socks, a Victoria's Secret thong, and leggings, there were also blue fragments found on the pants. So this is part of the prosecution trying and to paint a picture for how Celeste's body was dismembered and painting the picture that, you know, this is why David ordered the pool to inflate and to dismember the body. And that's. That's why we are seeing these fragments of the pool, these cuts, these tears, and we're seeing these fragments show up. Wherever the corpse is, we're seeing these fragments show up.

[Anoushka Mutandadawati]

So blue plastic fragments found on her leggings that they say links to the blue plastic pool found in David's garage. I don't know why, but kind of hearing about what Celeste was wearing seems to hit particularly emotionally hard. Was there much of a reaction to that from the family?

[Sam Mulick]

Not that I could see at this moment. Again, the family, you know, Mr. And Mrs. Rivas are really. They're sitting there, they're surrounded by the family, attorney and interpreters. They are not drawing really any attention. They are sitting there supporting each other. It is just the mom and the dad sitting in the front row listening to everything, trying to keep it all together, it seems.

[Anoushka Mutandadawati]

Well, we know the framework of what the prosecution are alleging happened, because we've known this for a while. They've actually repeatedly told us in the lead up to this preliminary hearing. Now they're presenting evidence that creates a closer link between what they say happened in the garage to Celeste being left in the Tesla. But one of the things. Things that we've referred to as a digital diary of potential evidence that they go through is David ordered chainsaws to his house. He ordered cadaver bags. He ordered this blue inflatable pool. And the implication being that the chainsaws were used to conduct the unlawful dismemberment of Celeste's body. But the chainsaws were tested for blood and came up negative, right?

[Sam Mulick]

Yeah. So this is something the defense is really emphasizing, since the chainsaws have been introduced to the court, is that once the chainsaws that were in the garage were tested for blood and showed up negative, meaning that there was no possibility of blood, that the criminalists decided not to DNA swab the chainsaws. And this is something the defense keeps asking the witnesses about. You know, why. Why did you conclude that there was no need to DNA test the chainsaws? And at one point, one of the witnesses said if a chainsaw was used to dismember a body, there is no way to clean it, that there would be no trace of blood. But the big detail being, as of now, is that there is no evidence of David's DNA on the chainsaws that have been introduced to the court as of this point.

[Anoushka Mutandadawati]

I mean, that's a huge thing to hear, the fact that there'd be no way to clean a chainsaw so that there was no trace of blood or DNA, because that's really the only thing that they've put forward to explain how the unlawful dismemberment, which David denies, took place. So I'm interested to see whether they introduce another theory at the preliminary hearing or whether the defense are gonna really zero in on that. But it's the first time we've heard that. Now, we focused on the garage a lot. We focused on the Tesla a lot. But his movements came up again. Trips that he took. We heard about him taking a trip. And the prosecution say disposing of Celeste's photo id what did we hear about David's movements in his Tesla?

[Sam Mulick]

Yeah, so we. We heard about multiple trips to Santa Barbara. And again, yesterday, we heard testimony from a California law enforcement officer about Celeste's ID being found on the side of a highway in Santa Barbara. And so today, we heard from a Los Angeles Police Department detective detailing David's location records according to his phone and according to his Tesla. The detective was able to demonstrate to the court that there was evidence of the Tesla and the phone traveling to Santa Barbara to that location that the California Highway Patrol officer identified yesterday as to where the ID was left on the side of the highway. But again, this wasn't the only trip to Santa Barbara. There was another one on. On the night of April 23rd that David had made. To Santa Barbara. So the detective was using both the phone and the Tesla evidence. However, this was kind of another point of contention and a point that the defense continued trying to bring up as to trying to demonstrate that the phone records and the Tesla records were not precise. And there was a bit of a back and forth between the defense and the detective, with the defense saying, how precise is the phone records? The detective saying, yes, I mean, I cannot identify exact latitude and longitude. I'm not presenting exact latitude and longitudinal points. But what I am presenting is something that is more accurate than a general area. And using software that has previously proven where someone is, like previously has been able to track where someone is. Again, we're seeing the defense try to discredit the way that these conclusions are being reached as to David's whereabouts, David's actions, David's DNA.

[Anoushka Mutandadawati]

So this is day three of the preliminary hearing, and we've had a lot of evidence about the garage. We've had a lot of evidence about the Tesla, the unlawful dismemberment, and how Celeste's body was kept. That's what the prosecution allege. But we haven't heard much about the nature of the relationship between David and Celeste. And we know that the DA's office, though, they told us that there's multiple text messages to show that would convey the inappropriate nature of their relationship. So we can assume that's still to come in the preliminary hearing. Was there any indication on what's going to happen tomorrow?

[Sam Mulick]

Well, we know tomorrow that the hearing is going to pick up with more testimony from the medical examiner's office. I think we will hear details about the corpse that was found in the Tesla that is alleged to be Celeste Rivas Hernandez. However, beyond that, we can only guess. We. We did also hear earlier in the week from the family attorney that evidence would be brought into light about the nature of Celeste and David's relationship. We had the earlier peek into the West Hollywood wellness check in 2023, where it was revealed David's knowledge of Celeste as a person. So based on what the prosecution has presented before this hearing began, there is a lot to come specifically about the details of the body, the details of the killing, and the details of their specific relationship. And again, any sexual abuse details of the relationship. Those are all to be established in the court as of right now.

[Anoushka Mutandadawati]

And of course, all of this is to prove probable cause to move towards a trial. And they're all just allegations from the prosecution that David has repeatedly denied. So we'll see what the defense saying. Cross examination to all those points. But Sam, thanks. Thank you so much for coming and filling us in today.

[Sam Mulick]

Thank you for having me.

[Anoushka Mutandadawati]

That was our reporter Sam Mulick talking to me from Los Angeles. And that's it for this episode of Fame Under Fire from BBC Sounds with me, Anoushka Mutanda Dougherty. As always, if you've got any questions, you can send them to me. On social media, it's Anoushkamd on Instagram and TikTok. And make sure you turn on your push notifications so you never miss a thing because after this preliminary hearing, we're heading out to Vegas to cover the long awaited Tupac Trust. If you've got a scrolling problem, then this is the podcast for you.

[Sam Mulick]

It's called Top Comment with me, Matt

[Anoushka Mutandadawati]

Shea and me, Mariana Spring. We both investigate social media for a

[Sam Mulick]

living, whether it's disinformation, conspiracy theories, Internet culture memes.

[Anoushka Mutandadawati]

We're going to be getting behind the stuff that is popping up on your feed on this podcast.

[Sam Mulick]

That's Top Comment on BBC Sounds.

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