D4VD Case — Grand Jury Failed, What Prosecutors Face Now

D4VD Case — Grand Jury Failed, What Prosecutors Face Now

Author: True Crime Today April 20, 2026 Duration: 15:18

The grand jury sat on the Celeste Rivas Hernandez case for months. They heard testimony from multiple witnesses. They didn't indict. Now LAPD has arrested D4VD — real name David Anthony Burke — on their own, and the DA's Major Crimes Division has to decide whether the evidence is strong enough to file formal charges without the grand jury's backing.

The defense statement after the arrest was precise in a way that matters. Burke's attorneys said he "was not the cause of her death" — not that he was innocent, not that he had no connection to Celeste, not that he didn't know what happened. That single sentence carves out a legal position that acknowledges proximity while denying causation. It's a strategy built for a specific kind of defense, and it tells prosecutors exactly what they're going to face.

The witness behavior in this case is equally revealing. Burke's manager allegedly testified for three days and was reportedly overheard saying his role was to keep the tour running — not to contact authorities. A female witness hid and had to be compelled to testify under threat of arrest. Another associate allegedly fled the state entirely. When key witnesses scatter, the question isn't just what they know — it's who they're protecting and why.

Coffindaffer examines the prosecution's path forward, the legal weight of a grand jury's refusal to indict, and what the defense's carefully worded denial signals about the trial strategy ahead.

Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/

Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/

Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod

X Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePod

This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

#D4VD #CelesteRivas #GrandJury #DavidAnthonyBurke #D4VDCase #TeslaTrunkMurder #Prosecution #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers #JusticeForCeleste


Each week, Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary cuts through the noise of the daily headlines to examine the darker stories unfolding in real time. Hosted by Tony Brueski and presented by True Crime Today, this isn't just a recap of events; it's a deep, analytical dive into the cases that dominate the news cycle, asking the difficult questions that often go unasked. You'll hear detailed commentary on ongoing trials, breaking developments in high-profile investigations, and discussions on the societal and psychological patterns that these crimes reveal. The podcast operates at the intersection of news and thoughtful analysis, providing context where there is often only sensation. Rather than simply presenting facts, Tony engages with the material, offering a perspective that challenges listeners to think critically about the true crime stories they believe they know. It’s for those who follow the news with a keen eye and want to understand the "why" behind the "what." Tune in for a sober, engaging conversation that treats these serious subjects with the depth they demand, making this a standout offering in the true crime genre for anyone seeking more than surface-level reporting.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Podcast Episodes
Heuermann's Phone Trail, Taunting Calls, and a Family in Freefall [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:05
A burner phone traveled from Massapequa Park to Midtown Manhattan on July 12, 2009 — the exact route between Rex Heuermann's home and his office. Hours later, Melissa Barthelemy's phone traveled that same route in revers…
Heuermann's Guilty Plea and the DNA That Made It Inevitable [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:47
Investigators followed Rex Heuermann for months through Manhattan before a discarded pizza crust gave them everything. That abandoned sample — recovered legally from public garbage — produced a DNA match to a male hair f…
Cruise Ship Murder And Gilgo Beach: The Evidence Examined [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:02
Two active federal-adjacent cases are moving through courtrooms on opposite coasts, and in both, the evidentiary record is reshaping what accountability looks like for the people standing closest to the accused.In the An…
Five Years Later and No Trial for Larry Millete [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:03
Maricris Drouaillet stood in a Chula Vista courtroom on January 28, 2026, and told Judge Enrique Camarena that her parents wake up every morning still waiting for justice for their daughter. She begged him not to grant a…
Asa Ellerup: Willful Blindness and the Heuermann Confession [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:18
The civil lawsuit filed against Asa Ellerup does not accuse her of murder. It accuses her of something a jury may find just as difficult to forgive: choosing not to know.Benjamin Torres — who was six years old when his m…
Jesse Butler: The Wall Built Around These Two Victims [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:02
There were two people in the room when the Jesse Butler plea was finalized. Butler's defense team. And the Payne County DA's office.Everyone else — the victim, her mother, her attorney, a tribal victim services advocate…
The IBLP Machine Is Still Running and No One Stopped It [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:26
Bill Gothard didn't build a church. He built an infrastructure for political and cultural influence — and it's still functioning.His plan was called the Joshua Generation. Take the best children from his homeschool netwo…
D4VD Behind Bars: The Evidence LAPD Couldn't Wait On [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:50
David Anthony Burke — the TikTok star and recording artist known as D4VD — was arrested on April 16 by LAPD Robbery-Homicide for the alleged murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. He's being held without bail. No indictment.…