Lil Durk Acquitted in Murder-for-Hire Trial but Remains in Custody
Grammy-winning rapper Lil Durk has been acquitted of all charges in his federal murder-for-hire trial in Los Angeles, ending one of the most closely watched hip-hop criminal cases in the United States. The Chicago rapper, whose legal name is Durk Banks, remains in federal custody because he still faces a separate criminal trial.
A federal jury returned the not-guilty verdict Friday after three days of deliberations in a case stemming from a deadly 2022 shooting near the Beverly Center in Los Angeles.
Lil Durk cleared in Quando Rondo murder-for-hire case
Federal prosecutors accused Lil Durk of financing and directing a plot to kill rapper Quando Rondo, whose legal name is Tyquian Bowman.
The alleged attack was described by prosecutors as retaliation connected to the 2020 killing of Durk’s close friend and fellow rapper King Von, whose real name was Dayvon Bennett.
Quando Rondo survived the August 2022 ambush, but his 24-year-old cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, was killed.
Prosecutors alleged that members of Durk’s Only the Family circle tracked Bowman and opened fire during the attack.
Durk denied orchestrating the shooting.
Jury finds Lil Durk not guilty
After a high-profile federal trial and three days of deliberations, jurors found Durk not guilty of the charges against him, including allegations involving murder for hire, conspiracy and stalking resulting in death.
His defense team argued that people around the rapper acted without his knowledge and challenged the credibility of cooperating witnesses who testified for prosecutors.
Two co-defendants tried alongside Durk were also acquitted of the central murder-for-hire accusations but were convicted on stalking-related charges.
Why Lil Durk remains in custody
Despite the acquittal, Lil Durk is not being released from federal custody yet.
He faces a separate trial scheduled for October 5 involving racketeering, murder-related allegations and weapons offenses.
The upcoming case means Friday’s verdict does not end Durk’s legal problems.
Durk, 33, is one of Chicago’s best-known rap artists and won a Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance for “All My Life.”
The verdict immediately generated intense interest among fans and across social media, with supporters gathering outside the federal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles following the decision.
