Full Breakdown
D4vd Faces Murder Trial as Family Seeks Death Penalty and Files Wrongful-Death Suit
9/9/2026, 1:26:34 PM
The Criminal Case and Family’s Death-Penalty Call
The family of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez has demanded that singer-songwriter David Anthony Burke, known as D4vd, receive the death penalty if convicted of her murder. Their statement, released on what would have been Hernandez’s 16th birthday, called execution “perfect” for him. The demand comes despite California’s temporary ban on capital sentencing.
Background of the Relationship and Allegations
Prosecutors allege Burke began a sexual relationship with Hernandez when she was 13 and he was 18, continuing after she turned 14. Court filings say the pair exchanged roughly 10,000 texts over 16 months and that Hernandez became pregnant and later had an abortion. She was last seen on 23 April 2025, allegedly visiting Burke’s Hollywood Hills home, where she was stabbed and her dismembered body was found in the trunk of Burke’s Tesla on 8 September 2025.
Legal Proceedings and Defense Changes
A Los Angeles judge found probable cause for first-degree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful mutilation of human remains. Burke has pleaded not guilty. During a July evidentiary hearing, prosecutors presented photos of the two kissing and a tattoo of “David” on a finger later found severed.
Burke’s legal team—attorneys Blair Berk, Marilyn Bednarski, and Regina Peter—withdrawn in late August, prompting the appointment of a public defender from the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office. The defense argues no witnesses or surveillance place Hernandez inside Burke’s home at the alleged time of death, asserting a lack of intent to kill.
Civil Lawsuit Over Wrongful Death
On 7 September, Hernandez’s parents filed a civil suit seeking damages for burial and funeral expenses, wrongful death, false imprisonment, and childhood sexual assault. The complaint mirrors criminal allegations, asserting Burke’s adult status and authority gave him “undue influence and control” over the minor. The suit also names Burke’s manager, his talent-management company, a live-in security guard, and his mother as co-defendants, alleging they facilitated the abuse. Burke’s management company denies knowledge of the relationship.
Official Statements & Responses
- Prosecutors: Weighing whether to seek the death penalty, noting California’s moratorium.
- Family’s Attorney: Released the death-penalty demand and emotional statements.
- Public Defender’s Office: Confirmed representation by Deputy public defender Walid Kandeel and affirmed the right to a robust defense.
- Burke’s Management: Denied any awareness of the alleged relationship.
Data & Statistics
- Approx. 10,000 text messages exchanged.
- Relationship spanned roughly 16 months, beginning in November 2023.
- Body parts recovered included a head, torso, and two severed fingers; one finger bore a red-ink “David” tattoo.
Conflicting Legal Context
California’s temporary ban on capital punishment means that, even if prosecutors pursue the death penalty, a sentence cannot be imposed under current state law, creating tension between the family’s demand and the jurisdiction’s sentencing limits.
What’s Next
Burke is scheduled to appear in court on 19 October, and his murder trial has been postponed to the following year. The civil lawsuit will proceed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
