D4vd’s garage had traces of blood, possibly from a dismembered body, the expert said

A forensic analyst said in court on Wednesday that evidence of blood was found in many parts of the garage where the D4vd singer is accused of cutting a girl with a saw last year.

Lauren Wallace, a crime specialist with the Los Angeles Police Department, said she found evidence of blood on exercise mats and the floor inside the garage where the singer lives in the Hollywood Hills. Wallace was the latest witness to take the stand as the first indictment on murder and sexual assault charges against the “Romantic Homicide” singer in Los Angeles.

D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, is accused of stabbing to death 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez last April and using a chainsaw to dismember her body before stuffing it into the trunk of his Tesla, where the girl’s remains were found. Prosecutors say Hernandez was last seen alive at the 21-year-old’s residence on Doheny Place.

If convicted as charged, Burke faces up to life in prison without parole or the death penalty, although prosecutors have not said they are seeking the death penalty. At the end of the trial, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo will decide whether prosecutors have enough evidence to bring Burke to trial.

Burke pleaded not guilty and denied all charges through his lawyers. Under cross-examination, defense attorney Blair Berk urged Wallace to admit that his chemical analysis – conducted several months after prosecutors believed Burke had turned his garage into a den – did not prove the presence of blood.

“I wouldn’t say it’s really blood,” Wallace said. “I’d say it’s possible there’s blood.”

The chemical that Wallace used during his research reacts with iron in hemoglobin, a protein found in red blood cells.

Prosecutors say Burke met Hernandez when she was 11 years old and began sexually abusing her when she was 13, taking her on trips to London and Texas. A search of Burke’s phone turned up text messages about “sex, pregnancy, abortion and the use of Plan B emergency contraception” and photos of teenagers performing sexual acts, LA County Deputy Dist. He said. Beth Silverman wrote in a nine-page letter that was made public earlier this year.

Prosecutors allege Hernandez will reveal Burke’s abuse after the argument. An autopsy showed Hernandez was killed by two stab wounds to the chest, while prosecutors said Burke killed the girl for financial gain to protect his high-profile music career.

After killing Hernandez, prosecutors say Burke bought shovels, chainsaws and an inflatable dam that he planned to use to destroy his victim’s remains. Burke used a chainsaw to cut up Hernandez’s body, which he placed in a pond in hopes of catching most of his blood, prosecutors said.

Wallace said Wednesday that he conducted his search of Burke’s home on Sept. 17, 2025, a little more than a week after police found Hernandez’s body in the trunk of the singer’s Tesla at a Hollywood tow truck. Photos shown by Silverman in court Wednesday morning showed investigators found at least half of the air fresheners inside the car, indicating someone was trying to suppress the strong odor from Hernandez’s badly decomposed remains.

Wallace said he found two chainsaws in the garage that “tested positive for blood,” but investigators noted they never found a 10-inch Makita chainsaw, which prosecutors say was one of the items Burke bought in late April and early May that could have been used to dispose of the body.

In the garage, Wallace found gym-style rubber flooring that had a series of cuts. Wallace said he also found red stains on the carpet, a nearby rowing machine and a Tesla charging plug. Ultraviolet light revealed that the carpets and bricks of the garage were likely covered in blood. A garbage bag in the garage and other contents also tested positive for blood, he said.

The swelling pool that prosecutors accused Burke of holding his victim’s body in while holding a chainsaw was also found by police, according to Wallace, who said the pool had been cut in several places.

Prosecutors also moved Wednesday to strengthen their argument that Burke would have lost a large sum of money if Hernandez spoke ill of him. During morning testimony, an Interscope Records executive said Burke would make up to $19 million if the label picked up options on several future records, in addition to sales deals with clothing companies. Burke first signed with Interscope in 2022.

Burke — who famously layered his original music over clips of himself playing the popular video game “Fortnite” — was on tour in support of his debut album, “Withered,” when Hernandez’s body was found mutilated inside his Tesla in Hollywood last September.

He ended his tour soon after and Interscope Records dropped Burke late last year. On Wednesday, Interscope CEO Louis Poimiroo testified that the label was still paying Burke more than $2 million through 2025 and did not terminate his contract until at least a month after The Times reported that a grand jury had been called to hear testimony about Hernandez’s death.

Prosecutors are expected to call at least four more witnesses during the trial, which could last three more days, according to Los Angeles County Dist. He said. Nathan Hochman.