Where Things Stand: June 29 Is the Date That Matters

Singer D4vd (David Anthony Burke), 21, was charged with first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child, and mutilation of human remains in April 2026. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and remains held without bail at a Los Angeles County jail.

The next major court date is June 29, 2026 — a preliminary hearing that will determine whether this case goes to trial.

Before that, there's a status conference on June 17 that may produce scheduling updates.

What Happened at the May 12 Status Hearing

On Tuesday morning, May 12, 2026, Burke appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court wearing an orange jail uniform. The hearing was brief and procedural — not the evidentiary hearing many were expecting.

Here's what went down:

Defense attorney Blair Berk — one of Hollywood's most powerful criminal defense attorneys — asked Judge Charlaine Olmedo to delay the May 26 preliminary hearing. Her reason: the sheer volume of evidence hadn't yet been fully uploaded and made available to the defense team.

Prosecutors had released what Rolling Stone called "chilling" new evidence details shortly before the hearing, adding urgency to the defense's request.

Burke spoke only once — to confirm he agreed to the new hearing date, waiving his right to a speedy preliminary hearing.

Judge Olmedo agreed, finding there was "good cause" for the delay. She set two new dates:

Court reporter Meghann Cuniff, who was in the room, posted on X immediately after: "I just got out of the status conference in David 'D4vd' Burke's [case]. Defense asked for the preliminary hearing to be delayed to June 29. Judge Charlaine Olmedo agreed. Status conference is June 17."

Sources covering the hearing: Rolling Stone, ABC7 Los Angeles, Global News, KTLA, Fox 11, NewsNation, LA Times, MSN.

Why Was the Hearing Delayed?

One reason: 40+ terabytes of evidence.

Prosecutors say the total digital and physical evidence in this case "could exceed 40 terabytes." That's an enormous amount of data — comparable to the entire Library of Congress in digital form, multiple times over.

Blair Berk's team had not yet received complete access to all of it. That's the official reason for the postponement.

The discovery process — the legal requirement that prosecutors share evidence with the defense — takes time when the evidence load is this large. Courts routinely grant delays when defense attorneys can demonstrate they haven't had adequate time to review what they'll face at the hearing.

Judge Olmedo's "good cause" finding means she agreed the delay was legitimate, not just a stalling tactic.

What Is a Preliminary Hearing?

A preliminary hearing is not a trial. It's a judge-only proceeding that asks one question: is there enough evidence to proceed?

Prosecutors must show probable cause — a lower bar than the "beyond reasonable doubt" standard used at trial. The judge reviews evidence, hears witness testimony, and makes a determination.

Three things Judge Olmedo must decide:

  1. Is there probable cause Burke murdered Celeste Rivas Hernandez?
  2. Is there probable cause he sexually abused her?
  3. Is there probable cause he mutilated her remains?

The defense cross-examines prosecution witnesses. Burke's attorney Blair Berk will be aggressive — she's built her career on these moments.

Possible outcomes on June 29:

| Outcome | What It Means |
|---------|-------------- |
| Bound over for trial | Prosecution proved probable cause; case moves toward trial |
| Charges reduced | Judge finds probable cause for some but not all charges |
| Case dismissed | Insufficient evidence; Burke could be released (extremely unlikely here) |

Given the evidence on the record — DNA, 40TB of digital data, CSAM on Burke's phone, purchase records under a fake name — the case being bound over for trial is the expected outcome. But that's for Judge Olmedo to decide.

The New Timeline: What's Coming

| Date | Event |
|------|-------|
| June 17, 2026 | Status conference — scheduling updates, potential motions |
| June 29, 2026 | Preliminary hearing begins — evidentiary |
| TBD | Death penalty announcement (deferred by DA Hochman) |
| TBD | Arraignment + trial date setting (if bound over) |
| TBD | Trial — months away at minimum |

The preliminary hearing is expected to run multiple days. The 40TB evidence volume, combined with three special circumstance allegations, means prosecutors have a lot of ground to cover.

Key Evidence Recap: What Prosecutors Have

The Victim

Celeste Rivas Hernandez was 14 years old when she was allegedly killed. Her dismembered, decomposing remains were discovered on September 8, 2025 — what would have been her 15th birthday — in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke. The car had been impounded in Hollywood Hills four months earlier.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide caused by multiple penetrating injuries (multiple stab wounds).

The Digital Evidence

The Physical Evidence

The Scale of Investigation

Death Penalty: Where DA Hochman Stands

This is the question that keeps circling the case: will prosecutors seek execution?

The answer, as of May 2026, is: not yet decided — but Burke is eligible.

At the April 20, 2026 press conference announcing the charges, DA Nathan Hochman confirmed that Burke faces three special circumstances allegations that make him legally eligible for either life without parole or the death penalty under California law:

  1. Lying in wait — prosecutors allege Burke invited Celeste to his home with the intent to murder her
  2. Murdering a witness — she allegedly threatened to expose their relationship; he killed her to silence her
  3. Murder for financial gain — motive was to protect his music career

The official DA press release states: "A decision on whether to seek the death penalty will be made at a later date."

Hochman has consistently deferred the formal decision. This is standard California practice — capital decisions typically come after the preliminary hearing establishes sufficient evidence for trial. The decision is usually announced at arraignment, once the case is formally headed toward trial.

What "deferred" means practically: Death penalty cases require additional resources, review committees, and procedural steps within the DA's office. Hochman isn't refusing to seek it — he's following the standard timeline. The three special circumstances (witness murder, financial gain, lying in wait) make the legal threshold clear. The political and strategic decision follows.

If Hochman does formally seek the death penalty, it triggers a separate penalty phase after any guilty verdict — a second trial-like proceeding where additional evidence on both sides is presented to a jury.

The Charges: Full Picture

Burke faces three counts:

Count 1: First-degree murder with special circumstances Count 2: Continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14

Count 3: Unlawful mutilation of human remains

Burke has pleaded not guilty to all three counts. His defense team's official statement: "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."

Frequently Asked Questions

When is D4vd's next hearing?

The next court date is June 17, 2026 — a status conference. The preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 29, 2026.

Why was the D4vd hearing delayed from May 26 to June 29?

Defense attorney Blair Berk requested the delay, citing the massive volume of evidence (potentially 40+ terabytes) that hadn't yet been fully uploaded and reviewed. Judge Charlaine Olmedo granted the delay on May 12, 2026, finding "good cause."

What happens at D4vd's June 29 preliminary hearing?

Judge Olmedo will hear prosecution evidence and determine whether there's probable cause to proceed to trial. It's not a full trial — the standard is probable cause, not proof beyond reasonable doubt. The hearing may run multiple days.

Is D4vd facing the death penalty?

D4vd is legally eligible for the death penalty due to special circumstances in the murder charges (lying in wait, murdering a witness, murder for financial gain). DA Nathan Hochman has confirmed eligibility but has not yet made a formal decision on whether to seek capital punishment. That decision is expected to come after the preliminary hearing establishes the case for trial.

What is the evidence against D4vd?

Prosecutors have 40+ terabytes of digital evidence, DNA matching Celeste in Burke's garage, text messages, surveillance footage, purchase records for tools (chainsaws, body bags) bought under a fake name, CSAM on his iPhone, and testimony from three separate grand juries.

Has D4vd's case been dismissed?

No. D4vd remains in custody without bail. The case has not been dismissed. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on June 29, 2026.

How to Follow the Case

The Murder Channel's D4vd Storm Watch page has the full case timeline, court dates, and ongoing updates.

For deep-dives on other cases generating this level of online attention, the Storm Watch index tracks all active high-profile cases in real time.

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