Horrific images of a teenage girl's dismembered corpse were shown in court during the opening day of a preliminary hearing for singer D4vd, as her parents watched on.
Graphic evidence presented
Prosecutors showed graphic crime scene photos of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez's body when it was found last year inside a Tesla registered to singer David Anthony Burke in Hollywood, Los Angeles. A detective testified that Burke, 21, had ordered a body bag, chainsaws, an inflatable pool and a shovel online in the days after Celeste's death.
Burke, whose stage name is D4vd, has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering and sexually abusing the girl.
First public showing
Previously, these images had only been described. Tuesday's hearing marked the first time that the evidence and photographs were shown publicly in court. While this is not the formal trial, prosecutors are laying out the evidence they say links Burke to Celeste's death to convince the judge to proceed to trial.
Prosecutors say Burke stabbed Celeste before dismembering her body with a chainsaw to conceal the killing after years of alleged sexual abuse. They allege he killed her because she had threatened to reveal his relationship with a minor and destroy his multi-million dollar music career.
Family's reaction
According to the BBC, the family's attorney, Patrick Steinfeld said: "This is the first time they've heard this evidence in detail, and they're horrified."
"There was an image of Celeste's torso and her head in the trunk of the car, and the prosecutor had to ask what it was because you could not tell it was a head. It was absolutely deplorable."
Steinfeld said Celeste's mother, Mercedes, had been informed that the horror images would be presented. He continued: "I told her she didn't have to be in the courtroom for this part of the hearing. But she said, 'I want to be here to show support for Celeste.' She just put her head down and started crying."
"They're an extremely private family. It's a parent's worst nightmare."
