As the high-profile criminal case against singer-songwriter D4vd (David Anthony Burke) heads toward a preliminary hearing later this month, new attention has turned to photographs recovered from a digital camera left at a Hollywood Hills rental property.
The images, which include photos of D4vd and 14/15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez together from late December 2024 and early January 2025, also reportedly show the artist in rugged terrain in Santa Barbara County near drainage gullies. Private investigator Steve Fischer, hired by the property owner, discovered the camera and its SD card after Hernandez’s dismembered remains were identified. Fischer has publicly shared some of the images, including one depicting D4vd seated on a hill adjacent to a drainage area.
According to analysis shared in court-related discussions, the location holds potential significance because Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s passport card was later recovered by Caltrans workers along State Route 154 in Santa Barbara County during a drainage rehabilitation project that began in January 2026. The area features challenging terrain with multiple trails and proximity to a nearby lake.
D4vd had previously posted several images from the same camera roll to his social media, including selfies with the device and captions referencing the photos.
Prosecutors allege that D4vd killed Hernandez around April 2025 following an argument, dismembered her body at the rental property — using tools including a chainsaw — and disposed of evidence in the weeks that followed. Her remains were discovered in September 2025 in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to the artist. He faces charges including murder, mutilation of remains, and continuous sexual abuse of a child.
Court filings cited by prosecutor’s reference DNA and biological evidence found in the garage of the property, explicit communications and images documenting a relationship, and a significant volume of child sexual abuse material on devices linked to D4vd. The artist has pleaded not guilty, and his legal team maintains his innocence. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The camera photos are not alleged to show the alleged crime but are part of the prosecution’s efforts to establish the timeline and nature of the pair’s association, which prosecutors claim involved sexual abuse beginning when Hernandez was approximately 13 years old. Additional evidence cited includes surveillance footage, wiretaps, and digital records.
Fischer has also released images of an unused chainsaw and packaging for a second unit found at a property linked to D4vd, as well as an unused burn cage. Prosecutors have alleged the purchase of disposal-related items following the teen’s death.
The case has drawn intense scrutiny within the music industry and beyond due to D4vd’s rising profile as an R&B and alternative artist known for emotional, introspective tracks. A preliminary hearing is expected in late May 2026.
