Grammy-winning US rapper Lil Durk acquitted in murder-for-hire trial

Grammy-winning rapper Lil Durk, whose real name is Durk Banks, has been acquitted of murder-for-hire charges. He was arrested in 2024 and accused of involvement in a 2022 shooting in Los Angeles that killed the cousin of rival rapper Quando Rondo. The trial, which lasted three weeks, also saw co-defendants Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey convicted of stalking charges but acquitted of murder-for-hire. Prosecutors alleged Banks plotted to kill Quando Rondo in retaliation for the 2020 murder of Chicago rapper King Von. The case relied on testimony from three cooperating witnesses who had reached plea deals. Banks, who founded OTF in 2010, won a Grammy in 2024 for Best Melodic Rap Performance.

Chicago rapper Lil Durk, born Durk Banks, has been acquitted of all charges in a murder-for-hire scheme. Prosecutors accused Banks of orchestrating a bounty on Atlanta rapper Tayquian Bowman's life in retaliation for the 2020 death of his friend, King Von. The state alleged that associates of Banks's record label tracked Bowman to a gas station in West Hollywood in 2022, where an ambush resulted in the fatal shooting of Bowman's cousin, Saviay'a Robinson. A key witness, Kacey Hester, testified that Banks inquired about the ambush's success. However, Banks's defense attorneys questioned Hester's credibility and suggested his former assistant, Kavon Grant, was the mastermind. Despite the acquittal, Banks faces a second trial on racketeering charges.