# Lil Durk cleared of planning rapper Quando Rondo’s murder

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/lil-durk-acquitted-of-murder-for-hire-charges-in-federal-trial/
- Published: 2026-09-12T05:08:56+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-12T22:01:38+00:00

## Key points

- Lil Durk found not guilty of plotting Quando Rondo's murder
- Case relied on testimony from associates who pleaded guilty
- Durk stays jailed pending a racketeering trial on 5 October

## Summary

A federal jury has cleared rapper Lil Durk of plotting to murder fellow rapper Quando Rondo, rejecting prosecutors' claims that he orchestrated a revenge killing through associates in his Only the Family collective. Durk, who has been in federal custody since his 2024 arrest, had faced charges of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit stalking, and stalking resulting in death; the case had drawn scrutiny partly because prosecutors sought to use his song lyrics as evidence, a tactic criticised by First Amendment advocates.

Prosecutors alleged the attack was retaliation for the 2020 murder of Durk's friend King Von, with Quando Rondo (Tyquian Bowman) the intended target of an ambush that instead killed his cousin, Saviay'a Tilal Robinson. The prosecution's case relied heavily on testimony from Durk's former co-defendants, who pleaded guilty and testified against him, but his defence team argued they were unreliable witnesses seeking to avoid life sentences. Durk, who has always denied the charges, remains in custody ahead of a separate racketeering trial scheduled for 5 October.

## Coverage

- [Billboard: Lil Durk Acquitted of All Charges in Murder-for-Hire Trial Over Quando Rondo Attack](https://www.billboard.com/pro/lil-durk-acquitted-murder-for-hire-trial-quando-rondo/)
- [Pitchfork: Lil Durk Acquitted in Murder-for-Hire Trial](https://pitchfork.com/story/lil-durk-acquitted-in-murder-for-hire-plot/)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.