Text messages presented in a Los Angeles courtroom revealed that 14-year-old became pregnant and had an abortion more than a year before prosecutors say she was killed by singer D4VD, whose legal name is David Burke. The evidence emerged Friday during Burke’s preliminary hearing.
Based on this hearing, the judge will decide whether there is enough evidence for D4VD’s case to proceed to trial.
Burke has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, sexual abuse of a child and mutilation of a body. Prosecutors, however, allege he began abusing Rivas when she was 13, and he was 18. They claim he later killed her after she threatened to reveal their relationship, which they argue could have damaged his rapidly growing music career.
But Burke’s lawyers maintain that he is innocent.
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What do the text messages reveal?
Prosecutors revealed iCloud data that was discovered from the defendant’s iPhone, including texts between him and Rivas from August 8, 2022, when Burke was 17 years old, and she was 11.
Prosecutors then introduced text messages exchanged between Burke and Rivas in January 2024. In one conversation, Burke apologized for “putting her through this.”
Rivas replied that neither of them was capable of raising a child and said ending the pregnancy was “for the best no?”
Burke then asked, “also my mother always told me to ask this question if I was ever in this situation … it is mine right?” She responded, “of course its yours David.”
Prosecutors argued the messages illustrated the nature of their relationship well before her death.
They also talked about abortions and contraceptives, as Rivas seemed to have had at least two throughout their roughly two and a half years of dating. They became a source of embarrassment for her, even if they occasionally made jokes about them.
In another instance, she texted him and said, “i killed my kid for you. id do anything to have it back… took a innocent life of a literal baby.”
The court also viewed photographs recovered from Burke’s iPhone, including intimate images of the pair. Prosecutors said the evidence supports their allegation that the relationship began when Rivas was underage.
In the courtroom, as investigators described the material, the victim’s parents became emotional. Her mother left the courtroom in tears. Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman briefly comforted the family before proceedings continued.
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What details does the autopsy reveal?
Earlier Friday, Los Angeles County Medical Examiner Dr Grant Ho testified about the autopsy. He said Rivas suffered two sharp-force injuries, including one that penetrated her liver and another that damaged her ribs.
Ho testified that the injuries could have caused death through blood loss over several minutes, possibly up to an hour. Prosecutors have alleged Burke “stood by while she bled out.”
The medical examiner said decomposition severely limited the examination. He could not establish the precise time of death, determine whether a struggle occurred or identify where the fatal injuries were inflicted.
Ho also testified that toxicology testing was inconclusive. Liver samples initially suggested the possible presence of methamphetamine and benzodiazepines. However, additional testing ruled out benzodiazepines, while methamphetamine results remained inconclusive. He said there was insufficient evidence to conclude that drugs contributed to the teen’s death.
Defense attorney Marilyn Bednarski questioned whether decomposition affected toxicology findings and suggested alternative explanations, including overdose or self-inflicted injuries. Ho responded that he could not support an overdose conclusion.
He also noted that self-inflicted stab wounds often show hesitation marks, which were absent in this case. However, he said he could not completely rule out every possibility.
During previous hearings, investigators testified that DNA recovered from apparent bloodstains inside Burke’s garage matched Rivas. Prosecutors allege Burke dismembered her body before it was discovered in the trunk of a Tesla that was towed from the Hollywood Hills in September 2025, about five months after authorities believe she was killed.
The prosecution has also argued Burke had a strong motive to keep the relationship hidden as his music career accelerated. Financial witnesses testified earlier that he earned at least $10 million between 2023 and 2025. Performing under the stage name D4VD.
