Lil Durk Cleared on All Counts in Federal Murder-for-Hire Trial

Lil Durk was acquitted of all charges on September 11, 2026, concluding a Los Angeles federal trial that followed his 2024 arrest. Born Durk Banks on Chicago’s South Side, the Only the Family founder has been instrumental in elevating drill from local mixtapes to the top of the album charts, with 7220 and his collaborative project with Lil Baby, The Voice of the Heroes, both debuting at No. 1. Almost Healed (2023) yielded the Grammy-winning single ‘All My Life’ featuring J. Cole, while Deep Thoughts arrived on March 28, 2025, after four postponements linked to the case. At 33, Banks remains in custody, yet continues to rank among the most streamed artists in contemporary rap.

The prosecution focused on the August 19, 2022 shooting near the Beverly Center, where gunfire struck an Escalade and resulted in the death of Saviay’a Robinson, cousin of Quando Rondo. Prosecutors alleged that Banks sought retribution for the 2020 Atlanta killing of King Von, sending associates linked to Only the Family to Los Angeles with travel arrangements and equipment. Defense attorneys Drew Findling and Brian Steel countered that there was no financial incentive and argued that cooperating witnesses were motivated to deflect responsibility.

After three days of deliberation, Banks was acquitted on all five counts, including murder-for-hire and stalking resulting in death. Co-defendants Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey were cleared of the murder-for-hire charges but found guilty of stalking. 

A separate racketeering trial is scheduled for October 5.