In brief
Grammy‑winning rapper Lil Durk was found not guilty of all federal charges that accused him of orchestrating a revenge killing at a Los Angeles petrol station in 2022. After a three‑day jury deliberation, the verdict came in Friday, leaving the 33‑year‑old out of prison but still in custody pending a separate trial scheduled for October 5 that will test his alleged racketeering and firearms offences. The case involved a dead cousin of Midwest rap peer Quando Rondo and traced its roots to the 2020 murder of King Von. While co‑defendants had been convicted of stalking, the jury found no evidence that Durk planned the killing. The rapper’s community of fans swelled outside the courthouse in support, and his legal team vows to present their evidence in the forthcoming trial.
Grammy‑winning rapper Lil Durk was acquitted on Friday of all federal murder‑for‑hire charges that linked him to a 2022 shooting that killed the cousin of fellow artist Quando Rondo.
The 33‑year‑old faced five felony counts, including murder for hire and conspiracy. The verdict followed three days of jury deliberations outside the Los Angeles federal courthouse, as supporters swelled the plaza in a display of fan solidarity. Though cleared, Durk remains in custody and is set to confront a separate racketeering and firearms case on October 5.
Durk, whose real name is Devontay Banks, first entered the headlines when he was arrested in 2024 on a different shooting allegation. Prosecutors asserted that he had orchestrated an attempt on the life of rapper King Von’s friend, seeking a bounty for the hit. The petition stemmed from a fatal ambush at a petrol station in August 2022: a car carrying a group that included Quando Rondo was shot, carrying away the victim Saviay’a Robinson while Rondo was unharmed.
Three co‑operating witnesses—Kavon “OTF Vonnie” Grant, Keith “Flacka” Jones and Kacey “OTF Jam” Hester—reached plea deals and testified against Durk and two co‑defendants. These co‑defendants, Deandre “OTF Dede” Wilson and David “Browneyez” Lindsey, were convicted of stalking and conspiracy but acquitted of murder‑for‑hire charges.
Durk, who founded the Nobody Stole? Death Group in 2010, earned the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance for “All My Life” featuring J Cole. His track record includes seven top‑five albums on the U.S. Billboard chart since 2019 and collaborations with Drake and J Cole.
While the verdict lifts a major legal burden, the pending October trial could still carry a life sentence if Durk is convicted of racketeering murder and firearms offences. The attorney’s office acknowledges the setback but remains optimistic about forthcoming evidence.
