LOS ANGELES (Court TV) — The singer known as “d4vd” appeared in court on Monday for a status hearing, looking rumpled and tired.
David “d4vd” Burke appears in court at a hearing on Oct. 19. (Sketch by Mona Edwards)
The singer, whose legal name is David Burke, has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, continued lewd and lascivious acts with an individual under 14 years old and mutilating a human body in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas-Hernandez, whose body was found dismembered in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to the defendant.
Monday’s status hearing was brief and lasted less than five minutes, as the attorneys for both sides agreed to a February trial date and a final status conference on Jan. 11. Burke stood with his new attorney, Walid Kandeel, who was appointed to represent him. Burke had previously been represented by high-profile attorneys Blair Berk and Marilyn Bednarski, who withdrew after his preliminary hearing.
The public defender’s office determined he was eligible for its representation; while the office declined to comment on Burke’s case specifically, defendants typically need to earn less than $2,660 a month to qualify for an appointed attorney.
Burke spoke only to say “Yes, Your Honor,” in response to a question about whether he accepted the proposed future court dates.
Celeste’s body was found on what would have been her 15th birthday. Prosecutors presented evidence at Burke’s preliminary hearing that she had been stabbed to death and then dismembered at Burke’s home and placed into bags, which were then put into the vehicle. The Tesla was left parked on a public street while Burke went on tour; employees later towed it to a lot and called the police to investigate a suspicious odor. Celeste’s ring finger, which had a tattoo of the defendant’s name, has never been found.
Celeste Rivas-Hernandez is seen in an undated photo. (Rivas-Hernandez family)
While Burke has claimed he is indigent in forms filed with the public defender’s office, he faces a wrongful-death lawsuit from Celeste’s family. That lawsuit also targets Burke’s businesses and business managers, claiming that they helped him cover up his sexual relationship with Celeste and her death.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said previously that his office was not pursuing the death penalty in Burke’s case; if he’s convicted, he faces a potential sentence of life without parole.
