Rapper Lil Durk has been acquitted of all charges in his federal murder-for-hire trial, but the Grammy-winning artist will not be released yet because he faces a separate federal case scheduled for October 5.
Rapper Lil Durk, whose legal name is Durk Banks, has been found not guilty on all charges in the federal murder-for-hire case that accused him of orchestrating a 2022 attack targeting fellow rapper Quando Rondo in Los Angeles.
A federal jury reached the verdict on Friday, September 11, after three days of deliberations, bringing a major development to a case that had kept the 33-year-old Chicago rapper in federal custody since his arrest in 2024. The jury acquitted Durk of conspiracy, stalking resulting in death and murder-for-hire charges.
However, reports circulating online that Lil Durk will be released immediately are inaccurate.
Although he has been cleared of every charge in the murder-for-hire case, Durk remains in federal custody because he faces a separate federal trial involving racketeering and weapons-related allegations. That case is scheduled to begin on October 5, 2026.
The acquittal is nevertheless a major legal victory for the rapper, who has maintained his innocence throughout the prosecution.
Jury rejects murder-for-hire allegations
The case centered on an August 2022 shooting near the Beverly Center shopping mall in Los Angeles.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Durk had organized and financed an operation intended to kill rival rapper Quando Rondo, whose real name is Tyquian Bowman.
The alleged plot was presented by prosecutors as retaliation for the 2020 killing of Durk's close friend and fellow rapper Dayvon “King Von” Bennett.
King Von was killed outside a nightclub in Atlanta in November 2020. Prosecutors alleged that someone associated with Quando Rondo was responsible for Von's death and that Durk subsequently sought revenge.
According to the prosecution's case, men were sent from Chicago to Los Angeles to locate and attack Rondo.
The alleged attackers eventually opened fire on a vehicle near a gas station in Los Angeles. Rondo survived the shooting, but his 24-year-old cousin, Saviay'a Robinson, also known as Lul Pab, was killed.
Prosecutors argued that Durk had provided financial support for the operation and was ultimately responsible for the attempted killing.
The jury, however, did not find the evidence sufficient to convict him.
After three days of deliberations, the panel returned not-guilty verdicts on all charges against the rapper.
Durk's defense denied he ordered the attack
Durk's defense team rejected the prosecution's central theory throughout the trial.
His lawyers argued that the rapper had nothing to do with organizing the attack and that a former personal assistant, Kavon Grant, had arranged the operation independently.
The defense maintained that Grant and others could have been attempting to impress Durk rather than acting under his instructions.
Several people who had originally been charged in connection with the case reached plea agreements with prosecutors and later testified for the government. Durk's defense challenged the reliability and motivations of those witnesses, arguing that their testimony should not be enough to establish his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The jury ultimately sided with Durk on the charges brought in the murder-for-hire trial.
The decision means that prosecutors failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Durk ordered or financed the attack that killed Robinson.
Co-defendants receive mixed verdicts
The verdicts were more complicated for two men who stood trial alongside Durk.
Deandre Dontrell Wilson and David Brian Lindsey were acquitted of the central murder-for-hire allegations, but the jury convicted both men on other stalking-related charges.
According to the Associated Press, the two men were found guilty of conspiracy to commit stalking, stalking using a dangerous weapon and stalking resulting in death.
That distinction is important because the jury did not simply reject the government's entire account of the events.
Instead, jurors reached different conclusions about the individual defendants and the specific charges against them.
Durk, however, was cleared of every charge submitted against him in the trial.
Federal prosecutors expressed disappointment with the result concerning Durk while indicating that they would continue pursuing the separate case against him.
Why Lil Durk is still in jail
The biggest point of confusion following the verdict is Durk's custody status.
Social media posts claiming that he has been completely freed or is walking out of prison today do not reflect his current legal situation.
Durk remains incarcerated.
The reason is that the murder-for-hire case was only one of the federal cases against him.
A separate case involving racketeering and weapons offenses remains pending. That matter was separated from the murder-for-hire trial and is scheduled for trial on October 5.
As a result, Friday's acquittal does not automatically result in Durk's release.
His attorneys must now deal with the remaining federal prosecution while also potentially seeking a change in his custody status.
The rapper has been in jail since his arrest in 2024, meaning the murder-for-hire case has already resulted in a lengthy period of pretrial detention even though the jury ultimately found him not guilty.
A major moment for Durk's career
The acquittal comes at a critical point in Lil Durk's career.
Durk has become one of the most recognizable artists to emerge from Chicago's drill and hip-hop scene. He has released multiple successful projects and collaborated with some of the biggest names in rap.
In 2024, he won a Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance for “All My Life,” his collaboration with J. Cole.
His legal troubles, however, have overshadowed much of his career in recent years.
His arrest and subsequent prosecution attracted significant attention from the music industry, particularly because of the connection between the allegations, King Von's death and the broader history of conflicts surrounding Chicago's drill-rap scene.
The federal trial also drew celebrity attention.
According to the Associated Press, musicians including Machine Gun Kelly and Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, appeared in court during the proceedings. Large groups of fans, livestreamers and content creators also gathered outside the federal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles.
Supporters celebrate outside courthouse
Following the acquittal, celebrations broke out among Durk's supporters outside the courthouse.
Fans had followed the case closely throughout the trial, with some supporters wearing “Free Durk” shirts and playing his music outside the courthouse.
The rapper's legal team also expressed relief following the verdict.
His attorney Drew Findling spoke to supporters after the decision and indicated that the defense would now focus on securing Durk's freedom.
The celebrations reflect the significance of the verdict for Durk's family, supporters and wider fan base.
However, the remaining federal case means the legal battle is not over.
Prosecutors still have another case
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles has made clear that prosecutors intend to continue with the separate case.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said prosecutors were disappointed with the jury's decision regarding Durk but would proceed with the evidence in the second trial.
That means the government will have another opportunity to pursue charges against the rapper.
The second case is different from the murder-for-hire prosecution, so Friday's acquittal does not determine the outcome of the October proceedings.
Durk will therefore have to prepare for another major federal court battle.
The significance of the acquittal
Being found not guilty in the murder-for-hire case represents a substantial victory for Durk because the allegations were among the most serious accusations he has faced.
The prosecution had attempted to establish a connection between Durk, the alleged attackers and the intended target, Quando Rondo.
The alleged motive was also central to the government's case: revenge for King Von's death.
But despite presenting witnesses and other evidence over the course of the trial, prosecutors could not persuade the jury that Durk was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The verdict reinforces an important principle in criminal proceedings: allegations and accusations are not the same as convictions.
Durk entered the trial pleading not guilty and leaves this particular case without a criminal conviction.
What happens next for Lil Durk?
The immediate focus now shifts to the October 5 federal trial.
Durk's legal team will have to prepare to defend him against the remaining racketeering and weapons allegations.
The outcome of that case could ultimately determine whether the rapper is released from federal custody or remains incarcerated.
For now, therefore, the most accurate description is that Lil Durk has been acquitted but has not been freed.
His victory in the murder-for-hire case eliminates the possibility of a conviction on those specific charges, but it does not resolve the separate federal prosecution.
That distinction is particularly important as fans and social media users react to the verdict.
Lil Durk's legal battle continues
Friday's verdict represents both an ending and a new beginning.
The murder-for-hire case that dominated headlines has ended with Durk's complete acquittal.
The government failed to convince the jury that he orchestrated the attempted killing of Quando Rondo or was responsible for the death of Rondo's cousin.
But Durk's broader legal battle continues.
He remains in custody while awaiting the October 5 trial, and prosecutors have signaled that they intend to pursue the remaining allegations.
For the rapper and his supporters, the immediate focus will be on the next stage of the case and whether his attorneys can secure his release before then.
For now, however, the headline is clear:
Lil Durk is not guilty in the federal murder-for-hire case. He has won a major legal victory, but he is not yet a free man.
