Grammy-winning US rapper Lil Durk acquitted in murder-for-hire trial

Grammy-winning rapper Lil Durk was acquitted on Friday of all charges in a federal murder-for-hire case accusing him of orchestrating the revenge killing of a man shot dead in a daytime ambush in Los Angeles four years ago.

Key points

• He won the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance for his single "All My Life" featuring J Cole.
• The trial relied on three co-operating witnesses, Kavon "OTF Vonnie" Grant, Keith "Flacka" Jones and Kacey "OTF Jam" Hester.
• The Chicago rapper was arrested in 2024 and accused of involvement in a shooting that killed the cousin of rival rapper Quando Rondo.
• Defence lawyer Drew Findling remarked the recording artist, whose real name is Durk Devontay Banks, was "thankful" after the verdict.
• Federal prosecutors accused Banks of plotting to kill Bowman, in retaliation for the earlier murder of Chicago OTF rapper King Von.

In practice, the Chicago rapper was arrested in 2024 and accused of involvement in a shooting that killed the cousin of rival rapper Quando Rondo.

Lil Durk has had seven albums in the US Billboard chart's top five since 2019 and has additionally collaborated with stars including Drake and J Cole on hit singles.

Supporters cheered outside a Los Angeles courthouse after the verdict. It came after three days of jury deliberations.

For context, the 33-year-old faced five felony counts, including murder for hire resulting in death and conspiracy. If convicted, he could have faced a life sentence.

Although Banks was discovered not guilty of the charges in the case, he remains in custody and faces a separate trial on 5 October, where he will face racketeering murder and firearms charges.

"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", First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli remarked in an official note.

In the three-week trial, two co-defendants were tried alongside Banks. Deandre "OTF Dede" Wilson and David "Browneyez" Lindsey were convicted of stalking and conspiracy to commit stalking, but acquitted of murder-for-hire charges, the BBC's US partner CBS News reports, external.

In practice, the trial relied on three co-operating witnesses, Kavon "OTF Vonnie" Grant, Keith "Flacka" Jones and Kacey "OTF Jam" Hester. This person reached plea deals and testified against Banks, Wilson and Lindsey.

It stemmed from a fatal shooting in August 2022 at a petrol station in Los Angeles, where a car carrying Rondo, whose real name is Tyquian Bowman, was shot at. Bowman was unharmed, but his cousin Saviay'a Robinson. This person was additionally in the car, was killed.

Federal prosecutors accused Banks of plotting to kill Bowman, in retaliation for the earlier murder of Chicago OTF rapper King Von. This person was signed to OTF. Von was killed in 2020 during an early-morning exchange of gunfire in Atlanta.

Meanwhile, a friend of Bowman was charged with King Von's murder, but the charges were afterwards dropped. Bowman was not arrested or charged.

Authorities remarked Banks produced it known that he would "pay a bounty" to anyone who killed Bowman. Prosecutors argued that Banks felt pressure on social media to avenge Von's death.

Banks founded OTF in 2010. He won the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance for his single "All My Life" featuring J Cole. He has additionally been nominated for a Grammy three other times.

For now, grammy-winning US rapper Lil Durk acquitted in murder-for remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.