Parents of Slain Teen Demand Death Penalty for Singer D4vd if Convicted

The family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez released a statement on what would have been the teenager’s 16th birthday demanding that David Anthony Burke face the death penalty if convicted of her murder according to reports from The Guardian and Rolling Stone. The family described Burke known professionally as D4vd as a person devoid of feelings and without conscience who caused pain to their daughter their family and supporters worldwide. The statement came through the family’s attorney and added that the decision ultimately rests with God and the California justice system a point echoed across coverage by NBC News and CBS Los Angeles. Prosecutors allege Burke stabbed the 14-year-old at his Hollywood Hills home on April 23 2025 after she threatened to reveal their sexual relationship that began when she was 13 and he was 18 according to a Reuters account of the preliminary hearing. Her dismembered remains were discovered nearly five months later on September 8 2025 inside the front trunk of a Tesla registered to Burke’s address at a Los Angeles tow yard the wire service reported. A judge ruled in July 2026 that sufficient evidence existed for Burke to stand trial on first-degree murder continuous sexual abuse of a minor and mutilation of human remains charges the Los Angeles Times detailed following testimony that included text messages and phone records. Burke has pleaded not guilty to all counts including special circumstances that could elevate the case to capital punishment a stance he reaffirmed during an August 2026 court appearance covered by NME and the New York Post. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty though he rescinded a prior policy against it in rare cases such as this one Rolling Stone noted in its reporting. California has observed a moratorium on executions since 2019 under Governor Gavin Newsom with no one put to death since 2006 yet the law still permits capital sentencing in qualifying cases according to multiple outlets including the LA Times. The family also filed a civil wrongful-death lawsuit against Burke on Friday seeking damages for burial and funeral expenses as well as other costs the BBC and Vice reported. In an earlier statement the family rejected rumors that Burke had paid them insisting they sought only time to grieve while facing ongoing financial pressures a detail included in Rolling Stone coverage from May 2026. Burke rose to fame as an independent artist with tracks such as Romantic Homicide after gaining attention on TikTok through Fortnite video montages before his music career halted with the April 2026 arrest Reuters and NBC News outlined in background on the 21-year-old performer.