Lil Durk Found Not Guilty on All Counts in Murder-for-Hire Trial

An emotional Lil Durk broke down in court Friday as a jury in Los Angeles found him not guilty on all counts in his federal murder-for-hire trial.

Dressed in a tan suit with his hair cut short, the Chicago hip-hop star began to openly weep after the verdict was read.

He had faced multiple counts including conspiracy, use interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death, and stalking resulting in death.

The rapper’s family members, his fans and reporters filled the packed courtroom.

Tension in court had been think just before the verdict was announced. After each juror was polled, prosecutors looked defeated.

Related: Lil Durk’s Attorney Confident After Day 2 of Deliberations

Defense attorneys Drew Findling and Brian Steel were cheered by a crowd of about 100 Durk supporters as the lawyers walked out of the courthouse.Steel declined to comment, but lead attorney Findling offered his thoughts before taking pictures with fans.

“They tried to break him, take him and keep him down, and what happened today? He was found not guilty of all charges,” Findling told reporters, noting that he was borrowing from Lil Durk’s lyrics.

The attorney stood next to the Grammy-winning rapper’s father, Dontay Banks Sr., and added: “We are so proud and elated… you all do not know the work that has gone into this. Thousands of jail calls — we have put in endless effort to fight for this young man, and not just for the words ‘not guilty,’ but his innocence.”

Hip-hop industry insider and content creator Ceddy Nash was in court throughout the trial. Following the verdict, he smiled and said he had long predicted the outcome.

“I’m feeling great. Since day one, since the first indictment, I already said he was going to be found not guilty of all charges,” Nash told Urban Hollywood 411.

Maxine Johnson, a longtime Durk fan, closely watched the case and attended the trial with friends.

“I have been here since day one,” she said. “When I heard the verdict, tears rushed out of my eyes… Lil Durk has gotten me through depression. He has gotten me through my hard times. Music is the key to my soul. There will never be another artist like this man.”

The trial began on Aug. 20. The case went to the jury at the end of the day Tuesday. Jurors deliberated all day Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with the verdict read at 4:59 p.m. PT Friday.

The 33-year-old rapper, whose legal name is Durk Banks, had been accused of orchestrating a plot to kill rival rapper Quando Rondo, whose legal name is Tyquian Bowman.

Bowman escaped the ambush unharmed at a gas station near the Beverly Center in Los Angeles in August 2022. But his cousin, Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson, was fatally shot as gunmen opened fire on the Black Cadillac Escalade they were riding in.

Local news station Fox 11 aired footage of the immediate aftermath of the shooting as sheriff’s deputies pulled a wounded Robinson from the SUV and began CPR. A distraught Bowman screamed in horror.

Federal authorities alleged the shooting was carried out in retaliation for the killing of Banks’ close friend and fellow rapper Dayvon “King Von” Bennett.

The other two defendants in the case — David Lindsey and Deandre Wilson — were convicted of conspiracy and stalking charges but acquitted of the murder-for-hire counts.

While Banks prevailed, his legal troubles are not over. He remains in custody pending a second trial on separate racketeering charges. His next trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 5.