Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s Family Urges Los Angeles Prosecutors to Seek Death Penalty as Singer D4vd Faces Murder Case and October Court Hearing

LOS ANGELES, CA — The family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez is pressing Los Angeles officials to pursue the death penalty against singer D4vd, who is accused in connection with the 14-year-old’s death. In a statement released as the family marked what would have been her 16th birthday, relatives said the punishment would fit what they described as an especially cruel crime.

D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, has pleaded not guilty to murder and related charges. He is scheduled to return to a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on Oct. 19 for a status conference, while prosecutors continue weighing how to proceed in a case that has already drawn intense attention because of the victim’s age, the nature of the allegations and the singer’s public profile.

Remains found in a Tesla trunk at a Hollywood tow yard

Authorities say the case became public after the girl’s dismembered and decomposing remains were found inside Burke’s Tesla at a Hollywood tow yard on Sept. 8, 2025. A prosecution court filing says the vehicle had been towed three days earlier from a spot about 400 feet from Burke’s Hollywood Hills home.

That detail has added another layer to a case already marked by disturbing facts. The discovery tied the investigation to a specific stretch of Los Angeles and raised immediate questions about how the car ended up at the tow yard, though prosecutors have not said everything they believe happened before the remains were found.

Burke was charged on April 20 with capital murder in the 2025 death, along with special circumstance allegations of lying in wait, murder for financial gain and killing a witness in a criminal investigation. He remains jailed without bail.

Family says the death penalty would fit the crime

The Rivas Hernandez family said in its statement that the punishment they want is about accountability for what happened to Celeste, not simply about anger. They described the defendant in harsh terms and said the death penalty would be appropriate for a person they believe caused lasting pain to their daughter and to everyone who loved her.

The family also said that, in their view, the decision is not theirs to make. They pointed to both God and the California justice system as the authorities that will determine what comes next. Their comments were released through media outlets as they marked the birthday Celeste would have celebrated Monday.

Relatives have continued to speak publicly as the case moves through court, using each new development to press their view that the consequences should match the gravity of the allegations. Their statement reflects how closely the family is following the legal process and how much they want prosecutors to treat the case as one deserving of the harshest possible sentence.

Prosecutors say the killing protected a music career

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has said he has not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty. That decision remains one of the central unanswered questions in the case, especially because California still has capital punishment on the books even though executions have been paused for years.

Prosecutors contend Burke killed the underage girl to stop her from damaging his growing music career by going public about a long sexual relationship, according to their theory of the case. Those allegations have not been tested at trial, and Burke has denied the charges by pleading not guilty.

The district attorney’s office is now balancing the seriousness of the allegations with the reality that California has not executed a condemned prisoner since January 2006. Gov. Gavin Newsom placed an official moratorium on executions in 2019, leaving the death penalty legally available but effectively halted.

Public defender takes over after three defense lawyers withdraw

Burke is now being represented by a public defender after three previous attorneys withdrew from the case last Monday. The change in counsel adds another practical complication to a prosecution that already involves murder allegations, sexual abuse accusations and questions about the handling of human remains.

The victim’s family sharply criticized the move in another statement this weekend. They argued that Burke should not be treated as indigent and said taxpayers should not have to cover his defense while he faces some of the most serious charges allowed under California law.

Relatives also cited what they described as Burke’s streaming success and business interests, saying he controls three corporations tied to his music and merchandise. They argued that those assets should be available to pay for his defense rather than public money, and they pointed to testimony in a preliminary hearing that they say addressed transfers of assets to his mother and manager.

What the family says about money, companies and the legal fight ahead

In their statement, the Rivas Hernandez family said Burke has no shortage of resources because of his music earnings and company structure. They said he has billions of streams and millions of monthly listeners on one platform, and they identified D4VD Entertainment, Skullrose Merchandise and Headspace Publishing as companies he controls.

They also alleged that money had been shifted in a way meant to shield his estate from a civil suit and keep the victim’s family from reaching assets later. Those are accusations from the family, not findings announced by a court, but they show how the criminal case is already spilling into a broader fight over finances and responsibility.

For now, the most immediate next step is the Oct. 19 status conference in downtown Los Angeles. Until then, prosecutors, defense lawyers and the family remain locked in a high-stakes case that could still go in very different directions depending on whether the district attorney seeks capital punishment.

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