{
  "id": 6472133,
  "title": "Family of killed teen call for death penalty in D4vd trial",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/family-of-killed-teen-call-for-death-penalty-in-d4vd-trial-6472133",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-09T14:54:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "KahawaTungu",
    "slug": "kahawatungu",
    "url": "https://kahawatungu.com/family-of-killed-teen-call-for-death-penalty-in-d4vd-trial/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The family of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez have called for the death penalty if D4vd is found guilty of murdering their daughter. D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, is accused of killing the teenager whose remains were discovered in the trunk of a Tesla car registered to his address on September 8, 2025. Burke has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Despite the California death penalty being on a temporary hiatus, Celeste’s family has expressed their desire for execution should Burke be convicted of murder. In addition to the criminal case, Celeste’s parents have filed a civil lawsuit against Burke in Los Angeles Superior Court, seeking damages including burial and funeral expenses. The lawsuit alleges that Burke caused wrongful death, false imprisonment, and childhood sexual assault of their daughter. According to the parents' court documents, Burke and Celeste met in November 2023 when she was 13 years old. Over the next 16 months, they claim, they exchanged nearly 10,000 texts and had sex multiple times. The lawsuit states that Burke, an adult occupying a position of authority over Celeste, exercised undue influence and control over her. They allege that Burke killed the teenager at his Hollywood Hills home when she threatened to expose their relationship, after allegedly sending a message stating: \"I will end your career and your life.\" The lawsuit also names several of Burke's companies, his mother, and a live-in security guard, claiming they \"enabled Burke to isolate\" Celeste and facilitated his travel, housing, and security arrangements. Burke's management company and finance manager have previously denied knowing about the relationship between Burke and Celeste Rivas Hernandez. In July, a judge found sufficient probable cause for Burke to stand trial on the murder charge, and the district attorney is currently deciding whether to pursue the death penalty. On Monday, the day Celeste would have turned 16, her family released a statement demanding execution, describing Burke as devoid of feelings, without conscience, and responsible for causing pain to their daughter, family, and the world. Burke has since changed his defence attorney and is set to return to court on October 19 for his trial, which has been rescheduled to the following year. His defence team has stated that they are committed to providing Burke with a defense that takes his circumstances seriously and examines the evidence carefully. The family's civil lawsuit is currently being handled by their attorney.",
  "summary": "The family of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez has lobbied for the death penalty if D4vd is found guilty murdering their daughter. D4vd, who was born David Anthony Burke, is charged with killing the teenager, whose dismembered body was found in the trunk of a Tesla car registered to his address on 8 September 2025. Burke [...] The post Family of killed teen call for death penalty in D4vd trial…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC News",
        "title": "Family of killed teen call for death penalty in D4vd trial",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/family-of-killed-teen-call-for-death-penalty-in-d4vd-trial",
        "published": "2026-09-09T09:58:48.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}