Motives in D4vd Tesla Teen Murder Case Examined

I want to break down a bit more of the. alleged motive that was laid out by. authorities in the David case because as. shocking as it was for the Romantic. Homicide singer to ultimately be. arrested and charged with murder, it was. also shocking that he was accused of. lying in wait, killing for financial. gain, and to silence a witness. And not. only do I want to get into that, but we. have more perspective and potentially. more details with Steve Fischer, the. private investigator who has been. digging into this case from the very. beginning. And we're going to bring him.

on to discuss all of these latest. developments. Welcome to Sidebar, presented by Law & Crime. I'm Jesse. Weber. All right, real quick before we go any. further, we have a Law & Crime legal. alert we have to tell you about, okay? Roblox. Roblox is under fire for. allegedly not taking adequate safety. measures to protect children on its. platform. That's right. So, this popular. virtual universe has millions of users. who are minors, yet the players can. apparently customize their avatars to. hide their age and gender. And this is a. feature that may also be available to.

predators with bad intentions. Look, you. might not even realize the dangers that. Roblox can pose for your child, but if. your child was sexually abused or. assaulted or groomed by someone they met. on Roblox, you may qualify for potential. compensation. Children, they may not. know better, but Roblox, the argument. is, they should. And our legal sponsors. are seeking justice for the families who. are affected by this alleged gross. negligence. So, visit. gamingadvocates.com. to start your free confidential case. evaluation. So, we had a little time to.

analyze the charges that David is. facing. And I will tell you, it's the. motive. It is the motive and the. timeline that was laid out by. authorities that is really something to. be explored here, okay? Because the. other day, based on the criminal. complaint, we learned that 21-year-old. singer David was charged in Los Angeles. with first-degree murder, continuous. sexual abuse, and mutilation of human. remains, all in connection with the. death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas.

Hernandez, whose decomposed and. dismembered body was apparently found in. the trunk of a Tesla reportedly. registered to David. But, it was the. special circumstances allegations for. the murder charge that was truly. shocking. This is what can elevate the. punishment to life in prison without. parole or even the death penalty, even. though there's moratorium on executions. out in California, but this is what took. it to a whole different level. This is. what raised a lot more questions about. the case, about the evidence, about what.

we can expect in an upcoming preliminary. hearing, right? That is where the. prosecution is going to present evidence. to the court to show that they have. sufficient probable cause to move. forward with this trial to support the. charges. This is different than getting. back a grand jury indictment. I've. talked a lot about that distinction. here. But, this is essentially what. we're talking about is the why. The why. of the alleged killing. You're getting a. sense of the motive of the alleged. killing. Why would David allegedly want.

to murder a 14-year-old girl? And to be. clear, David is innocent until proven. guilty, okay? And his attorneys have. said he did not commit this murder. They. said he is not the cause of her death. And as we explore the motive here, the. best place to start is to go back just a. couple days ago when you had Los Angeles. District Attorney Nathan Hochman talk. about the why during that press. conference. >> First-degree murder with special. circumstances. And again, those special. circumstances are lying in wait.

As Celeste went to Mr. Burke's home on. the night of. April 23rd, 2025, as alleged in the complaint, at his. invitation, and again, was not heard from again. The second is a special circumstance. being that these this murder was. committed for financial gain. As the evidence will show in court, the. financial gain was for Mr. Burke to. maintain his very lucrative music.

musical career. that Celeste was threatening. on that particular night. The third charge, in addition to lying. in wait and for financial gain, is murdering a witness to an. investigation. In this particular case, as the evidence. will come out in court, the the in the. witness to the investigation. was Celeste. And the investigation was. into the lewd and lascivious sexual acts.

committed by Mr. Burke that is the. subject of count two of this complaint. uh. with Celeste while she was under 14. years old. >> So, in other words, according to. authorities, David was allegedly having. an illegal relationship with a minor. She was a witness to illegal sex acts, and she was going to, I don't know, expose him or threaten him, and he. killed her. I wonder if that's a fair. interpretation. The question is, what. does that mean exactly? Was she going to. go to the police? Was she going to post.

this to social media? How do they intend. to prove that? I asked Nathan Hochman. about this on my uh show Jesse Weber. Live on News Nation, and he basically. said, "I'm not going to get into the. details of it. That will be more. revealed during a preliminary hearing.". But, I want to preview what we can. expect here, and I want to try to. understand this because this is new. information. This is a new allegation. And before I even get into that and. more, I just have one more update for. you. So, Celeste's family, who we really. haven't heard from in the last 7 months, officially released their first. statement. Quote, "We would like to.

thank the Los Angeles Police Department. and the District Attorney's Office for. their hard work. We would also like to. thank the people of Lake Elsinore for. all their support. Celeste was a. beautiful, strong girl who loved to sing. and dance. Every Friday night was movie. night, and we spent wonderful times. together. We love her very much, and she. always told us that she loved us. We. miss her deeply. All we want is justice. for Celeste. Now, I'm happy they. released this statement for a number of. reasons. One, it's always good to hear. from the family and get their.

perspective on this. But number two, we. haven't heard a lot about Celeste. You. know, we talk a lot about her as the. alleged victim in this case, but to. understand who she was as a person and. what she meant, that's something that we. just didn't get a lot of information. about in the last 7 months. So, to. provide a window into who she was and. that she's not just, you know, victim. number one or victim number two, but. this is a real person who had a real. life, who had a family and friends and a. community that loved her. I think this.

is very important to analyze and cover. Now, I want to talk about the motive. here. I want to talk about why would. David allegedly want to kill Celeste? So, now I want to bring in friend of the. show, private investigator Steve Fisher, who has been working on this case from. the very beginning. Remember, he has. been investigating it because he. represents the owner of the property. where David had reportedly been staying. near where the Tesla was apparently. found. So, Steve, thank you so much for. taking the time. Really appreciate it. I. have a lot of questions for you, but.

since the main theme we're focusing on. right now is motive, what is your take on the motive here. about Celeste, you know, was a witness. that she was going to expose David. because that was new. That was a new. piece of information apparently. That. was a new allegation, a new theory. Your. take on it. >> Yeah, I think it's accurate. You know, there's been a few people that I've. talked to that are. minors or I've talked to their parents. that that were in Celeste's world and. then obviously I got to protect their. identity. However, um you know, one thing that they had.

said is that um. Celeste had lost respect for David. And. you know, when I talked about that. photo, when I released that photo of her. um January 2nd like at the hiking trail. staring off and I said she just looked. lost and you know confused. We had found. a SD card from. in the house after they abandoned it or. after they moved out of it and it had a. lot of photos it was from David's camera. had a lot of photos including photos of.

David and of Celeste and last photo that. we could find of Celeste alive was. January 2nd. It was on a hiking trail. and Celeste you know she's wearing a. hoodie brown hoodie which is his and she. just looked very I said you know she. looked very lost and confused and and. and and I was saying that because I knew. a little bit more of the story behind it. and and that was that you know Celeste. had really lost respect for David. She. knew that. she'd been you know here she was 14. years old she'd been.

lured away from school and everything. you know because of him and I think she. knew that she was in a. really bad spot and I don't think they. were getting along great. I think that. she had lost respect for him and and so. this makes sense and I do think that he. was threatened by her. >> So I was trying to get an answer from. Nathan Hockman the other night when I. had him on Jesse Weber Live. you know was it the idea that she was. going to go to the police? Was it the. idea that she was going to post. something on social media and obviously. said you know the details will come out. during the preliminary hearing.

What any any of those ideas make sense. to you? I mean was she about to come. forward with this I imagine what she was. going to come forward with if you listen. to what the prosecution's arguing is. that she was having right an illegal. relationship with David or if she knew. something like about him having illegal. sex acts with somebody else. I don't. think that's what it is but you tell me. >> Yeah so there's a couple elements to. that. I think that listen. there was claims from the beginning. there was some photos that leaked out of. David in Lake Elsinore with this paper.

bag and this transaction going on and. there was the teacher at her school that. said talked about people were are David. and I do believe that was happening and. then there's further proof I think that. that was happening and I think David was. understanding that this was kind of a. grip on him and then when you lose. respect to the person that it's centered. around it can become a real problem and. then you know not too long ago I kind of. put out there that there was this report. I tried to get the the investigative. reports from West Hollywood Sheriff's.

Department the Sheriff's office which. weren't directly tied into this case but. had were had jurisdiction over the other. rental house that David was at where. they have that famous delete everything. live stream. Well, when I requested. those files they said that they couldn't. release them because there was an. investigation in progress and referred. me to the Riverside County Sheriff's. Department and LAPD. So that pretty much. said that there was an investigation. ongoing that involved Riverside County. who was the agency to have the missing. person's report. So I do think that they.

were looking into it that relationship. how aggressively I don't know. But these. are all things that David were was aware. of and I you know, he was questioned in. that. >> Yeah, can you can you elaborate on how. they'll be able to prove that was the. motive how they were how they'll be able. to prove that was the intent right? I. mean just to give everybody an idea. Hackman had said there's physical. evidence and there's forensic and. digital evidence that we intend to. present in court to prove these charges. beyond a reasonable doubt. How are they. going to be able to prove that he lured. her to the house to kill her and lured. her for the purposes of killing her. because of he knew she was going to.

expose him or that she was a threat. How. do you think they're going to prove that. exactly? >> Well, probably through a mountain of. some of the circumstantial evidence I. guess and that that listen that is a. weakness in this case I think. When he's. talking about physical evidence at the. press conference he didn't even mention. physical evidence I don't believe. He. talked about how much digital evidence. there was and I listen I think that this. younger generation a lot of them truly. don't understand things can be. recovered. You delete things they're not. truly deleted right? And there's. artifacts that are left everywhere and.

we've seen that in the Nancy Guthrie. case with the video evidence that. surfaced even though she didn't have a. subscription. So, there are. communications I'm certain that are. going to be a real problem for him. However, is there a I just killed. Celeste and this is, you know, for this. reason? Probably not, but it's going to. be a totality of all those things. And. also Celeste's own words probably. because I think Celeste was aware that. there was people trying to financially. gain off of that situation to keep. things quiet. And I think when you wrap. those in with what he was worried about.

and investigations going on and the. totality of everything, I think it's. just an assumption that, you know, everybody will probably come to. >> Well, look, my thought was was there. something in a text message or a social. media message allegedly from David that. would confirm this plan or confirm the. intention. Again, he's innocent till. proven guilty, but this goes back to. another point that I raised with Hochman. on my show the other night was. it's people look at this and say it's. very hard to believe that this young. guy, Singer, did all of this on his own.

Killed her, dismembered her, put her in. the Tesla, and had this plan. So, it. goes back to this idea, did he act. alone? And and Hochman basically said, you know, look, the investigation's. ongoing. If people have more. information, we'll come forward. I still. have the interpretation they probably. have some cooperating witnesses and are. waiting to see if they will remain. cooperating witnesses. And I know he. mentioned that it when it came to a. potential grand jury, there's. cooperating and non-cooperating. witnesses, which I thought was an.

interesting point to it. But I guess it. goes back to this question, motive, right? If if David is accused of killing. Celeste because she was going to expose. him, it does make me wonder who else had. this knowledge and who else may have. been involved. Again, assuming the. allegations are true. >> Yeah. And I think your interview with the DA, you know, said a lot where he would not. commit that there was not going to be. other people charged in this. And I. think he was also.

you know, letting it be known to them. that if that cooperation tapers off or. if they're in any way not being fully. truthful, you know, they could be charged. I think. that this case is built on two or three. people's. um. witness accounts. And listen, I'll just. tell you, I think the. the two biggest. pillars in this case are going to be our. Neil Langston and Rob Morganrath is. a co-manager, whatever you want to call. it, on the management team. I think that.

those are huge. um. people that know probably know a lot. Not saying they were involved or. directly involved, but I think they know. a lot. And just the timing now that. they've kind of nailed down of this. um. April 23rd to May 5th timeline, going. out and announcing the tour and. everything, even makes me think uh. I'm more confident in that. >> Can you talk about that? Because if. we're if we're if we're take the. prosecution's theory here that he would. do any he he he killed Celeste to.

protect his career, >> Yeah. >> why is that date so significant? Cuz you. posted on X about the tour, and you. posted on X about the significance of. that date. >> Uh so on April there's they're. prosecutors are saying April 23rd, um he. lured her to his house, and she's never. seen again. Um. he then announces uh. within hours uh announces that the. Wither tour is on, you know? And. April night of April 24th, he's most.

likely flying to New York cuz on 25th, he's at a pop up three-day pop up event. in New York um. uh city. So that this is within. hours of her being lured over there. So. I think that's really important. And. then all of a sudden you got this they. seem pretty certain about this May 5th. date um for dismemberment. And I I to. believe that's from some sort of. witness, direct witness testimony, but. he's back in LA because on the night by. 11:00 p.m. on May 5th, he. he does a now deleted social media post,

but we've recovered it. from downtown LA. >> What about the Santa Barbara trip? Because the Santa Barbara trip is. something that came up earlier on in the. investigation that authorities were. potentially looking into the Santa. Barbara trip that David had made. I. think it was what, in the spring of. 2025. So, where does that fit into this? Because they didn't mention that at the. presser. >> So, we've never, you know, when I've been. asked about this, I've been pretty. clear, we don't have any evidence of a. Santa Barbara trip. Uh, the first we. heard about the Santa Barbara trip is. when LAPD referenced it in their news.

release. And we do have some photos. Now, these are before the time this. would have happened. We do have some. photos of him in the National Forest, but still in LA County. I do notice that. the charging documents say. um, for the dismemberment on May 5th in. the County of Los Angeles, David Burke. did just, you know, um, so, now I don't know, I'm not a lawyer, you. probably know better than me if that can. be somewhat vague and say in the County.

of Los Angeles because he was a resident. there, but it does say that that. happened there. I have no evidence of. the Santa Barbara trip. So, um, you know, I I I don't know. >> Okay. Well, again, let's go to this. other part because I haven't spoken to. you since the complaint came out. Cause. of death, right? We're all waiting for. the ME's report. Um, I actually understand that I think. you contacted or maybe contacted the. ME's office to find out when this report. is going to be released. Why is this so. significant when it I mean, what are you. going to be looking out for? Because to.

me, when the defense says that he's not. the cause of her death, and you hear Nathan Hochman talking. about, you know, the coroner came up with their. own conclusion. I think cause of death. may be a big legal issue here. Uh, you're talking a dismembered body, decomposed body. Um I hate to talk like this, but that's. the way it is. And I'm wondering what. and a sharp instrument potentially being. used. What are you going to be looking. out for for cause of death? And have you. gotten any word about when that report. is coming out?

>> So, I have um been in contact with the. ME's office. They just said that they. have not This is as of yesterday, they. had not yet received the order unsealing. the um. the autopsy. >> that the other day, right? >> I know. I was there. Listen, I was there. uh at it Raymond. I listened to the. judge say right there when uh Beth. Silverman requested to be unsealed, she. said, "I'm unsealing it." So, why they. didn't have it immediately, I do not. know. Um you know, here if you got to. subpoena witnesses for tomorrow, I don't. know how that's going to happen for the. prelim. But.

to get back um. you know, to the to the report itself. and the cause, you know, in Blair Burke, his attorney's um. written statement, she brought that up. about it will show that he's not the. cause of death. And then. and I was there in person, she said the. exact same statement in person to the. judge. Didn't say anything about the manner of. death. It doesn't you know, um. you know, allegedly you know, homicide, but says that he's not the cause of it. So, it's it's it's strange. It seems like. she's leaning on something, but she also.

said in court, Blair Burke also said. that she does not have a copy of the. autopsy. So, I don't know if she's going. solely off of David's statements to her. um or relying on that, but she did say. that she has not seen a copy of it. And. Beth Silverman said, "I don't know how. we can go forward with the preliminary. when she doesn't even hasn't even seen. the autopsy yet." So, you know, it's it's. >> it's going to be delayed? Do you think. this uh preliminary hearing is going to. be delayed? >> I think what's going to happen is we'll. show up tomorrow for the prelim. They'll. have you know, sidebar with the judge,

and I think it'll be continued. It'll be. I don't think it's going to be continued. a long ways because I do think that this. is also a pressure move. to see what exactly and to get that. discovery as quickly as possible and get. as much of it as possible. And I think. Blair Burk needs to find out know what. kind of the real story is here. I I. think that everybody's kind of operating. in the dark except for the DA's side. >> Mhm. Yeah, I mean cuz they they they. look from a defense perspective, they. have to be careful what they say. initially. They can't make probably. like, "We know the person who did it.

We're going to show you who the person. is." I mean, that's not their burden, but they might also be just saying like. he's not the cause of it of her death. because maybe they're saying we're going. to bring our own medical experts to the. or they're saying we know he's not the. cause of her death because he didn't. kill her. He's not responsible. They may. not be so legally focused. They might be. more kind of like in general terms. speaking about that. I'm not entirely. sure, but I also wanted to give you the. opportunity um. uh so on X you had posted something. about David's hand, but then it. clarified it a little bit. Can you just. take a minute to explain that to people?

>> Shh. Sure. So, we took screen grabs. Uh these weren't. necessarily photos that he posted but of. in certain videos and whatnot, there was. a clearly some sort of mark on on. David's hand and it Listen, I'm still. not clear on what this is because he. definitely had some sort of temporary. tattoo around the time of Coachella, which is in the time that this all. happened, that he had drawn on his hand. However, in the middle of that there's. this deeper like gouge and and I put. yesterday I put out there that Listen,

this lines up with kind of kind of kind. of the ribbing on one of the knives that. I had posted that were on his camera. that one of the nights he was with. Celeste in downtown LA he's showing off. this knife. I deleted it and and I put. out a post clarifying that, you know, he. does have that temporary tattoo, but I. only deleted it cuz I'm not certain. I I. still think that that could have been. the temporary tattoo masking something. or giving an excuse of why it was there. because we have a image from like I. think it's May 9th. He's in like Seoul,

Korea, I believe and and there's still. healing going on in the middle of the. hand. The rest of it's gone, but there's. still healing going on in the middle of. have. So, I'm not saying that it's. completely wrong. I just don't have an I. can't say for certainty, so I walked it. back. I still think it could be. something there. It might not be. I just. returned to get more clarity on it, but. it's it's it's very. it's something concerning, you know. >> I think we're all trying to get a little. bit more clarity into what's happening. Steve Fischer, thanks for being on top. of this and thanks for coming on. Really. appreciate it. >> Thanks for having me. >> And that's all we have for you right now. here on Sidebar. Everybody, thank you so.

much for joining us and as always, please subscribe on YouTube, Apple. Podcast, Spotify, wherever you get your. podcasts. You can also check us out on. NBC's Peacock as well. If you want to. follow me, X, Instagram, my NewsNation. show Jesse Weber live, 11:00 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday. See you. next time, everybody.