D4vd Could Face Death Penalty in Celeste Rivas Murder Case as Family Demands Maximum Punishment

The singer has been ordered to stand trial in the killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, while prosecutors have not yet decided whether they will seek capital punishment.

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 14, 2026 — Singer D4vd could face the death penalty if convicted of murdering 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose dismembered remains were discovered inside his Tesla last year.

The possibility has received renewed attention after Rivas Hernandez’s family publicly called for capital punishment as they marked one year since the teenager’s remains were discovered in Los Angeles.

D4vd, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial on charges including murder, sexual abuse involving a minor and mutilation of human remains.

Prosecutors have not announced whether they will seek execution. The charges could make Burke eligible for capital punishment, but eligibility does not mean prosecutors have selected death as their requested sentence.

 

 

 

The latest development came as Celeste’s family issued an emotional statement around what would have been her 16th birthday, expressing continuing grief and saying they wanted prosecutors to pursue the harshest punishment available.

The family’s position does not determine what sentence prosecutors will seek. That decision belongs to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office under California’s rules governing capital prosecutions.

The criminal case has advanced significantly since Burke’s April arrest. In July, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge determined prosecutors presented sufficient evidence to require him to stand trial.

District Attorney Nathan Hochman said after the preliminary hearing that prosecutors had presented only a portion of the evidence investigators accumulated and maintained that evidence would establish Burke’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Burke’s defense disputes those accusations. His attorneys have maintained his innocence, and he entered another not-guilty plea during an August 31 court appearance after undergoing a major change in legal representation.

The case began publicly on September 8, 2025, when decomposed and dismembered human remains were discovered inside a Tesla that had been taken to a Hollywood-area impound lot.

Authorities subsequently identified the remains as Celeste Rivas Hernandez of Lake Elsinore, California. The vehicle was registered to Burke, whose music career had generated millions of followers and streams.

Prosecutors now allege Burke met Celeste when she was 11 and began sexually abusing her when she was 13 and he was 18. These allegations remain contested criminal accusations.

According to prosecutors, Celeste later threatened to reveal information about their alleged relationship that could damage Burke’s music career, providing what the government describes as a motive for the killing.

Prosecutors allege Burke arranged transportation bringing Celeste from Lake Elsinore to his Hollywood Hills residence on April 23, 2025. Investigators say her phone stopped communicating after she arrived.

The government alleges Burke then stabbed Celeste multiple times and later dismembered her remains. The defense has denied that Burke caused her death and continues contesting the prosecution’s case.

Forensic testimony during the preliminary hearing became a significant component of the government’s evidence. An LAPD criminologist testified that apparent blood evidence was discovered in multiple areas of Burke’s garage.

The analyst described evidence on flooring and gym mats in areas where prosecutors allege Celeste’s body was dismembered, according to testimony reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Prosecutors have also alleged that Burke purchased two chainsaws online and used them to dismember Celeste’s remains before taking steps to conceal evidence connected with the killing.

Authorities further allege Burke made several trips to the Lake Cachuma area in Santa Barbara County to dispose of evidence. Celeste’s passport was later recovered there, prosecutors said.

The allegations remain unproven before a trial jury. A preliminary-hearing finding means a judge concluded sufficient evidence exists for trial, not that the defendant has been found guilty.

Burke’s legal situation changed again August 31 when prominent private attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter withdrew after a judge determined he qualified to receive court-appointed representation.

Deputy Public Defender Walid Kandeel has taken over Burke’s defense. His former attorneys said they continued supporting Burke and his defense against the charges but did not explain their departure further.

The case now has a separate civil dimension. Celeste’s family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit this month containing allegations related to her death and naming Burke and several additional defendants.

The civil allegations are separate from the criminal prosecution and carry a different burden of proof. They likewise should not be interpreted as establishing criminal guilt before Burke’s trial.

For now, the death-penalty question remains unresolved. Burke faces charges carrying the possibility of either life imprisonment without parole or capital punishment, but prosecutors have not announced which penalty they will pursue.

The next major phase will determine how prosecutors proceed and when Burke faces a jury, with another court status conference expected in October and no criminal trial date announced yet.