D4vd's lawyers ask why more DNA testing wasn't done on chain saws, car in teen girl's killing - AP News

DNA expert ties 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez to blood stains found in D4vd’s garage

A police DNA specialist testifies that DNA evidence strongly matches 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Prosecutors allege singer D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke, killed and dismembered her to hide their relationship. (July 23)

A makeshift memorial for Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose body was found inside a vehicle owned by singer D4vd, is displayed outside her home in Lake Elsinore, Calif., on April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

In this courtroom sketch, David Anthony Burke, also known as D4vd, far right, is seen in court Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in Los Angeles, during his trial for the killing of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. (Bill Robles via AP)

In this courtroom sketch, David Anthony Burke, who is known as D4vd, is seen in court Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in Los Angeles. (Bill Robles via AP)

D4vd appears at Variety’s Power of Young Hollywood in Los Angeles on Aug. 8, 2024. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

A makeshift Memorial for Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who was killed and found inside a vehicle owned by singer D4vd, is placed outside her home in Lake Elsinore, Calif., on April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, file)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A DNA expert testified Thursday that evidence recovered from apparent blood stains in the garage of D4vd’s Hollywood home was a strong DNA match for 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the girl he is charged with stabbing to death.

Prosecutors are alleging that D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke, killed the girl then dismembered her in the garage after she threatened to reveal their sexual relationship and crater his career. Police technicians took the samples from a rubber floor mat, a rowing machine and a Tesla charger in the garage, and Los Angeles police criminalist Samantha Tosch testified that they matched Rivas Hernandez.

The testimony came on the third day of a preliminary hearing where a judge will decide if Burke should stand trial on charges of murder, sexual abuse of a child and mutilation of a body. He has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers have said they will vigorously defend him.

Tosch said the matches of several samples were “one septillion times more likely to occur if it originated from Celeste rather than anyone else in the population,” and pointed out the number had 24 zeros.

Prosecutors had previously said in a court filing that her DNA was found in the garage, but the evidence hadn’t previously been shown publicly.

DNA evidence and testing key to hearing

Testing was also done on a trash bag in the garage and stained cleaning wipes inside it. Tosch said the bag swab showed a mixture of DNA from four people, at least two of them male — and one of them that she said was Burke’s.