Rapper Lil Durk acquitted of murder-for-hire at Los Angeles trial
[September 12, 2026]
By ANDREW DALTON
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal jury on Friday found rapper Lil Durk not
guilty of the attempted killing for hire of rival rapper Quando Rondo at
a Los Angeles gas station, a shooting that resulted in the death of
Rondo’s cousin.
The jury deliberated for three days before acquitting Lil Durk, the
33-year-old Grammy-winning Chicago hip-hop artist best known for the
2023 hit “All My Life,” of conspiracy, stalking resulting in death and
murder for hire.
Durk supporters including music stars Machine Gun Kelly and Ye — the
artist formerly known as Kanye West — appeared in the audience during
the two-week trial in downtown Los Angeles. Big groups of fans,
livestreamers and other content creators gathered outside the
courthouse.
Durk’s co-defendants Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey were convicted of
conspiracy to commit stalking, stalking using a dangerous weapon and
stalking resulting in death. But both were also acquitted of murder for
hire.
“We thank the jury for seeing there was no murder for hire,” Wilson's
attorney Craig Harbaugh said in an email. “We are confident the
remaining counts will not survive our pending motion for acquittal.”
Attorneys for Durk and Lindsey did not immediately respond to emails
seeking comment.
Durk, whose legal name is Durk Banks, remained in custody, pending a
forthcoming trial on a racketeering count that was severed from this
trial. He has been jailed since his 2024 arrest.
Prosecutors had alleged that Durk paid to have Rondo killed after
someone from Rondo’s entourage fatally shot rapper King Von, a close
friend of Durk's and a member of his Only The Family hip-hop collective,
at an Atlanta nightclub in 2020.
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Lil Durk poses for a photo in the press room with the award for best
melodic rap performance for "All My Life" by Lil Durk featuring J.
Cole during the 66th annual Grammy Awards, Feb. 4, 2024, in Los
Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
 The prosecution alleged that in
August 2022, a group of men flew to Los Angeles with funds provided
by Durk, followed Rondo and his crew around, and three gunmen fired
on his Escalade near the Beverly Center shopping mall in Los
Angeles. Rondo survived, but his 24-year-old cousin, Saviay’a
Robinson, known as Lul Pab, was killed.
“Today, the jury delivered justice to the family of Saviay’a
Robinson, finding defendants Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey guilty
of stalking resulting in Mr. Robinson’s death," First Assistant U.S.
Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement. “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."
Durk won a Grammy earlier that year for Best Melodic Rap Performance
for “All My Life,” which features J. Cole. He has been nominated for
three other Grammys and was a featured performer on Drake’s “Laugh
Now Cry Later."
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