Lil Durk Acquitted In Federal Murder-For-Hire Case

According to the BBC, Grammy-winning rapper Lil Durk was acquitted on Friday of all charges in a federal murder-for-hire case that accused him of orchestrating a revenge killing in Los Angeles four years ago. The Chicago artist, whose legal name is Durk Devontay Banks, was arrested in 2024 and had faced five felony counts, including murder for hire resulting in death and conspiracy; he remains in custody ahead of a separate trial on 5 October on racketeering murder and firearms charges. Defense lawyer Drew Findling said Banks was thankful after the verdict, while First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said prosecutors look forward to presenting evidence at the second trial. Two co-defendants, Deandre "OTF Dede" Wilson and David "Browneyez" Lindsey, were convicted of stalking and conspiracy to commit stalking but were acquitted of murder-for-hire charges. The case stemmed from an August 2022 shooting at a Los Angeles petrol station that killed Saviay'a Robinson, the cousin of rival rapper Quando Rondo, whose real name is Tyquian Bowman.