A Los Angeles judge ruled Monday that alternative pop singer Apnews must stand trial for the killing and dismemberment of 14-year-old Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles County Superior Court ABC News – Breaking News, Latest News and Videos decided that the evidence presented by prosecutors during a five-day preliminary hearing provided probable cause on all counts.
Judge Rules Singer D4vd Must Stand Trial for Murder
The 21-year-old singer, whose legal name is Los Angeles Times, faces charges including murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains, according to Apnews. Burke has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail, with an arraignment scheduled for August 31.
Text Messages and Final Hours Detailed in Court
Prosecutors detailed the final hours of Rivas Hernandez’s life on the final day of the hearing, presenting a stream of text messages exchanged between the teenager and Burke. According to CNN, the two argued via text on April 22, 2025, after a dispute regarding Burke’s relationship with another woman. The argument occurred approximately 24 hours before prosecutors say Burke killed the teenager.
During the heated exchange, Rivas Hernandez sent an angry and profane message stating she would tell her father lies and end his career and life. Investigators testified that Burke later paid for an Uber to bring Rivas Hernandez from her home in Lake Elsinore to his Hollywood residence on April 23, 2025. Her phone went permanently silent after she sent her final text message upon arrival: girly pop i’m almost there open ur door if ur home.
Allegations of Abuse and Mutilation
Authorities allege that Burke met Rivas Hernandez when she was 11 years old and began sexually abusing her when she was 13 and he was 18, as reported by Apnews. Prosecutors asserted that Burke stabbed her to death when she threatened to report him and ruin his career, and subsequently used chainsaws and wading pools ordered online to dismember her body in his garage.
Police analysts testified that DNA matching Rivas Hernandez was found on bloodstains in the garage. Her remains were later discovered on September 8, 2025, in the trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke after police received a call about a foul odor, according to reports by The Hollywood Reporter.
Defense Arguments and Legal Next Steps
Defense attorneys argued during the hearing that the evidence was insufficient to support a murder charge. Attorney Marilyn Bednarski stated that there was no evidence that Burke harbored a deliberate intent to kill Rivas Hernandez, noting that the defense did not contest the preliminary findings on the sex abuse and corpse mutilation counts during dismissal arguments.
Judge Olmedo emphasized that the probable cause standard required for a preliminary hearing is lower than the threshold necessary at trial. Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman stated outside the courtroom that prosecutors are still weighing whether to seek the death penalty.
