The family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the 14-year-old girl found dismembered inside a Tesla registered to singer D4vd, is calling for the death penalty if he is convicted of her murder.
The demand came Sunday, the day before what would have been Celeste’s 16th birthday. Her family released a new photo of her along with a statement addressed to Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
The death penalty for D4vd “would be perfect for this kind of human being, devoid of feelings and emptiness inside, and without conscience,” the family said.
The family added: “But that’s not in our hands, but rather in God’s, and the California justice system.”
California has not carried out an execution in two decades.
D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke, is charged with first-degree murder in Celeste’s death. She was last known to be alive nearly a year ago. Her dismembered, decomposed body was found last September in an abandoned Tesla allegedly registered in the 21-year-old singer’s name.
Burke was arrested in April at a home in Hollywood. He was born in Houston and performs as an alt-pop artist under the stage name D4vd.
The murder charge includes special circumstances that could make him eligible for the death penalty: lying in wait, committing the crime for financial gain, and murdering a witness in an investigation. Prosecutors have not said whether they will pursue capital punishment.
Burke also faces charges of lewd and lascivious acts with a person under 14 and mutilating a body.
His attorneys said in a statement following his arrest that he is innocent.
D4vd’s 2022 breakthrough single, “Romantic Homicide,” is one of several of his tracks that have surpassed a billion plays on Spotify. His debut full-length album, “Withered,” was released two days after prosecutors say Celeste was killed.
