Rapper Lil Durk Acquitted of Murder-for-Hire Charges in Los Angeles Trial

Grammy-winning US rapper Lil Durk, whose legal name is Durk Banks, has been acquitted of murder-for-hire and related charges following a federal trial in Los Angeles. A jury delivered the not-guilty verdict on Friday, September 11, 2026, after three days of deliberation. Banks had faced multiple felony counts, including charges of murder, stalking, and conspiracy.

Prosecutors had alleged that Banks orchestrated a plot to kill rival rapper Quando Rondo as retaliation for the 2020 death of Banks' friend, rapper King Von. The 2022 shooting in Los Angeles missed Quando Rondo but fatally struck his cousin, 24-year-old Saviay'a Robinson. Two co-defendants tried alongside Banks, Deandre "OTF Dede" Wilson and David "Browneyez" Lindsey, were convicted of stalking and stalking conspiracy, though they were also acquitted of the murder-for-hire charges.

Despite the acquittal in this high-profile case, Lil Durk will remain in federal custody. He is scheduled for a separate trial on October 5, 2026, where he faces racketeering murder and firearms charges.