Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s family has called for D4vd to get the death penalty — on the eve of what would have been her 16th birthday.
asserted
what → call → eve
In an exclusive statement to the California Post, her parents said it would be the “perfect” punishment for the locked up singer, who is accused of killing and dismembering her last year.
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who → say → her
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman is currently weighing whether to pursue the death penalty or life imprisonment for the performer, whose real name is David Burke, ahead of his trial later this year.
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name → weigh → trial
Celeste would have been turning 16 on Monday, and Tuesday marks one year to the day since her body was found in the back of a Tesla in a Hollywood tow yard.
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body → turn → yard
Releasing a never-before-seen picture of their daughter, her family told The Post: “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.”
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that → release → daughter
It added: “But that’s not in our hands, but rather in God’s, and the California justice system.”
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that → add → God
It’s signed “The Rivas Hernandez Family.”
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It → sign → ?
The decision on whether Burke faces life in prison or death if convicted on the charges lies in Hochman’s hands.
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Burke → face → hands
Last Monday, moments after Burke dropped his high profile legal team for a public defender in a dramatic hearing, Hochman took to the mics and said he had not made a decision yet.
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he → drop → decision
The DA said he was awaiting a mitigation packet from Burke’s previous legal team outlining the reasons why Burke should not face the death penalty, but had not received it.
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Burke → say → it
He said he will allow the new public defender time to submit a packet if he chooses.
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he → say → packet
Hochman earlier this year reversed policy when it came to the death penalty, releasing a ground breaking statement.
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it → reverse → statement
He said: “Effective immediately, the prior administration’s extreme and categorical policy forbidding prosecutors from seeking the death penalty in any case is rescinded.
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policy → say → case
“In its place, the new murder with special circumstances policy will consider pursuing the death penalty only after an extensive and comprehensive review and only in exceedingly rare cases.”
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policy → consider → cases
He also said families of murder victim’s survivors will have “consultation” and “full input, to ensure that the punishment sought by the office is just, fair, fitting and appropriate.”
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punishment → say → office
The Post contacted the DA’s office for reaction to the Rivas Hernandez statement.
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Post → contact → statement
Celeste’s parents watched in horror during D4vd’s preliminary hearings as images of her decapitated and mutilated corpse were displayed in a court.
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images → watch → court
Her family ignored their attorney’s request to look away as the pictures were displayed in a Los Angeles courtroom during the first day of the singer’s preliminary hearing last month.
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pictures → ignore → hearing
The couple were later spotted crying in the hall of the courthouse after viewing their daughter’s severed limbs, head, torso and fingers that were allegedly found in the trunk of D4vd’s Tesla.
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that → spot → Tesla
The singer is accused of ordering an Uber to deliver Rivas from her family home in Lake Elsinore to his Hollywood Hills home on the night of April 23, 2025, after dating her for months and getting her pregnant.
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her → accuse → months
He then stabbed her and stood by while she bled out, prosecutors claim.
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prosecutors → stab → her
The medical examiner testified that the victim’s left chest wound could have been fatal by allowing air to enter the chest, while the liver wound could have caused life-threatening internal bleeding.
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wound → testify → bleeding
Death could have occurred within minutes or taken up to an hour, he said, noting that a 14-year-old has less than five liters of blood and the prosecutor poignantly added, “She didn’t make it to her 15th birthday.
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She → occur → birthday
It is alleged he loaded her body in his Tesla and drove to Santa Barbara the same evening.
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he → allege → Barbara
Hernandez’s passport card was allegedly found in the exact same spot Burke’s Tesla was tracked months later by a Cal Trans worker.
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Tesla → find → worker
Burke allegedly ordered a shovel from Home Depot and had it delivered to his home by Postmates.
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it → order → Postmates
About a week later, he ordered two chainsaws from Amazon that were delivered to his home, and on May 5, he allegedly ordered a body bag, heavy-duty laundry bags and a blue inflatable pool, court documents say.
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documents → order → bag
Investigators testified Burke dismembered Hernandez with a chainsaw in the pool.
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Burke → testify → pool
Pieces of it were found on her remains during the autopsy, according to the medical examiner.
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Pieces → find → examiner
The medical examiner detailed Rivas’ body as only weighing 71 pounds during the autopsy.
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examiner → detail → autopsy
“The body was markedly decomposed,” he said, adding there was “trauma to the body, particularly the extremities.”
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he → decompose → body
He also said Rivas’ braces were discovered during the exam.
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braces → say → exam
Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose body was found decomposing in a Tesla at a Hollywood tow yard in September 2025.
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body → find → September
Singer D4VD, whose real name is David Burke, is charged with murdering Hernandez.
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name → charge → Hernandez
Attorney Patrick W. Steinfeld and family members of Celeste Rivas Hernandez arrive at a courthouse following the arrest of singer David Anthony Burke, known professionally as d4vd, on Monday, April 20, 2026, in Los Angeles, California.
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Steinfeld → arrive → Angeles
Hernandez's body was found on Sept. 8, 2025, in the front trunk of a Tesla registered to the musician.
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body → find → musician
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman speaks following the post-preliminary arraignment of musician David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, on Monday, August 31, 2026, in Los Angeles, California.
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Hochman → speak → Angeles
David Burke, also known as D4vd, is pictured on Monday, August 31, 2026, in Los Angeles, CA.
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Burke → know → Angeles
Burke is accused of killing 14-year-old Celeste Rivas, whose mutilated remains were found in his Tesla.
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remains → accuse → Tesla
David Anthony Burke, who performs under the stage name D4vd, is pictured during a preliminary hearing in Los Angeles, California, on July 21, 2026.
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who → perform → July
…and 9 more, not listed.
The Aporia
