The parents of Celeste Rivas Hernandez have publicly called for the death penalty to be sought against musician D4vd, real name David Burke, should he be convicted of murdering their daughter. The statement, issued to the California Post around what would have been Celeste's 16th birthday, marks a rare public intervention by the family since the criminal case began, and comes as Los Angeles prosecutors weigh whether to pursue capital punishment.

District Attorney Nathan Hochman has reversed his predecessor's blanket ban on seeking the death penalty, saying it will now be considered only in "exceedingly rare cases" after thorough review, though California has not carried out an execution since 2006 and Governor Gavin Newsom imposed a moratorium in 2019. A decision has been delayed after Burke dropped his legal team last week to use a public defender, with Hochman awaiting a mitigation report on why the death penalty should not apply. Burke has pleaded not guilty to charges that he sexually abused the 14-year-old before killing, dismembering and concealing her remains in his Tesla's front trunk.