Verdict reached in murder-for-hire case against rapper Lil Durk

A jury has reached a verdict in the murder-for-hire trial of rapper Lil Durk, whose real name is Durk Banks, after a deadly shooting near a Los Angeles shopping center four years ago. 

The federal grand jury began deliberating Wednesday, with the verdict expected to be announced soon.

Banks, 33, founder of the hip-hop collective Only The Family (OTF), has been held in federal custody since his 2024 arrest. He could face life in prison if convicted.

At the center of the case is an alleged plot to kill rival Atlanta rapper Tyquian Bowman, known as Quando Rondo. Prosecutors say Banks orchestrated the attack as revenge after an associate of Bowman's was involved in the 2020 killing of Banks' close friend and fellow rapper, King Von, at an Atlanta nightclub.

Prosecutors claim Banks financed a team that traveled from Chicago to Los Angeles in August 2022 to carry out the killing. The attempt went badly wrong when gunmen opened fire on Bowman's vehicle outside a busy shopping center, firing at least 18 rounds. Instead of hitting Bowman, the shots killed his 24-year-old cousin, Saviay'a Robinson, who was riding in the car with him.

Banks' defense has pushed back hard against the allegations, arguing he had no involvement in the plot. His attorneys instead pointed to his former personal assistant, Kavon Grant, claiming Grant set up the attack on his own in an effort to impress his boss. Grant ultimately struck a plea deal and testified for the prosecution, along with two other members of Banks' inner circle.

Neither Banks nor Bowman testified during the trial. Banks has pleaded not guilty to several charges, including conspiracy and stalking resulting in death, and could face a separate federal racketeering trial down the line.