Lil Durk Acquitted in Federal Murder-for-Hire Trial

Lil Durk was acquitted Friday in a closely watched federal murder-for-hire trial in Los Angeles, where prosecutors had accused the Chicago rapper of directing a retaliatory plot against fellow artist Quando Rondo. The verdict cleared Durk of the charges considered in this trial, but it does not end his legal jeopardy.

Rolling Stone reported that the jury deliberated for three days after a three-week trial. Durk, whose legal name is Durk Banks, became emotional as the verdict was read. Jurors found him not guilty on counts that included conspiracy to commit stalking, stalking resulting in death and murder for hire.

The case presented to jurors

Prosecutors alleged that the plot grew out of the 2020 killing of Durk’s friend and musical collaborator King Von. They argued that Durk used members of his Only the Family circle to target Quando Rondo during a 2022 visit to Los Angeles. Rondo survived a shooting near the Beverly Center, but his cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, was killed.

The government relied heavily on cooperating witnesses who had reached plea agreements. Defense lawyers attacked their credibility and argued that the prosecution had not produced reliable proof that Durk ordered or financed the attack. The jury’s verdict rejected the government’s case against him in this proceeding.

Two co-defendants, Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey, were convicted of stalking-related charges while being acquitted on the murder-for-hire counts, according to Variety and Rolling Stone. Their mixed verdicts underscored that jurors assessed the evidence against each defendant separately.

Why Durk remains in custody

Despite the acquittal, Durk is not immediately free. Rolling Stone reported that a murder-in-aid-of-racketeering count was severed from the completed trial and is scheduled to be heard on October 5. His attorneys are expected to challenge his continued detention before that proceeding.

The outcome is a significant moment for an artist whose recent commercial run included five solo albums reaching the top five of the Billboard 200. It also leaves a crucial distinction for listeners following the case: Durk won acquittal on the charges decided Friday, while a separate federal count remains unresolved.