D4vd's defence could attempt to shift responsibility for the killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez onto someone within the singer's entourage while arguing David Anthony Burke played, at most, a role in concealing the crime, according to a Texas criminal defence lawyer commenting on the case.
Burke, 21, who performs as D4vd, has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His legal team maintains that he did not kill Hernandez.
The suggestion emerged after a Los Angeles judge ruled that prosecutors had presented sufficient evidence during a five-day preliminary hearing for Burke to stand trial on charges including first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
Prosecutors allege Burke stabbed Hernandez after she arrived at his Hollywood Hills home in April 2025 before attempting to conceal the crime. Burke denies those allegations. Importantly, the preliminary hearing was not a determination of guilt. Instead, it established that prosecutors had met the legal threshold required for the case to proceed to trial.
Defence Faces Challenge Beyond the Evidence
Speaking about the case, Sam Bassett, a criminal defence attorney at Austin-based firm Minton, Bassett, Flores & Carsey, said the preliminary hearing effectively served as a rehearsal for Burke's legal team before trial.
Bassett suggested one of the defence's biggest challenges may have little to do with forensic evidence and more to do with courtroom perception.
'One thing they'll want to work on is D4vd's emotionless reaction to gruesome evidence,' Bassett said. 'They will probably have him think about how to handle those situations with a more compassionate reaction.'
The observation relates to courtroom presentation rather than evidence of guilt. Jurors are routinely instructed to decide cases based solely on the evidence presented. However, legal experts acknowledge that jurors inevitably observe how defendants behave during emotionally difficult testimony, even if those observations should not influence their verdict.
Bassett said defence lawyers often prepare clients for those pressures through witness coaching, psychologists and repeated practice.
'It's almost like getting ready to perform in a movie,' he said. At the same time, he acknowledged there are limits to that preparation. 'People are who they are, and there's only so much a lawyer can do to influence how a client presents themselves in court.'
Entourage Theory Remains Entirely Hypothetical
Bassett also outlined what he described as one possible defence strategy, although he stressed it was speculative and not something Burke's lawyers have publicly adopted. Because Hernandez's remains were allegedly discovered in the trunk of Burke's vehicle, Bassett suggested the defence could attempt to argue someone else carried out the killing.
'When this goes to trial, his attorneys may try to pin the actual murder on someone who was in D4vd's entourage and say he was at most just participating in a cover-up,' Bassett said. 'His defence team would have to find some hook to implicate a member of his entourage.'
Bassett was describing one possible legal strategy available in theory. He was not suggesting investigators have identified another suspect or that evidence currently points to anyone else.
No member of Burke's entourage has been publicly accused, charged or identified as a suspect. The prosecution has likewise made no suggestion that another individual committed the killing. As matters stand, the theory remains entirely hypothetical.
Defence Likely to Seek More Time
Bassett also believes Burke's legal team will probably try to delay proceedings in order to fully analyse the prosecution's evidence and reduce the intense public attention surrounding the case.
'It's still very early in this case,'he said. According to Bassett, defence lawyers typically want as much time as possible to review forensic evidence, witness statements and digital records before trial begins.
The prosecution, meanwhile, continues to express confidence. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has said prosecutors believe the evidence will ultimately prove Burke's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Burke continues to deny all allegations.
Trial Will Decide the Facts
The preliminary hearing introduced extensive evidence, including digital communications, forensic testimony and investigative findings, but none of that constitutes a verdict.
The judge's decision simply means prosecutors presented enough evidence for a jury to eventually consider the case. Burke is scheduled to return to court for arraignment on 31 August. A trial is expected later in 2026, although scheduling could still change.
Until then, speculation about possible defence strategies, including Bassett's suggestion that responsibility could be placed on someone within Burke's entourage, remains just that: speculation.
Ultimately, the central question has not changed. It will be up to a jury, after hearing all admissible evidence, to determine who, if anyone, is legally responsible for the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
