Grammy-winning Chicago rapper Lil Durk, whose real name is Durk Devontay Banks, was acquitted on Friday of all charges in a federal murder-for-hire case stemming from a deadly 2022 ambush in Los Angeles. Supporters cheered outside the downtown Los Angeles courthouse after three days of jury deliberations concluded in the not-guilty verdict. Banks, 33, had faced five felony counts, including murder for hire resulting in death and conspiracy, and could have faced a life sentence if convicted. Two co-defendants, Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey, were convicted of stalking and conspiracy to commit stalking but were also acquitted of the murder-for-hire charges.
The case centred on a fatal shooting in August 2022 at a petrol station in West Hollywood, where a car carrying Atlanta rapper Quando Rondo — real name Tyquian Bowman — was ambushed. Bowman survived, but his cousin Saviay'a Robinson was killed. Federal prosecutors argued that Banks had placed a bounty on Bowman's life in retaliation for the 2020 killing of King Von, a fellow Chicago rapper and close associate of Banks who was shot dead during an altercation in Atlanta. A friend of Bowman was initially charged in Von's murder, though those charges were later dropped. Prosecutors contended that Banks felt intense pressure on social media to avenge Von's death and that his record label and collective, OTF (Only the Family), which he founded in 2010, functioned as a criminal enterprise in carrying out the plot.
The trial relied heavily on three cooperating witnesses who had reached plea deals and testified against Banks. Defence attorneys challenged their credibility, arguing that at least one witness, Kacey Hester, who claimed to have been a shooter in the attack, was motivated by the prospect of a lighter sentence. The defence also sought to portray Kavon Grant, Banks's former assistant whose own cousin had died after a confrontation with Bowman's entourage, as the true orchestrator of the shooting. Prosecutors countered that Banks's leadership was essential to the plot, even if he was not physically present in Los Angeles.
Banks's legal troubles are far from over. He remains in custody and is due to stand trial on 5 October on separate racketeering, murder, and firearms charges. First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said prosecutors were "disappointed" by the jury's decision but expressed confidence in the upcoming case. Banks, who won the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance for his single "All My Life" featuring J. Cole, has placed seven albums in the top five of the US Billboard chart since 2019 and has collaborated with artists including Drake. His defence lawyer described him as "thankful" following Friday's verdict.