The family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez is calling for the singer D4vd to face the death penalty after a Los Angeles judge ordered him to stand trial in the killing of the 14-year-old, whose dismembered remains were found in the trunk of his Tesla last year.
“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,” the teen’s parents said in a statement Monday via their attorney.
They released the statement on what would have been her 16th birthday. An attorney for the singer, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a separate statement, the family said they were “experiencing so many emotions” and “reliving unforgettable moments even though she is no longer here.”
“These are feelings that only a father and mother and her siblings can share, with a heavy heart. We will always remember every moment and every good time we spent with Celestita,” the family said.
The teen’s body was found in the front trunk of Burke’s Tesla at a Los Angeles impound lot in September 2025. Prosecutors said the car had been left on a street near Burke’s home and impounded at Hollywood Tow after someone reported an abandoned vehicle.
A decomposed head and torso were found in a black cadaver bag, according to court documents, and a second bag contained additional dismembered body parts.
Burke, 21, was arrested in April at a house on Marmont Avenue in the Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles police said. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
At an evidentiary hearing in July, prosecutors said Burke began a relationship with Rivas Hernandez when she was 13 and ended it after she threatened to expose him. Text messages revealed in court showed that the teen had gotten pregnant by Burke and had an abortion.
Last month, Burke abruptly parted ways with his legal team and asked to be represented by public defenders. An attorney for Rivas Hernandez’s family said in a statement that he does not deserve a public defender given his status and fame on social media.
“The residents of Los Angeles County should be outraged because it will be the taxpayers that are picking up the tab to defend this millionaire,” attorney Patrick Steinfeld said. “David Anthony Burke is not indigent.”
