In brief
The family of 14‑year‑old Celeste Rivas Hernandez is demanding the death penalty for singer D4vd, who is charged with murdering her. D4vd, who pleaded not guilty, is set to stand trial in Los Angeles, where California’s death‑penalty ban has been temporarily lifted for this case. The family also filed a civil suit seeking damages for the death and funeral costs. Their statement calls the execution “perfect” in the face of the alleged crime.
Family of 14‑year‑old Celeste Rivas Hernandez demands the death penalty for singer D4vd amid his upcoming trial.
D4vd, whose birth name is David Anthony Burke, has been charged with killing the teenage girl after her dismembered body was discovered in the trunk of a Tesla registered to his address on 8 September 2025. Burke has pleaded not guilty and is due to appear before the court on 19 October 2026. Although California’s death‑penalty ban is currently temporary, the family says that “execution would be perfect” for the alleged offender once he is convicted.
In related news, Hernandez’s parents filed a civil lawsuit against Burke—along with several of his managers, his mother and a live‑in security guard—seeking monetary damages, including burial and funeral expenses. The suit claims that Burke caused wrongful death, false imprisonment and childhood sexual assault of the victim. The plaintiffs describe an 16‑month period during which the minor and the adult exchanged nearly 10,000 text messages and engaged in sexual acts.
Lawyers for the family have urged the court to consider the death penalty. The statement released via the family’s attorney reads: "If the death penalty were activated, it would be perfect for this kind of human being, devoid of feelings and emptiness inside, and without conscience, who only caused pain to our daughter, our family, and the world that supports our precious daughter."
Burke’s public defender, Walid Kandeel, insists that the singer’s right to a competent defense is paramount and reaffirms the commitment to examine all evidence thoroughly. The defense team has recently withdrawn a celebrity lawyer and is now representing Burke in court. No comment has yet been supplied by the civil lawsuit’s plaintiff attorneys.
