Key facts
- Singer D4vd, David Anthony Burke, is on trial for the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
- Hernandez's dismembered body was discovered in the trunk of Burke's Tesla on September 8, 2025.
- Burke faces charges including first-degree murder, with the most serious carrying a potential death penalty.
- Hernandez's family has publicly called for Burke to receive the death penalty.
- Prosecutors allege a sexual relationship between Burke and Hernandez began when she was 13 and he was 18.
- Burke has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The family of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez has called for singer D4vd, born David Anthony Burke, to face the death penalty as he stands trial for her murder. Burke was ordered to stand trial in July for the killing of Rivas, whose dismembered body was discovered in the trunk of his Tesla on September 8, 2025. Burke has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In a statement released on Monday, which would have been her 16th birthday, Celeste's family expressed their anguish and demanded execution for Burke, describing him as "devoid of feelings and emptiness inside, and without conscience." Prosecutors allege that Burke, 21, stabbed and killed Hernandez and dismembered her body to conceal their sexual relationship, which began in November 2023 when she was 13 and he was 18.
The victim's body was found in the front trunk of Burke's Tesla, which had been towed to a Los Angeles yard. Hernandez was last seen on April 23, 2025, after going to Burke's home, where prosecutors claim he fatally stabbed her. Burke was arrested in April and charged with first-degree murder, lewd and lascivious acts with an individual under 14, and mutilating a body.
During a preliminary hearing in July, prosecutors detailed that Burke met Hernandez when she was 11 and began abusing her when she was 13. They also exchanged messages about a pregnancy that resulted in an abortion. Photos of the couple kissing and in bed were submitted as evidence, showing a tattoo of "David" on one of her fingers, which had been severed.
Burke's defense has argued that there is no evidence of intent to kill and that no witnesses or cameras confirmed her entering his house during the alleged time of death. Burke's legal team, including high-profile lawyers Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter, withdrew from the case in late August without providing reasons. He is currently represented by a lawyer from the Los Angeles county public defender’s office and is being held without bail.