Family of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez speaks out after D4vd’s murder charge - BERITAJA

The family of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez has released its first connection pursuing vocalist D4vd pleading not blameworthy to a execution charge successful the decease of their missing daughter, whose decomposed assemblage was recovered successful the trunk of a Tesla registered to him past year.

“We would for illustration to convey the Los Angeles Police Department and the District Attorney’s Office for their difficult work,” a connection by Jesus Rivas and Mercedes Martinez, Rivas’s parents, said. “We would besides for illustration to convey the group of Lake Elsinore for each their support.”

“Celeste was a beautiful, beardown woman who loved to singing and dance,” her parents said successful a connection released by their lawyer, Patrick Steinfeld, to NBC 4 Los Angeles. “Every Friday nighttime was movie nighttime and we spent awesome times together.”

“We emotion her very overmuch and she ever told america that she loved us. We miss her deeply. All we want is justness for Celeste.”

Rivas’s parents appeared astatine D4vd’s proceeding connected Monday. They looked down arsenic they entered the courtroom and sat successful the audience. They did not speak to reporters extracurricular court.

Steinfeld said the family planned to present the connection Monday pursuing the first tribunal quality for D4vd, whose ineligible sanction is David Burke. But for their information aft a explosive threat was reportedly received, the family was not capable to speak.

“They were intimidated by the onslaught of reporters and the aggressiveness of immoderate camerapeople,” Steinfeld said, noting that Rivas’ relatives are “very backstage individuals.”

“They were devastated aft proceeding the gruesome specifications that came retired successful David Burke’s arraignment.”

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Monday that Burke was charged pinch first-degree murder, lewd and lascivious acts pinch an individual nether 14 and mutilating a assemblage successful the sidesplitting of Rivas. She was reported missing by her family successful 2024, erstwhile she was 13. Authorities opportunity she was 14 erstwhile she died.

The execution charges included typical circumstances — lying successful wait, committing a crime for financial summation and murdering the witnesser successful an investigation — that could transportation the decease penalty. Prosecutors haven’t announced whether they will activity it.

After Burke pleaded not guilty, his lead defence lawyer, Blair Berk, told the tribunal that their squad believes “actual grounds will show David Burke did not execution Celeste Rivas Hernandez.”

“We would for illustration to person the grounds travel into the ray of day,” Berk added.

Berk told the judge that aft media reports of months of concealed expansive assemblage proceedings, she would for illustration a nationalist preliminary proceeding to return spot arsenic soon arsenic imaginable truthful a judge could determine whether location is capable grounds for trial.

Burke is entitled nether California rule to person the evidentiary proceeding wrong 10 tribunal days of his arraignment. A proceeding to activity retired what will hap adjacent was scheduled for Thursday.

“We’ll beryllium very happy to put connected the grounds that we’ve collected,” said Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman, the lead prosecutor.

Authorities allege the Houston-born alt-pop vocalist killed Rivas to protect a profession connected the emergence aft she threatened to study their intersexual relationship. His debut album, Withered, was released conscionable 2 days aft authorities said she was past known to beryllium alive.

Authorities, who described Rivas connected Monday arsenic a “runaway,” said she was 14 erstwhile she was killed pinch a crisp entity connected aliases about April 23, 2025, a time she was astatine Burke’s location successful the Hollywood Hills.

Prosecutors allege Burke mutilated her assemblage about 2 weeks later.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Rivas was past heard from connected April 23, 2025 aft she went to Burke’s location and “she was ne'er heard from again.”

“A parent’s nightmare is simply a business wherever your girl goes retired 1 nighttime and ne'er comes back,” Hochman said connected Monday.

“Celeste was conscionable a child, nether 14 years old, erstwhile David Burke allegedly engaged successful repeated lewd and lascivious intersexual relations pinch her,” Hochman continued. “But Burke’s actions did not allegedly extremity there. When she threatened to expose his criminal behaviour and devastate his philharmonic career, Burke allegedly murdered her, trim up her assemblage and stuffed her assemblage successful 2 bags that were placed successful the beforehand trunk of his car.

“There the dismembered assemblage sat for complete 4 months decomposing until it was recovered astatine a tow gait connected Sept. 8, 2025. This horrific and gruesome execution committed by the charged intersexual predator is shocking and appalling. To Celeste’s loved ones, we will get the justness you activity and deserve.”

During the news conference, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell acknowledged the disapproval his section has faced for not releasing specifications of the investigation sooner.

“I want to beryllium clear about something. My work is not to substance speculation. It’s to present justice, and that requires patience and subject connected everybody’s part,” McDonnell said.

“This investigation was driven by a azygous intent to unafraid justness for Celeste Rivas and for those who loved her. We had to beryllium definite that thing we did aliases said would ever jeopardize this case.”

— With files from The Associated Press