NewsNation’s segment follows a Los Angeles court hearing in the murder case against a pop star identified in the broadcast as “David”, accused in the death of 13-year-old Celeste Hernandez. Reporter Brian Entin and LA Magazine contributor Lauren Conlin describe the atmosphere in court and the visible distress of Hernandez’s family as graphic evidence is presented. Entin says a deputy medical examiner testified he could smell the body before entering the autopsy room and that the victim weighed 71 pounds by the time an autopsy was performed.
Former federal prosecutor Nema Rahmani comments on what he says emerged in the hearing: text messages indicating Hernandez was pregnant at 13 and had an abortion, with messages between Hernandez and the accused discussing it and the accused acknowledging the pregnancy was his. Rahmani says a text message shown in court read, “I loved you. I killed my kid for you,” and argues the evidence leaves the defence with limited options, including potentially conceding alleged sexual offences while contesting the cause and circumstances of death.
The segment also covers prosecutorial strategy in preliminary hearings and the emotional impact of graphic exhibits; Entin reports the victim’s parents left the courtroom during particularly disturbing images. Rahmani speculates there may be additional individuals involved, citing an investigative grand jury and arguing others would likely have noticed the odour described in testimony.
Former federal prosecutor Nema Rahmani says text messages shown at a Los Angeles hearing indicate 13-year-old Celeste Hernandez was pregnant and had an abortion. He says the accused pop star acknowledged the pregnancy was his, while noting the case remains at the preliminary-hearing stage.
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