Legal analyst breaks down charges against D4vd

[0:00] pop singer David is facing first-degree murder charges in connection with the death of Celeste [0:04] Rivas Hernandez. Yesterday, David Anthony Burke appeared in court for the first time pleading [0:08] not guilty. Hernandez's dismembered body was found in the trunk of Burke's abandoned car last [0:13] September. Now, prosecutors say they're confident they can prove he killed the 14-year-old girl, [0:18] but his attorneys say evidence will show he didn't. ABC's Trevor Ault has the latest. [0:25] Harrowing new accusations against popular singer David, now charged with first-degree murder and [0:31] sex crimes in the death of a 14-year-old girl. A parent's nightmare is a situation where your [0:38] daughter goes out one night and never comes back. The L.A. District Attorney says the 21-year-old, [0:45] whose real name is David Burke, had a months-long sexual relationship with that young girl, Celeste [0:51] Rivas. Investigators believe he killed her after being concerned either Rivas or a third party [0:56] would report it, and he wanted to protect his status as a rising star. Investigators say last [1:02] year, April 23rd, Celeste Rivas went to David's house in the Hollywood Hills, and that was the last [1:07] time she was seen alive. According to the charging documents, he was allegedly lying in wait to kill [1:14] her and used a sharp instrument as a deadly weapon. On September 8, 2025, Ms. Rivas' dismembered and badly [1:21] decomposed body was discovered in the front trunk of Mr. Burke's impounded Tesla. Prosecutors [1:28] allege in May 2025, David mutilated the body, and the decomposition made the investigation into her [1:35] cause of death especially difficult. What makes you confident you can prove these allegations? [1:40] The totality of the evidence, we believe we can prove each and every one of these three charges [1:46] and the special circumstances and the special allegation beyond a reasonable doubt. [1:53] And Diane, David's attorney claims the real evidence in this case will show he did not murder [1:58] Celeste Rivas and was not the cause of her death. But if convicted, David could face life in prison [2:02] without parole or even potentially the death penalty. Diane? Trevor Ault, thank you. And ABC News legal [2:09] analyst Brian Buckmeyer is here for more. Hi, Brian. So the DA is adamant they can prove Burke murdered [2:14] Celeste Rivas Hernandez. What do these charges of first-degree murder and sex crimes tell you about [2:20] the potential evidence they have? Good morning, Diane. I'm really focusing on these murder and [2:25] the first-degree charges because there are three separate special circumstances. One, that David is [2:30] alleged to have been lying in wait. Two, that he did this for financial gains. And three, that he did [2:34] this to silence a witness. And when you put those three together as a narrative and you heard the presser, [2:40] what they're arguing here is that because of the relationship that David had, I believe he was 20 or 19 at the [2:45] time in which Celeste was alive when she was then 14, he's with a minor. And the allegations are that [2:51] David committed this crime not only to hide the fact that he was having this relationship, that's [2:55] that witness part, but also to save his career because the obvious assumption is if this was [3:00] public, he would have lost everything. That's that financial gain part. And then lying in wait is the [3:06] one really intriguing to me because that tells me the prosecution has some level of information to say [3:11] that David somehow lured Celeste into an area, waited and then sprung some sort of trap on her, [3:16] causing her to be murdered. That's very intriguing to me to see what they have, especially after this [3:22] very long investigation. Brian, the motive part of that, they're alleging that he killed Celeste [3:28] because she was threatening his lucrative music career. How difficult do you think that part will [3:32] be to prove? And what happens if they can't? Yeah. So I'll kind of answer in backwards somewhat, [3:40] Diane. If they can't prove it, then that type of special circumstance murder gets dismissed, [3:45] but there are still the witness aspect and the lying in wait. So they could still succeed [3:51] them being the prosecution and what they're trying to do. But if they can't show a financial gain, [3:57] if they can't show some sort of digital forensics, whether it be a text message or a communication between [4:02] either David and Celeste or David and another person who is familiar with his accounting and [4:06] his banking or whatever, something to show his intent, they won't be able to prove that. So I [4:10] imagine there's going to be a cooperating witness, some sort of digital forensics, something to play [4:16] out that narrative for the jury. Brian, autopsy is often key in a murder case. In this case, [4:23] this body was very decomposed by the time it was found. So is it still going to play as big of a role? [4:29] I think it will play a very big role, Diane. And the prosecutor, D.A. Hawkins said he's going to [4:35] actually try to move to get that autopsy report released. But what we see, I think, [4:41] could tell us a lot about this case. Don't forget, Celeste Rivas's body was found on September 8th of [4:46] last year in L.A. Her body was presumably there for days, if not weeks. And if we recall, [4:52] in L.A., they had record high heats in August. I think even just a few days before her body was found, [4:58] it was in the triple digits in temperature, inside of a trunk, inside two different plastic bags, [5:03] her body would be heavily decomposed. But if they can find anything in terms of toxicology or any kind [5:08] of injuries on the bone fragments that were still found, and then have some sort of corroboration [5:12] with a witness like someone close to David who said, yes, he did X, Y, and Z, that information, [5:18] that corroboration could be very damning for David's case. Brian, the D.A. says they could seek [5:23] the death penalty, but they'll determine that later. What goes into that decision and why not make it now? [5:29] Yeah, so the fact that we have these special circumstances along with the murder charges, [5:33] that lying in wait, the financial gain, the going after a witness, that allows them to upgrade a [5:38] murder from life in prison without parole to the death penalty. And what goes into this is who the [5:44] victim is. Are they seriously vulnerable? A 14-year-old girl I think would fall into that category. Who is [5:49] the defendant? What is his record? What is the heinousness of the crime? Dismemberment of a body, [5:54] talking to the victim's family, who I'm assuming would want the harshest of punishment. Having [5:58] that conversation and evaluating the case is what goes into this, and they'll determine not today, [6:03] because they like to take their time and kind of dot their I's and cross their T's, but sometime [6:06] later on in the days and weeks and potentially months as to whether or not they seek the death [6:10] penalty against David. All right, Brian Buckmeyer, always great to have your analysis. Thank you.