Family of Murdered Teen Demands Death Penalty in D4vd Trial

Los Angeles, CA – In a grim turn of events, the family of 14‑year‑old Celeste Rivas Hernandez is pressing for the death penalty against singer‑turned‑criminal D4vd after the teen’s dismembered remains were found in the trunk of a Tesla linked to the singer’s address.

D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, has been charged with murder and has pleaded not guilty. Despite California’s temporary ban on capital punishment, Hernandez’s family said that execution would be the “perfect” outcome for a “human being devoid of feelings and conscience.”

The family filed a civil suit on Friday seeking monetary damages, including burial and funeral costs. They claim Burke caused wrongful death, false imprisonment and sexual assault against the minor, and that the singer’s actions culminated in her death at his Hollywood Hills home.

Court documents detail a tense 16‑month relationship between the victim and the accused, with nearly 10,000 exchanged texts and multiple sexual encounters. The parents allege that Burke’s influence and manipulative control led to the tragic outcome.

The civil complaint also names Burke’s management entities, mother, and a live‑in security guard, alleging that these parties enabled his isolation and facilitated his travel and housing.

A judge last July found probable cause for Burke to stand trial on murder, and prosecutors are still evaluating the possibility of a death‑penalty plea. Burke’s public defender says his defense will “take his circumstances seriously and carefully examine the evidence.”

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