What Does D4VD's Defense Statement Actually Tell You?

**Tony Brueski** (0:00)
This is Hidden Killers' half year in review. A look back at some of the most compelling cases of 2026 so far.
This is Hidden Killers Live with Tony Brueski and Robin Drake.

**Tony Brueski** (0:16)
David Anthony Burke, known as David, is in a Los Angeles jail. As of right now, as of this recording, being held without bail and the clock is running. The DA's major crimes division has a narrow window to either file formal charges or let him walk. A grand jury heard months of testimony, did not indict. The defense is already telegraphing its strategy. What comes next could define this case or could completely blow all of it apart. David's defense says he was, and this is interesting, the terminology I think is key. He was not the cause of Celeste's death. Not that he wasn't involved, not that he didn't know her.
They denied causing her death specifically. I'm going to start there. What is that statement designed to do? Not necessarily recognizing anything about what happened after, but just so much so that not the cause of the death. Is that strategic in the way that they're putting that out there?

**Jennifer Coffindaffer** (1:18)
It is very interesting.

**Robin Drake** (1:20)
There she is. Sorry. I want to make sure you're still there, Jen.

**Jennifer Coffindaffer** (1:24)
Yeah, I'm going audio for a moment.

**Robin Drake** (1:26)
Okay. You sound good.

**Jennifer Coffindaffer** (1:28)
So, yes, I think that that could be strategic. Look, it's interesting. What are they exactly going to charge? He's being held under suspicion of murder, but that tells me that they're going to charge him with murder. I don't know what they have, but I think it is interesting that it's ambiguous right now, but I think when you see the complaint, it's actually going to be murder.
And then, of course, the other desecration of a body and hiding a body and all of that.

**Robin Drake** (2:00)
Yeah, I would have thought, at the very least, they'll be able to get him on that because it's his car, knowledge. I think they'll have an easier time proving his knowledge of it rather than potentially murder. So I think, does it sound like they're probably keeping all their options open on it, Jen?

**Jennifer Coffindaffer** (2:16)
Yeah, I think so. They don't want to get anything out there that isn't going to be dialed down on what they're going to actually charge with. Again, they can always charge the easier charges.

**Tony Brueski** (2:26)
Yeah.

**Jennifer Coffindaffer** (2:28)
And then what we call supersede with additional charges. And we might see that here since they did this so quickly.

**Tony Brueski** (2:37)
That's what I'm wondering about. Are they going in strong with this, with a murder charge and then thinking, well, it might get lower down here as time progresses and we're able to work through all of the details. You know, is that the strategy? Get them on something really strong initially so they can detain him and keep him versus if they went out with him with a lesser charge or there might be a stronger possibility of getting bail or bonding out of some sort and then the possibility of the risk of flight.

**Jennifer Coffindaffer** (3:09)
Yeah, that's exactly right. Look, they did the same thing. I don't know if you remember this with Brian Laundrie, even though they didn't have him in their grasp. You know, the credit card fraud. We love to do that, right? You get them on something that can stick, and then you supersede with the bigger stuff. I still think this will be ultimately indicted.

**Tony Brueski** (3:29)
Yeah.

**Robin Drake** (3:30)
And what are you thinking about the probability of then, again, just saying he gets indicted that it's going to be pled out, and also I'm going to do the worst thing is ask two questions at the same time. I'm so curious about when we might see some other potential charges or indictments towards other people involved.

**Tony Brueski** (3:51)
I think we lost her.

**Robin Drake** (3:52)
I floored her with my question.

**Tony Brueski** (3:54)
Yep. There we go.

**Robin Drake** (3:56)
So Tony, what do you think about that?

**Tony Brueski** (3:59)
Give me the question one more time.

**Robin Drake** (4:02)
So the second part of that is how long do you think it's going to be really before they start charging some other people? So I really want to focus on that too because I think there's other people involved because when you look at the stats, you look at the averages, you look at how these types of crimes are committed with people that are underage, they don't really have a life arc of committing these things, it's going to be involved. Oh, there she is. She's back.