Victim’s family urges death penalty for singer accused of killing and dismembering teen

On the eve of what would have been Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s 16th birthday, her parents issued a statement calling for the death penalty against singer David Burke, accused of murdering and dismembering the teenager. Prosecutors in Los Angeles County, led by District Attorney Nathan Hochman, are weighing capital punishment against life imprisonment, awaiting a mitigation packet from Burke’s previous legal team. The family’s plea follows graphic evidence shown at preliminary hearings, including photographs of the victim’s severed remains.

Court filings allege Burke arranged an Uber ride, stabbed the girl, loaded her body into his Tesla, and later used chainsaws and other equipment to dismember her, with parts found in a pool at his Hollywood Hills home. Hochman recently reversed a policy that barred seeking the death penalty, now allowing it in “exceedingly rare” cases with victim-family input. The case remains pending ahead of Burke’s trial later this year.