Federal jury acquits Grammy-winning Chicago rapper Lil Durk in murder-for-hire case, tell me about this news in (https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/11/lil-durk-acquitted-murder-for-hire-case/)
12-09-2026
A federal jury in Los Angeles acquitted Grammy-winning Chicago rapper Lil Durk (real name Durk Banks) on all charges in his high-profile murder-for-hire trial.Key Details of the Case and Verdict
- The Verdict: Following three days of deliberations, the jury returned not-guilty verdicts across all five federal counts Banks faced, which included conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, murder-for-hire resulting in death, and stalking-related charges. If convicted, the 33-year-old artist faced a potential sentence of life imprisonment.
- The Allegations: Federal prosecutors alleged that Banks orchestrated and financed an August 2022 targeted shooting near the Beverly Center shopping mall in Los Angeles. The intended target was Georgia rapper Quando Rondo (Tyquian Bowman), allegedly in retaliation for the November 2020 fatal shooting of Banks’ close friend and Only The Family (OTF) collaborator, King Von (Dayvon Bennett), outside an Atlanta lounge.
- The Incident: During the August 2022 ambush at a gas station, gunmen opened fire on Bowman’s vehicle. Bowman escaped uninjured, but his 24-year-old cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, was fatally shot.
- The Prosecution’s Case: The government argued that Banks placed a bounty on Bowman, using OTF-associated credit cards and resources to fly alleged Chicago gang associates to California, rent vehicles, and track Bowman before carrying out the hit. Multiple cooperating witnesses who took plea deals, including former associates Keith Jones and Kavon Grant, testified during the trial.
- The Defense: Defense counsel maintained that Banks was not involved in the planning or execution of the shooting, emphasizing that he was not present at the scene and never ordered a retaliatory hit. The defense argued that others acted independently without his knowledge or authorization.
- Outcome: While some co-defendants faced convictions on related charges, the jury determined that the government failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Banks directed or participated in the murder-for-hire plot.