Grammy-winning rapper Lil Durk has been found not guilty on all charges in his federal murder-for-hire trial, bringing an emotional end to a case that could have sent him to prison for life. After three days of deliberation, a Los Angeles jury acquitted the 33-year-old Chicago artist, whose legal name is Durk Banks, on Friday, September 11, 2026 . The verdict cleared Durk of conspiracy, stalking resulting in death, and murder for hire related to a 2022 shooting that killed the cousin of rival rapper Quando Rondo.
The courtroom erupted with emotion as the second “not guilty” verdict was read. According to Rolling Stone senior reporter Nancy Dillon, who was present in court, Durk “started crying as he heard the second ‘not guilty,'” while his wife India Royale wrapped her arms around his mother in the second row . Independent journalist Cousin Tino also reported that Durk “was wiping tears away as his lawyers hugged him when the verdict came out” . Outside the courthouse, Durk’s father, Big Durk, told TMZ he was “bursting with joy” and that the family was experiencing a collective “high” following the verdict . Defense attorney Brian Steel celebrated by calling Durk “The Voice” and declaring, “we love him”.
The prosecution had alleged that Durk orchestrated a revenge plot targeting Tyquian “Quando Rondo” Bowman following the 2020 killing of Durk’s close friend Dayvon “King Von” Bennett . Prosecutors claimed the August 19, 2022, attack near the Beverly Center in Los Angeles involved a group of men who flew from Chicago, followed Rondo’s crew, and fired at least 18 rounds at his Escalade . While Rondo survived, his 24-year-old cousin Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson was killed . However, defense attorneys Drew Findling and Brian Steel argued there was no evidence Durk paid anyone, noting he wasn’t even in Los Angeles at the time of the shooting . Findling famously characterized the case during closing arguments as “a tsunami of reasonable doubt” and “the bounty case with no money, the stalking case with no stalking” . The defense instead pointed to Durk’s former assistant, Kavon Grant, as the person responsible for the shooting, claiming Grant had been fired months earlier and acted to impress his former boss .
While the acquittal marks a significant victory, Durk’s legal battles are far from over. He remains in federal custody pending a separate trial on racketeering and firearms charges, with a trial date scheduled for October 5 . His two co-defendants in the murder-for-hire case, Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey, were convicted of conspiracy to commit stalking, stalking using a dangerous weapon, and stalking resulting in death, though they too were acquitted of murder-for-hire charges . First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli stated, “While we are disappointed with the jury’s decision regarding Durk Banks, a.k.a. ‘Lil Durk,’ we look forward to presenting our evidence at his second trial” . Fellow Chicago rapper G Herbo celebrated the verdict on social media, posting a video where he could be heard saying, “That’s hard. That’s hard, boy” .