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

What the report says

Grammy-winning rapper Lil Durk was acquitted Friday in a federal murder-for-hire case in Los Angeles, according to BBC World News. The Chicago artist, whose legal name is Durk Devontay Banks, had faced five felony counts tied to an alleged plot involving a fatal 2022 shooting at a Los Angeles petrol station. Prosecutors said the attack was connected to retaliation over the killing of fellow rapper King Von, while the defence said Banks was not responsible for the violence.

The BBC reported that the jury reached its decision after three days of deliberations following a three-week trial. Supporters outside the courthouse celebrated the verdict. Two co-defendants, Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey, were convicted on stalking-related charges but cleared of the murder-for-hire counts. The case relied in part on testimony from three cooperating witnesses who had reached plea deals.

Although Banks was found not guilty in this trial, he remains in custody and is due to face a separate federal case on 5 October involving racketeering murder and firearms charges. The BBC said prosecutors plan to present evidence in that proceeding. Banks, who founded the Only the Family collective, has had several major chart successes and won a 2024 Grammy for “All My Life” with J. Cole. The acquittal removes the threat of a possible life sentence in this case, but his wider legal situation is still unresolved.