Family of slain teen calls for death penalty in murder trial of singer D4vd
David Burke’s defense argues there is no evidence he had any intent of killing 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez
The family of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez has called for the singer D4vd, who is on trial suspected of killing the girl, to face the death penalty.
D4vd, who was born David Anthony Burke, in July was ordered to stand trial over the killing of Rivas, whose dismembered body was found in the trunk of his Tesla car on 8 September 2025. Burke has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In a statement on Monday, which would have been her 16th birthday, Celeste’s family demanded that Burke be subjected to execution.
“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,” read a family statement, released via their attorney.
A separate statement from Celeste’s family said that they were “reliving unforgettable moments even though she is no longer here” – and that they were “experiencing so many emotions”.
Prosecutors allege that Burke, a 21-year-old who began his music career by uploading montages of the video game Fortnite, stabbed and killed Celeste and subsequently severed her limbs as he sought to prevent her from revealing their sexual relationship which began when he was 18 and she was 13 – or too young to legally consent – in November 2023.
Celeste’s body was found in the front trunk of Burke’s Tesla in a Los Angeles tow yard. The car had been towed away after being left on a street near Burke’s home, according to prosecutors.
Celeste was last seen on 23 April 2025, according to court documents, with the prosecution alleging that Burke stabbed her several times and mortally wounded her after she went to his home.
The singer was arrested in April of this year and charged with multiple crimes, including first-degree murder, lewd and lascivious acts with an individual under 14, and mutilating a body. He has pleaded not guilty to all of these charges, the most serious of which carries a potential death penalty.
During a preliminary hearing in July, prosecutors said that Burke met Celeste when she was 11, and began sexually abusing her when she was 13 and he was 18. A year before her death, the pair also exchanged messages about how she had become pregnant – she assured him the baby was his – and that she had an abortion.
The hearing also included the submission of photos of the two of them kissing and lying in bed. The pictures showed that she had “David” tattooed in red ink on a finger – one of two that had been cut off when her body was found.
Burke’s defense argued there is no evidence that he had any intent of killing Celeste and that no witnesses or cameras captured her entering his house in the timeframe he is alleged to have killed her.
Burke has had a troubled defense to the charges, however, with his high-profile lawyers Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter withdrawing from the case in late August. No reasons were given for the withdrawal.
The lawyers were replaced by a lawyer from the Los Angeles county public defender’s office. Burke has been ordered held without bail, with a trial date yet to be set.
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