D4vd is the “perfect” candidate for the death penalty, per the family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
The Withered artist, real name David Burke, is charged with murdering 14-year-old Celeste and mutilating her remains in April 2025. He’s also charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child. In a surprising development last month, his lawyers withdrew as counsel, leading to the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office stepping in. D4vd has pleaded not guilty.
Now, in a statement shared with The California Post over the weekend, Celeste’s family is calling for the death penalty if D4vd is ultimately convicted.
“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,” reads the statement, attributed to Celeste’s parents and shared alongside a previously unseen photo of the teen. “But that’s not in our hands, but rather in God’s, and the California justice system.”
Complex has reached out to a legal rep for Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s family for comment, as well as to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. This story may be updated.
As previously reported, the death penalty is indeed a possibility in the case, with Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman noting back in July that “death penalty considerations are now being weighed.” At the time, Hochman added that a determination “has not been made.”
