A federal jury in Los Angeles found rapper Lil Durk not guilty on all charges Friday in a high-profile murder-for-hire case that stemmed from a deadly shooting in California four years ago.
The verdict came after jurors spent three days reviewing evidence and testimony presented during the trial. The Grammy-winning artist, whose legal name is Durk Banks, was acquitted of every federal charge connected to the case.
Prosecutors had accused Banks of organizing a plan to target and kill Atlanta rapper Tyquian Bowman, who is known professionally as Quando Rondo. According to the government, the alleged plot was motivated by revenge following the death of Dayvon “King Von” Bennett, a close friend of Banks who was killed in 2020.
Federal prosecutors argued that Banks planned, directed, and financed efforts to locate Bowman. They claimed the operation eventually led to an ambush shooting near the Beverly Center area of Los Angeles in August 2022.
However, prosecutors said the intended target was not killed. Instead, the shooting resulted in the death of Bowman’s cousin, 24-year-old Saviay’a Robinson. Robinson was fatally shot during the incident in broad daylight on Aug. 19, 2022.
Throughout the trial, Banks maintained his innocence. His defense team rejected the allegations and argued that he had no role in any murder plot.
Defense attorneys told jurors that prosecutors failed to prove Banks was involved in planning or directing the crime. They argued that a former personal assistant, Kavon Grant, was responsible for arranging the events that prosecutors linked to the shooting.
The case drew significant public attention because of Banks’ status as one of the most successful figures in modern hip-hop. The rapper has released multiple charting albums and built a large following over the past decade.
Banks, 33, pleaded not guilty to all charges. The federal case included allegations of conspiracy, stalking involving a dangerous weapon, stalking resulting in death, and multiple murder-for-hire counts.
The jury ultimately rejected the government’s case against him and returned not guilty verdicts on every charge.
The trial also involved two co-defendants, Deandre Dontrell Wilson and David Brian Lindsey. Both men pleaded not guilty during the proceedings.
Jurors found Wilson and Lindsey guilty of conspiracy to commit stalking and stalking-related offenses. However, they were acquitted of several other charges, including counts connected to the alleged murder-for-hire scheme.
The mixed verdict marked a major development in a case that had been closely watched by both the music industry and legal observers.
Despite his acquittal in this trial, Banks will remain in federal custody for now. He is scheduled to face another federal trial next month involving separate allegations.
Those charges include racketeering murder accusations and firearms-related offenses. Authorities have not linked the upcoming case to the verdict delivered on Friday.
Had Banks been convicted on all charges in the current case, he could have faced a sentence of life in federal prison.
The rapper’s acquittal sparked an emotional reaction among supporters gathered outside the downtown Los Angeles courthouse. Shortly after the verdict was announced, fans celebrated outside the building.
Many supporters cheered as news of the decision spread. The crowd reflected the strong public interest surrounding the case and its outcome.
Banks remains one of the most recognizable names in hip-hop. In 2024, he won a Grammy Award for the hit song “All My Life,” a collaboration with rapper J. Cole. The song became one of the biggest successes of his career and helped strengthen his position in the music industry.
Friday’s verdict closes one major chapter in the legal battle surrounding the rapper. While the jury cleared him of all charges in the murder-for-hire case, attention will now turn to the separate federal proceedings he is scheduled to face in the coming weeks.
