Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s household has referred to as for D4vd to get the demise penalty — on the eve of what would have been her sixteenth birthday.
In an unique assertion to the California Submit, her mother and father mentioned it will be the “excellent” punishment for the locked up singer, who’s accused of killing and dismembering her final yr.
Los Angeles County District Legal professional Nathan Hochman is at the moment weighing whether or not to pursue the demise penalty or life imprisonment for the performer, whose actual title is David Burke, forward of his trial later this yr.
Celeste would have been turning 16 on Monday, and Tuesday marks one yr to the day since her physique was discovered at the back of a Tesla in a Hollywood tow yard.
Releasing a never-before-seen image of their daughter, her household advised The Submit: “If the demise penalty had been activated, it will be excellent for this type of human being, devoid of emotions and vacancy inside, and with out conscience, who solely prompted ache to our daughter, our household, and the world that helps our valuable daughter.”
It added: “However that’s not in our palms, however somewhat in God’s, and the California justice system.” It’s signed “The Rivas Hernandez Household.”
The choice on whether or not Burke faces life in jail or demise if convicted on the fees lies in Hochman’s palms.
Final Monday, moments after Burke dropped his excessive profile authorized workforce for a public defender in a dramatic listening to, Hochman took to the mics and mentioned he had not decided but.
The DA mentioned he was awaiting a mitigation packet from Burke’s earlier authorized workforce outlining the the explanation why Burke shouldn’t face the demise penalty, however had not acquired it.
He mentioned he’ll enable the brand new public defender time to submit a packet if he chooses. Hochman earlier this yr reversed coverage when it got here to the demise penalty, releasing a floor breaking assertion.
He mentioned: “Efficient instantly, the prior administration’s excessive and categorical coverage forbidding prosecutors from in search of the demise penalty in any case is rescinded.
“Instead, the brand new homicide with particular circumstances coverage will contemplate pursuing the demise penalty solely after an in depth and complete evaluation and solely in exceedingly uncommon circumstances.”
He additionally mentioned households of homicide sufferer’s survivors can have “session” and “full enter, to make sure that the punishment sought by the workplace is simply, truthful, becoming and acceptable.”
The Submit contacted the DA’s workplace for response to the Rivas Hernandez assertion.
Celeste’s mother and father watched in horror throughout D4vd’s preliminary hearings as photos of her decapitated and mutilated corpse had been displayed in a courtroom.
Her household ignored their legal professional’s request to look away as the photographs had been displayed in a Los Angeles courtroom in the course of the first day of the singer’s preliminary listening to final month.
The couple had been later noticed crying within the corridor of the courthouse after viewing their daughter’s severed limbs, head, torso and fingers that had been allegedly discovered within the trunk of D4vd’s Tesla.
The singer is accused of ordering an Uber to ship Rivas from her household house in Lake Elsinore to his Hollywood Hills house on the night time of April 23, 2025, after courting her for months and getting her pregnant.
He then stabbed her and stood by whereas she bled out, prosecutors declare.
It’s alleged he loaded her physique in his Tesla and drove to Santa Barbara. Hernandez’s passport card was allegedly present in the very same spot Burke’s Tesla was tracked months later by a Cal Trans employee.
Burke allegedly ordered a shovel from Dwelling Depot and had it delivered to his house by Postmates. A couple of week later, he ordered two chainsaws from Amazon that had been delivered to his house, and on Could 5, he allegedly ordered a physique bag, heavy-duty laundry baggage and a blue inflatable pool, courtroom paperwork say.
Investigators testified Burke dismembered Hernandez with a chainsaw within the pool. Items of it had been discovered on her stays in the course of the post-mortem, in keeping with the medical expert.
